Cornelius Van Til is one of the more important figures in modern Reformed history. He was much influenced by Abraham Kuyper but he also had other influences and he has influenced generations of American (and other) Reformed pastors and teachers. He is famous for his approach to defending the faith which, unlike some other methods, begins with the faith that it seeks to defend rather than beginning somewhere else and hoping to end up at the faith. In this he was intentionally following the Apostle Paul, who at the Areopagus, preached the law and the gospel. Though he did not put it in those terms, that’s what Van Til was doing: preaching law and gospel. His critique of unbelief, his proclamation of Christ’s lordship over all things, and of salvation through Christ alone, was faithful to his Reformed (and broader Reformation) heritage.
Van Til was more than a talking head, however. Most books on Van Til focus on Van Til’s intellectual context but John Muether completes the picture by putting Van Til in his historical context. It’s a very well written book. I really enjoyed doing this interview. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to it.
Here’s the episode:
Thanks for listening.