Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction

Frame then turns to examine the concepts of faith, evidence, certainty, common ground, and proof, advocating a "presuppositionalism of the heart." He seeks a rapprochement between evidentialism and presuppositionalism, arguing that evidences have a significant role to play in apologetics, though never as an appeal to autonomous human reasoning. In this vein, he presents proofs for the existence of God, including the moral, epistemological, teleological, ontological, and cosmological arguments. Some of these, he notes, are more persuasive than others, but all are valid and convincing only to someone who shares Christian values - they would never persuade a convinced nihilist (though nihilists can never even approach consistency in their lifestyle).

All of the arguments for God, Frame shows, are ultimately presuppositional. They have their limitations, though, in that they can never prove the entirety of the Scriptures or all the attributes of the Christian God. To prove the details of the Christian faith, Frame points out the uniqueness of the Bible. It alone accords with the conclusions of the arguments for God presented earlier. Destructive Biblical criticism, a major opponent of Scriptural inspiration, is a failed and overly skeptical enterprise that, if taken to its logical conclusion, would leave us totally devoid of any reliable history. Scripture is its own witness and must be accepted as such.

Of all the arguments against the Christian faith, none has been more destructive than the argument from evil. Frame thus devotes two chapters to finding a solution, although he ultimately appeals to mystery. He first explores several dead-end defenses and theodicies. Then, he summarizes a Biblical response to the problem of evil. From Christian presuppositions, he asserts, the problem of evil is not as daunting as it might seem at the outset.

Frame concludes his book with a fictitious account of a conversation between an apologist and an unbeliever. Two appendices include a review and response to Classical Apologetics by Sproul, Lindsley, and Gerstner, and a response by Jay Adams to Frame's critique of his theodicy in The Grand Demonstration.

Analysis

Apologetics to the Glory of God is an important work for understanding presuppositionalism, especially of the Vantillian variety. It contains numerous insights and deserves a serious reading by all who are interested in the defense of the faith. Some serious shortcomings, though, detract from the overall value of the work. Most stem from Frame's continued adherence to the teachings of his mentor - Cornelius Van Til - although Frame has modified and tempered much of Van Til's thought. Van Til and Frame's problems come because they are not presuppositional enough in their thinking. They still cling to Enlightenment ideals of certainty and proof, though they sometimes change the definitions of these words. Much of the controversy surrounding Van Til's teachings centers on this tendency. It certainly does not lend itself to clarity. Frame and Van Til fail to understand the nature of presuppositions. Throughout his book, Frame impugns the notion of "blind faith," but how else can presuppositions be chosen? The unprovable nature of starting points precludes any proof or certainty of the truth of the Scriptures. Certainty and proof exist only intrasystematically. We can never be certain of our axioms, but if we are to be certain of anything, we must posit axioms.

Frame also fails in his response to the problem of evil. While he is to be applauded for his censure of Plantinga and other Arminian theodicists who compromise central tenets of Biblical Christianity, his attacks on Gordon Clark and Jay Adams are neither well-reasoned nor convincing. Adams' response in Appendix II is cogent and persuasive. His Grand Demonstration and Clark's Religion, Reason, and Revelation are must reading for anyone interested in a theodicy that avoids the recourse to mystery, but simultaneously maintains the Biblical emphasis on the absolute sovereignty of God.

Frame's book is, in the final analysis, a valuable contribution to the evidentialist vs. presuppositionalist debate and would serve as a fine introduction to someone seeking insight into the Vantillian tradition.


New to Apologetics   July 29, 2006
Anchored Soul (New Jersey)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

My motivation for buying this book was to learn how to be a more effective evangelist, and while my need was met, it was at times a bit difficult to translate Frame's information into practical, everyday methods. It answered my questions about how to converse with unbelievers without assuming a position of neutrality. It also brought apologetics out of the academy and back into "the highways and by-ways". I believe the author wanted to address two audiences at the same time, which led to a careful blending of technical philosophy and Sunday school Scripture.

Why I would recommend this book: Christ is Lord and is placed at the center of the apologetics instead of man. Even as an academically untrained Christian, I saw the need for the church to quit putting man at the center of everything and put Christ and His Word back on the throne. It may be harder to take the faith approach because it strips us of the ability to woo people with wise and persuasive words, and returns us to a place where we trust God to demonstrate His power in genuine heart conversion.