|
Classical Apologetics |
Evidentialism |
Presuppositionalism |
Reformed Epistemology |
| Starting Point |
Reason, especially the classical theistic proofs: deduction |
Empirical data, especially the Resurrection: induction |
Negatively, the inconsistency of alternatives; positively, the Scriptures as necessary for even the unbeliever's rationality: presupposition |
Belief in God, like other beliefs (including belief in the existence of others, the reliability of the senses, etc.), is "properly basic." That is, one is warranted in believing in God because the "sense of God" is common to everyone. |
| Main Emphasis: |
Sound reason will lead to the truth |
Sound reason will lead to the truth |
Acceptance of the authority of Scripture will lead to the truth |
Proper function (viz., of one's sense of God) will lead to the truth |
| The Chief Goal of Apologetics: |
To establish the reasonableness of theism |
To establish the reasonableness of Christianity |
To establish the sovereignty of God over human autonomy |
To expose the captivity of demands for evidence as unwitting capitulations to modernity |
| The Chief Philosphical Influences: |
Plato, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas: Rationalism |
Aristotle, Bacon, Locke, Butler, Scottish "common sense realism" (Thomas Reid), B.B. Warfield and "Old Princeton": Empiricism |
Hegel, Bradley, and British "absolute Idealist" thought, Kuyper, Van Til: Idealism |
Anselm, Calvin, Kuyper, Bavinck, contemporary critics of "classical foundationalism" (e.g., A. Plantinga, N. Wolterstorff, W. Alston): Post-Foundationalism |
| Arguments Drawn From: |
Philosophy |
History/Science |
Scripture |
Philosophy |
| Typical Criticisms By Rival Schools: |
Too deductivistically rationalistic (says the "inductivist" evidentialist); too naive about the sinfulness of the fallen mind and heart, sacrificing God's sovereignty by trying to preserve Enlightenment autonomy (says the presuppositionalist); too committed to classical foundationalism (says the "Reformed epistemologist"). |
Too optimistic about the powers of the senses, since observation is never neutral and the presuppositions which select, organize, and judge relevant data are never suspended so that one could appeal to a "zero point" of unbiased reflection; can only provide probabilistic arguments, while faith requires certainty. |
Too pessimistic about the efficacy of common grace in providing shared convictions about rationality, sense-experience, and the innate sense of God; confusing apologetics (a pre-evangelistic activity of clearing away objections) with evangelism (sharing the Gospel), presuppositionalism tends to deny the value of arguments and is founded on circular reasoning. |
Sense of the divine is insufficient as it is neither an argument for Christianity (says the evidentialist), nor for the Scriptures (says the presuppositionalist). |
