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Nature and Scripture
"Saving grace is not manifest in nature; yet it is the God of saving grace who manifests himself by means of nature. How can these two be harmonized?"Nature and Scripture is a brief essay on the topics of general and special "What can be known from nature and Scripture?" This essay will provide readers with a clear understanding of key Reformed doctrines regarding Scripture, and so encourage a truly life-giving understanding of Scripture.This electronic edition features an active table of contents.Nature and Scripture is part of The Fig Classic Series on Modern Theology. To view more books in our catalog, visit us at fig-books.com.
- GenresTheology
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2012
28 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Cornelius Van Til
139Ìýbooks117ÌýfollowersCornelius Van Til, was a Christian philosopher, Reformed theologian, and presuppositional apologist.
Biographical sketch
Born on May 3, 1895, in Grootegast, The Netherlands he was the sixth son of Ite and Klazina Van Til, who emigrated to the United States when "Kees," as he was known to friends, was 10. He grew up helping on the family farm in Highland, Indiana.
Van Til graduated from Calvin College in 1922, receiving a ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1925 and his PhD from Princeton University in 1927. He began teaching at Princeton, but shortly went with the conservative group who founded Westminster Theological Seminary, where he taught for forty-three years of his life as a professor of apologetics.
He was also a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church from the 1930s until his death in 1987, and in that denomination, he was embroiled in a bitter dispute with Gordon Clark over God's incomprehensibility known as the Clark-Van Til Controversy in which, according to John Frame, neither man was at his best and neither quite understood the other's position.
Van Til's thought
Van Til is perhaps best known for the development of a fresh approach to the task of defending the Christian faith. Although trained in traditional methods he drew on the insights of fellow Calvinistic philosophers Vollenhoven and Herman Dooyeweerd to formulate what he viewed as a more consistently Christian methodology. His apologetic focused on the role of presuppositions, the point of contact between believers and unbelievers, and the antithesis between Christian and non-Christian worldviews.
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Biographical sketch
Born on May 3, 1895, in Grootegast, The Netherlands he was the sixth son of Ite and Klazina Van Til, who emigrated to the United States when "Kees," as he was known to friends, was 10. He grew up helping on the family farm in Highland, Indiana.
Van Til graduated from Calvin College in 1922, receiving a ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1925 and his PhD from Princeton University in 1927. He began teaching at Princeton, but shortly went with the conservative group who founded Westminster Theological Seminary, where he taught for forty-three years of his life as a professor of apologetics.
He was also a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church from the 1930s until his death in 1987, and in that denomination, he was embroiled in a bitter dispute with Gordon Clark over God's incomprehensibility known as the Clark-Van Til Controversy in which, according to John Frame, neither man was at his best and neither quite understood the other's position.
Van Til's thought
Van Til is perhaps best known for the development of a fresh approach to the task of defending the Christian faith. Although trained in traditional methods he drew on the insights of fellow Calvinistic philosophers Vollenhoven and Herman Dooyeweerd to formulate what he viewed as a more consistently Christian methodology. His apologetic focused on the role of presuppositions, the point of contact between believers and unbelievers, and the antithesis between Christian and non-Christian worldviews.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 8, 2024
Van Til on Natural Theology or better yet, Theologies
This a a good short read that demonstrates that CVT WAS NOT opposed to natural theology, but that he sought to bridge the historic conversation regarding natural theology to the Westminster standards and a larger category of revelation and (applied?) natural theology. He did so however with a particular eye to the contours of philosophical reflection and historical development of the doctrine, putting the emphasis not merely on common grace nor standing fully against it in antithesis, but allowing a robust confessional position to speak as a whole, not elevating natural theology above its station. He also does an amazing job considering Kant’s copernican revolution which proponents of natural theology would do well to pay attention to today. For anyone seeking to study within the great tradition (broad Protestant catholicity), as well as the great conversation, CVT’s nature and scripture should be a stop on the journey. He not only employs a clear positive construction of natural theology capable of being easily harmonized with Vos’s work on Natural Theology (despite the claims in the introduction), but he also is able to in the same move, level a biblical critique of particular faulty constructions of natural theology, demonstrating a depth of engagement with the particular contributors (philosophers, thinkers, theologians) who contribute to our macro understanding of natural theology.
It would be amazing to see someone from Credo Mag give a review of this in light of them locking into only seemingly oppositional language from Van Til on natural theology. His work would be a great asset to anyone hoping to see how our natural theology and biblical anthropology may affect our apologetic and engagement with the modern social imaginary.
This a a good short read that demonstrates that CVT WAS NOT opposed to natural theology, but that he sought to bridge the historic conversation regarding natural theology to the Westminster standards and a larger category of revelation and (applied?) natural theology. He did so however with a particular eye to the contours of philosophical reflection and historical development of the doctrine, putting the emphasis not merely on common grace nor standing fully against it in antithesis, but allowing a robust confessional position to speak as a whole, not elevating natural theology above its station. He also does an amazing job considering Kant’s copernican revolution which proponents of natural theology would do well to pay attention to today. For anyone seeking to study within the great tradition (broad Protestant catholicity), as well as the great conversation, CVT’s nature and scripture should be a stop on the journey. He not only employs a clear positive construction of natural theology capable of being easily harmonized with Vos’s work on Natural Theology (despite the claims in the introduction), but he also is able to in the same move, level a biblical critique of particular faulty constructions of natural theology, demonstrating a depth of engagement with the particular contributors (philosophers, thinkers, theologians) who contribute to our macro understanding of natural theology.
It would be amazing to see someone from Credo Mag give a review of this in light of them locking into only seemingly oppositional language from Van Til on natural theology. His work would be a great asset to anyone hoping to see how our natural theology and biblical anthropology may affect our apologetic and engagement with the modern social imaginary.
March 1, 2020
A good grasp of Van Til's apologetics are essential for the Christian defending the faith. The presuppositional approach should point the heater to the errors of a foolish mind and bring face to face with the gospel through the door of reason.
A heavy read for sure and had I not had been introduced to Greg Bahnsen's work.
A lot of this went over my head and a good grasp of Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Kierkegaard and others would have helped me understand the depth of his writing. One I will return to.
A heavy read for sure and had I not had been introduced to Greg Bahnsen's work.
A lot of this went over my head and a good grasp of Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Kierkegaard and others would have helped me understand the depth of his writing. One I will return to.
January 15, 2019
Van Til clearly states what is at stake
What Van Til puts forth in this article is that God is who He has revealed Himself to be—both in Scripture and in nature.
God is who He says He is; not who we would like Him to be.
What Van Til puts forth in this article is that God is who He has revealed Himself to be—both in Scripture and in nature.
God is who He says He is; not who we would like Him to be.
June 16, 2021
The amount of people who state that Van Til rejected Natural Theology, but haven’t read this article, is mind boggling. Background in philosophy is required. 1st read through was 3 years ago. Must read if seeking to understand Cornelius Van Til on his own terms.
February 16, 2025
First half is brilliant, second half is good but very difficult to comprehend. Great, bite size dose of Van Til. He does a great job making an exegetical case of what natural revelation is for.
February 13, 2022
Just finished re-reading this one. This is really one of Van Til’s most important and best essays and has sadly been largely forgotten. In all the discourse on apologetics taking place today, this presents very worthwhile discussion. Van Til presents a truly revelational epistemology.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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