If you read this blog you know that I subscribe to Presuppositional Apologetics. I won’t be rehearsing what Presuppositional Apologetics is but check out here for a compact definition and here for a lists of many lectures and of those many messages check out Apologetics: What Would Jesus Do? 4 Messages if you can’t decide.
From time to time I hear people say Cornelius Van Til, the father of Presuppositional Apologetics was a Postmodernist and that Presuppositionalism is Postmodernism. This post was from a discussion I had online in another social media platform about this objection.
I don’t think this is true but I want to write a post to think through how does one deal with people bringing this objection and in general objections for other points about Christianity.
Now one route one can take with this objection is show all the various beliefs Van Til had that contradict Postmodernism. For instance Van Til has a high view of Scripture and believes it is possible to have certainty of Christian beliefs. This contradicts the spirit of Postmodernism. Van Til in his famous essay “Nature and Scripture” said “When on the created level of existence man thinks God’s thoughts after him, that is, when man thinks in self-conscious submission to the voluntary revelation of the self-sufficient God, he has therewith the only possible ground of certainty for his knowledge.”
But I think we need to take a step back. Christians we shouldn’t always do the homework for the person who bring up silly objections. This is true not only with believers with theological dispute but also with nonbelievers in apologetics and evangelism. So this post is not just about answering this specific objection but an exhortation to be wise with theological and apologetics disagreements especially if the objection is really out there.
Going back to the charge that Van Til was a Postmodernist what are some pointers you can raise to make the person making this claim do the homework themselves? Here’s some points:
- Ask whoever bring this charge for them to define what is the essence of Postmodernism. Sometimes hearing what they say Postmodernism is they might reveal that (1) they don’t know what is Postmodernism and/or (2) Van Til clearly didn’t hold to the specific tenets of Postmodernism.
- Ask the person when Postmodernism began.
- Also press him to cite his source for the date of when Postmodernism originated.
- Following point 3 you should then inquire quotes where Van Til is being Postmodern.
- When the person has provided you a quote from Van Til ask when Van Til wrote the quote. Obviously if Van Til’s quote predate the beginning of Postmodernism it does make the claim of Van Til being a Postmodernist suspicious (technically one can say Van Til was a forerunner of Postmodernism; see the rest of the points to refute this).
- Ask him to look and cite the quote from Van Til in context for you. Don’t let the person just quote things without any context.
- Ask whether the quote provided of Van Til’s beliefs necessitate postmodernity or it just happen to overlap in some areas with postmodernism.
I think these seven points will help one handle a conversation with someone who attack Presuppositional Apologetics as being Postmodern.
The Domain for Truth 
Very well said. It seems like many skeptics bask in post-modernism.
Have a blessed day.
What little knowledge I have of Van Til comes from you. It’s amazing how these false views start and are perpetuated without people checking the facts.
You have read Dr Lisle which breaks Presup down and teach in details the argument Presuppositional apologetics is presenting. I’m so grateful for that. It’s crazy what people say that are blatantly false with everything these days from politics, Christianity, the Bible and even apologists! It’s like both of our blogs function as Christian fact checkers, among other things. Just realized it’s Friday and you must be at work this morning, right?
I really appreciated Lisle’s book. It was a great intro to presup apologetics and logical fallacies.
Yup, working today. They’re switching to a new data system this weekend so no work or training. Just cleaning the warehouse. A lot of walking. 9F when I drove to work this AM.
How’s your prep day starting out?
Jim, I mean this with sincerity and humility, it’s only going to get worse. My only question in addressing this would be, “what is the basis and authority of the truth in which you believe?” If they say themselves, feelings, MSM I would say a quick Nehemiah prayer asking Him to help me process this with the person. This thought came to me while I was writing this: Truth today is like Bitcoin, backed by nothing, only speculative interest. This is how people view truth today, speculative and subjective. Blessings to you, Nancy and kiddos!
Love this: “ Truth today is like Bitcoin, backed by nothing, only speculative interest.” In my experience of campus evangelism the amount of people believing in subjective basis for ethics, construction of truth and everything has incredibly increased and most frightening of all is how over the years of evangelism I have seen that to hold a belief that is different from the accepted dogma today of blended beliefs sprinkled with postmodernism, dialectical materialism and psychologicized power politics then just by believing different than them you are seen as oppressive. I’m not exaggerating when I say this that college campuses the most dangerous kind of person to be evangelize is one who is an Anglo male and the treatment I seen people give towards White Christians is far worst than to me, even as we table together and share the same Gospel lovingly. I don’t even know what college campuses evangelism will look like post-Covidwith the level of intolerance that has increased since 2020 in our society. In the future will you be able to share with our youth group a message of “Why Christians should love the Old Testament?” This might be a couple of months away and it will be part of a series I’m still trying to plan of various members share and teach our kids things that each members are gifted in.
What you say is true. Colleges and Universities today are rife with hatred on so many levels. I have no idea what will happen to IVP, Cru, Navigators etc on college campuses. This postmodern rationale will affect small Christian liberal arts colleges, I am concerned they will lose their accreditation. My brother appeared to be a believer growing up and then he went to a borderline socialist college and has since lost his mind. Sad. Anyway, YES I would LOVE to do a youth talk on why Christians should love the OT!! Thank you for considering me!
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Thank you for these seven points, Jim! These are helpful pattens for other inquiries too i.e. scientific thorough approach and not heresy. It is easy to throw allegations in today’s world but it is hard to accurately back them up with solid evidence. This is a good litmus test to follow. Blessings to you and your family!
The internet seems to allow people to throw around allegations even if it’s quite absurd and highly inaccurate. Seems at the end of the day we got to be Bereans with all that we read and also be slow to spread news and think before we say something and at times look up more information. Going tangent our state is going to lessen restrictions with the virus situation; how are things in the Philippines?
Sorry that I can’t share that here nor in my blog; it is hard to capsulize it without giving background and alerting the trolls in the process.
Very good.
Thanks!! How are your two sisters doing with post Hurricane recovery and their living situation?
They are well. Repair work done. All is well here. Hope the same for you, Sweetie.
Wow saying Van Til is Postmodern before the advent of Postmodernism is rather out there. Now if they said Van Til was early 20th century Idealist (which he isn’t) that I can understand
We’re living in times of sweeping generalizations and cancel culture, everything from accusations of postmodernism to being woke… or not woke. It’s a bit maddening.
The crazy tidal wave of slander against Christians are coming
Is that picture telling us the accusation is nothing but hot air?
[…] 5.) Thinking Through How to Answer the Objection that Van Til’s Presuppositional Apologetics is Postm… […]
It’s helpful to think about how to respond just as much as what is one’s response to individual objections
The slander against other believers even by so called believers is only going to get worst
Some people don’t have reading comprehension at all
You are not only teaching what to think but how to think through objections to refute them