Tag: apologetic method
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Formal Faith
The Concept of Faith in the Abstract
The presence of formal faith in every allegedly non-believing system of thought is often a profound discovery for those who are new to presuppositional apologetics. By “formal faith” I mean merely faith. Faith qua faith. It is not overly important what that faith is in. Strictly speaking, it does not matter that this form of faith be in anything at all. Faith is simply considered in the abstract. Formal faith is generic faith. And we all have it. Or so says the individual who is new to presuppositional apologetics.
The Concept of …
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Choosing Hats Friday Links
Ron DiGiacomo tells Ben Wallis that he knows God – http://reformedapologist.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-true-agnostics-or-atheists.html
Paul Manata excoriates Jerry Coyne on Alvin Plantinga – http://analytictheologye4c5.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/coyne-on-plantinga
TurretinFan on the foundation of our religion – http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=4929
James Anderson has moved his blog here – http://www.proginosko.com
Anderson ties his article on logic back to Van Til – http://www.proginosko.com/2011/12/antitheism-presupposes-theism-and-so-does-every-other-ism
Anderson rebuts Wallis – http://www.proginosko.com/2012/01/could-propositions-exist-contingently-a-response-to-ben-wallis
There is a 50% off sale at WTS Bookstore – http://www.wtsbooks.com/sitesearch/search.php?keywords=Best-Seller+2011
And a sale on some academic sets at CBD – http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=329111&sp=1013&p=1165962…
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Is the Transcendental Argument a “Magic Bullet”?
Sometimes the term “magic bullet” or “silver bullet” comes up in discussions of Van Tilian apologetic methodology. The term is typically if not always used in a negative sense in reference to transcendental argument. Its use is not limited to any particular attitude toward Van Tilian apologetics. The first time I saw the term used was in John Frame. Paul Manata has used it in critiquing “right wing” Van Tilianism. K. Scott Oliphint has used it to correct misunderstandings of Van Til’s thought. Sometimes atheists use it. Many others do as well. So the use of the phrase in question …
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Three Very Different Philosophers: Necessity of Epistemic Circularity
…“But don’t the doctrines of the imago dei (the image of God), and the purpose of human creation already presuppose that we can have substantive knowledge of God? They seem clearly to do this, and if so, then they cannot be appealed to in a noncircular argument for this theological optimism as a conclusion.
First, it must be pointed out that the possibility of any kind of basic knowledge cannot be demonstrated by means of noncircular, nonquestion-begging arguments, by arguments that do not in any way already presume to some extent that to which they intend to lend some support.
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Van Til’s Argument Part II
In our last post, we dealt with the claims made over at The Gospel Coalition Blog that Van Til did not make an argument while setting forth his methodology. “Roberto G” made that claim, and we dealt with that sufficiently for the time being. Now, we will deal with Doug Perry’s assertion that Van Til’s “legacy” has “given us the school [of] circular reasoning held by most presuppositionalists”. His sentence is rather garbled, and none too clear, but it seems to be saying that transcendental argumentation is circular, as far as I can tell. Now, even if this isn’t precisely …
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Van Til’s Argument Part I
In the comment section of Justin Taylor’s post, we have already seen perhaps the most common claims made by opponents of the covenantal apologetic. By “Roberto G”, we have the claim that Van Til didn’t make an argument; and by Doug Perry, we have the claim that the argument is circular. To head off any claims that I misunderstand what they have to say, let me quote the two gentlemen in question on the specified topics, and then I’ll deal with their comments as a whole in later posts, as I’ve decided to make this a short series, to …
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Dustin Segers and Sye TenBruggencate on Goodness Over God Podcast
One of my favorite podcasts, Goodness Over God, recently had Dustin Segers and Sye TenBruggencate on to discuss, well, the usual! I have not had the opportunity to listen to more than 30 minutes so far, but I trust that the remainder of the podcast will be as great as the beginning.
http://goodnessovergod.blogspot.com/2011/11/episode-11-special-guests-sye-ten.html…
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Ask A Former Atheist
http://www.worldoncampus.com/article/religion/2011/10/ask_a_former_atheist
…If someone had asked him last fall if he believed in God, he would have said definitely not. But now, Suplita says he is unsure whether he ever really believed that in his heart. He could give a whole list of reasons why he thought it was ridiculous to believe in God, but he now wonders whether he really believed what he was saying.
“It was more like I was trying to convince myself,” he said.
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Brian Knapp of Choosing Hats to appear with atheist Matt Oxley on Praxis Presup this weekend for informal debate
Brian Knapp, Founder and Administrator of Choosing Hats and atheist Matt Oxley of RagingRev.com plan to participate in an informal debate consisting of interview, cross-examination, and discussion hosted and moderated by Chris Bolt of the Praxis Presup podcast this weekend. The event will not be live streamed, however the recording of it will be made available on the next episode of Praxis Presup right here on Choosing Hats around the beginning of next week, Lord willing. You won’t want to miss it!…