Van Til 2.0 « Miscellanies.

Van Til 2.0

Until recently, readers wanting to tackle the works of Cornelius Van Til could expect a number of difficulties along the way. Van Til’s complex and lengthy arguments, and his robust vocabulary, had the potential at any point to turn a reader’s well-fought comprehension into a concession of confusion. Readers (like myself) need a trail guide through the writings of Van Til. And now we have them.

P&R has been releasing classic works by Van Til in a retypeset version of the original, adding to them detailed introductions and hundreds of clarifying footnotes to lead the reader in their journey through the works of this pioneer of apologetics. To date three volumes are available in their newly edited form:

Christian Apologetics, second edition, edited by William Edgar (P&R, 2003). Paperback, 206 pages. $10.39.

An Introduction to Systematic Theology, second edition, edited by William Edgar (P&R, 2007). Paperback, 409 pages. $13.64.

The Defense of the Faith, fourth edition, edited by K. Scott Oliphint (P&R, 2008). Paperback, 427 pages. $13.19.

September 24, 2008 - Posted by spurgeon | Apologetics, BR > P&R, Cornelius Van Til | | 7 Comments

7 Comments »

Have you read Greg Bahnsen’s Van Til’s Apolgetic? If so, is it easier to get a better picture of Van Til’s flow of thought through reading this series that you mentioned today?

Comment by Beth Lynn | September 24, 2008 | Reply
Good question. Bahnsen is a good introduction to the overall flow of Van Til’s thoughts. But eventually you will want to read Van Til directly and not in interrupted, excerpted form. This is where the new volumes are especially helpful.

T

Comment by spurgeon | September 24, 2008 | Reply
I’m excited to see these updated versions. I’m currently working my way through Bahnsen’s ‘Van Til’s Apologetic’ and find it helpful (though some of it is still going over my head). Once finished I look forward to building on that base with some of these volumes.

Van Til’s ideas have really changed my worldview and strengthened my faith.

Comment by heldveld | September 24, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for letting us know about these books. I hope to get them as Christmas presents. Is there a certain reading order you would recommend? I know Van Til is not always the easiest to understand. Does one book build off another? Is one book easier than the anothers? Thanks for any advice you might be able to offer.

Comment by Jason Dalton | September 24, 2008 | Reply
Wow! Looking forward to getting a copy of Van Til’s Introduction to Systematic Theology

Comment by Douglas K. Adu-Boahen | September 27, 2008 | Reply
I got a copy of Van Til’s Introduction to Systematic Theology at long last. It’s a lot to chew over but good stuff nonetheless…

Comment by Douglas K. Adu-Boahen | November 27, 2008 | Reply
I am almost done with Intro to Sys Theo and plan on reading Christian Apologetics next. Van Til has opened up my eyes considerably.

Comment by Benjamin P. Glaser | July 9, 2009 | Reply

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Tony Reinke

Whether by intention or accident you are looking at the blog Miscellanies (formerly The Shepherd’s Scrapbook).

Normally this blog is a stream of miscellanies, but at its center I feature quotes and essays on the Cross of Christ. No series has received more attention than a little tutorial on how to rip a Bible through a table saw on the way to manufacturing a splendid Blank Bible! (Watch your fingers.)

As you can see, we focus on books. I enjoy reading, reviewing, and talking about books (nerd) and photographing books (big nerd). At times we pull the blanket off newly released reformed Christian books. And an annual highlight is our book of the year award. View all the 2008 winners here.

Welcome aboard! -Tony

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See my 15 favorite books of 2008 here.

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For Tony’s current reading schedule click here.

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Who is Tony? My name is Tony Reinke. Like a well-dressed but heart-hardened Pharisee I spent 22-years hiding from God in self-righteous ‘faithfulness.’ That was until one morning my heart–numbed by my empty morality and trapped in a deceptively low standard of ‘goodness’–was subdued by God’s sovereign grace (Eph. 2). During a sermon by Paige Patterson in Lincoln, NE on Luke 18:9-14, I perceived the Gospel as the great exchange, released my self-righteousness, and clung to the saving righteousness of Jesus Christ. That morning this Pharisee became a broken tax collector and, though once blind, I could now see the reality of life, the gravity of sin, and the preciousness of Christ’s redeeming blood. Now there is nothing more precious to me than knowing Jesus Christ, the One who died for me and gave me His righteousness in place of my sinfulness (Phil. 3:7-9). Pursuing further up and further into the Cross has become the center of my life and this blog is intended as a place to share the pursuit.

Though I wouldn’t survive long in the wild, I consider myself agrarian (a farm boy from Nebraska). I was a short-term sports writer and a long-term carpenter who loves to tinker with gizmos and design web content. My story is part Mayberry part BlackBerry. Educationally, I graduated from a little private business school in Omaha with a degree in Liberal Arts. Theologically, I’m an autodidact made possible by the patient and wise direction of pastors in a local church. I’ve been married for 11 years to the wife of my youth (Karalee) and we have three precious kids, a majority of whom are named after dead preachers. I now *work* full time as the editorial and research assistant to my living hero of the faith, C.J. Mahaney. My line of work is a mix of theological research, reading, writing, journalism, photography, all integrated into social media (blogs). For fun I administrate Herman Bavinck dot org .

Email/comments. I’m grateful for your readership and would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment on any post to get in touch. Often I can respond to email but sometimes that’s not possible. Here’s the address: crede.ut.intelligas AT mac.com .

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“If you find me short in things, impute that to my love of brevity. If you find me besides the truth in anything, impute that to my infirmity. But if you find anything here that serves to your furtherance and joy of the faith, impute that to the mercy of God bestowed on you and me. Yours to serve you with what little I have.” John Bunyan (Works, 1:336).

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Book wishlist. I hope to have all these valuable books added to my library one day. All from the The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Yale editions) …

Vol. 1: Freedom of the Will (a gift from my friend Robin)
Vol. 8: Ethical Writings (purchased)
Vol. 21: Trinity, Grace, and Faith (purchased)
Vol. 2: Religious Affections (a gift from my friend Josh)
Vol. 3: Original Sin
Vol. 4: The Great Awakening
Vol. 20: The ‘Miscellanies’ ( No. 833-1152 )
Vol. 23: The ‘Miscellanies’ ( No. 1153–1360 )
Vol. 17: Sermons and Discourses ( 1730-1733 )
Vol. 22: Sermons and Discourses ( 1739-1742 )
Vol. 15: Notes on Scripture

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Princeton Cemetery. I don’t know how I did it, but in the Spring of 2006 I convinced my wife and kids it would be fun to spend the day at Princeton cemetery. Princeton is famous for its school and less famous for its rich evangelical history. I took several photographs at Princeton Cemetery (where Edwards, Hodge, Warfield and the Alexanders are buried). These photos always remind me to be Cross-centered.

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Do-it-yourself Blank Bible. Of all the books we promote, none compare with God’s Word. We pursue the Cross as God opens His Word to us. In this anticipation, we encourage you to make your own blank bible like Jonathan Edwards.’ Building a blank bible shows both a commitment to serious, life-long reflection and the anticipation of God’s illuminating Spirit. To date, over 15,000 readers have accessed the Blank Bible Index.

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Humble Calvinism. Early this year we started a series on Humble Calvinism, a study through John Calvin’s Institutes. Especially noteworthy is Calvin’s experiential sensitivity to the contours of godliness. Join us as we continue learning humble and holistic Calvinism as Calvin intended. See the Humble Calvinism series index here.

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The Puritan Study. The Puritans were Cross-boasters. So how do we use the wealth of Puritan literature in our personal devotions and expositional studies? Our series on building and using a Puritan Study answered this important question. For more see the full Puritan Study series index.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Van Til 2.0

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	Joseph on Job’s Prosperity
	Glen on Job’s Prosperity
	Barrett Young on Job’s Prosperity
	Tom Bombadil on Hunting Tiger Woods
	John on Harpers Ferry [pics]