Presuppositional apologetics

Presuppositional apologetics is a school of Christian apologetics, a field of Christian theology that attempts to (1) present a rational basis for the Christian faith, (2) defend the faith against objections, and (3) attack the alleged flaws of other worldviews. Presuppositional apologetics is especially concerned with the third aspect of this discipline, though it generally sees the trifold distinction as a difference in emphasis rather than as delineating three separate endeavors. Presuppositional apologetics developed in and is most commonly advocated within Reformed circles of Christianity.

Resources

Books

• Bahnsen, Greg (1998). Van Til’s Apologetic: Readings and Analysis. P & R Press. ISBN 0875520987
• Clark, Gordon (1998). A Christian View of Men and Things, 3rd edition. Trinity Foundation. ISBN 1891777017
• Clark, Gordon (1995). Religion, Reason, and Revelation, 3rd edition. Trinity Foundation. ISBN 0940931869
• Frame, John (1994). Apologetics to the Glory of God. P & R Press. ISBN 0875522432
• Frame, John (1995). Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought. P & R Press. ISBN 0875522203
• Van Til, Cornelius (1980). The Defense of the Faith. P & R Press. ISBN 0875524834

Websites

• VanTil.info - writings by and about Van Til and his apologetic.
• The Trinity Foundation - the shorter writings and audio of Gordon Clark and his disciples for free as well as printed books and audio for a fee.
• Reformed Perspectives Apologetics - a number of papers and books by John Frame.
• The Hall of Frame - papers by students of John Frame as well as material for Frame's courses at Reformed Theological Seminary.
• The Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics - many articles and books about the presuppositional approach to apologetics.
• Monergism's Apologetics Articles - extensive collection of essays on presuppositional apologetics
• Covenant Media Foundation which offers a variety of audio resources related to presuppositional apologetics by Greg Bahnsen, Douglas Wilson, and some by Van Til himself.
• Reformed World-View Apologetics which offers a selection of papers from a Van Tilian standpoint by Sebastian Heck.

Debates utilizing a presuppositional approach

• "The Great Debate: Does God Exist?" Audio (in RealAudio format) of a formal debate between Christian Greg Bahnsen and skeptic Gordon Stein from the University of California, Irvine.
• The Martin-Frame Debate A written debate between skeptic Michael Martin and Christian John Frame about the transcendental argument for the existence of God.
• The Drange-Wilson Debate A written debate between skeptic Theodore Drange and Christian Douglas Wilson.
• "Is Non-Christian Thought Futile?" A written debate between Christian Doug Jones and skeptics Keith Parsons and Michael Martin in Antithesis magazine (vol. 2, no. 4).

Debates and discussions on apologetic method

• "Presuppositional or Evidential Apologetics?" An audio debate in MP3 format between Gordon Clark (who speaks first) and David Hoover. (Warning: 25 MB download; no streaming available.)
• "Van Til and the Ligonier Apologetic" An article by John Frame from the Westminster Theological Journal analyzing the book Classical Apologetics by R. C. Sproul, John Gerstner, and Arthur Lindsley (ISBN 0310449510), which itself includes "a friendly refutation of Cornelius Van Til's presuppositional apologetics."
• "A Critique of the Evidentialist Apologetical Method of John Warwick Montgomery" An article by Dr. Greg Bahnsen.
• "The Resurrection of Thomism" An article by Doug Erlandson critiquing Thomistic apologetics.
• "Presuppositionalism vs. Evidentialism", a question-and-answer from Answers in Genesis that takes a semi-Clarkian approach to apologetics.