On the HB

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R. Scott Clark, D.Phil
Westminster Seminary California
Associate Pastor, Oceanside URC
The Heidelcast Podcast
The Heidelblog

I wasn't aware that Pastor Vern Pollema "was" your pastor, he is my pastor now. I knew he was a pastor in Nebraska before he came to California, but I never made the connection with you and Pastor Pollema.

Did the author of the book study under Van Til or one of Van Til former students?

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Gil Garcia
Rehoboth Reformed Church (RCUS)
La Habra, CA

"Ignorance of this distinction between Law and Gospel is one of the principal sources of the abuses which corrupted and still corrupt Christianity." - Calvin's successor


"By the words of the law man is admonished and taught, not what he can do, but what he ought to do. How is it that you theologians are twice as stupid as schoolboys, in that as soon as you get hold of a single imperative verb you infer an indicative meaning...?"
-Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

Hi Gil,

Yes, Vern was my first Reformed pastor. He was very gracious to and patient with a truly ignorant young man. He encouraged me to consider pastoral ministry but he was honest and realistic with me too. We had a very nice group then. Warren Embree and Bill Stephens had just graduated from the old RE seminary (when it was still Reformed in most respects) and they were "on fire" for the Reformed faith. They had gathered a group of about 25 guys or so to study the Institutes on campus at the Univ of Nebraska. I came in after glory had departed but I caught the tail end of things. Vern had to navigate a difficult situation since the congregation was composed of people who had been chased out of an old independent (former) German Reformed group by some zealous college-age dispensational types. They were worried that the same thing was going to happen again.

Vern let me exhort in St John's as my first public sermon in an actual congregation. I'm sure the pulpit is still moist with flop sweat 23 years later.

I know John Muether studied at WTS but I think Van Til was retired by then. John did get to know CVT but the book draws heavily from CVT's own correspondence.

Dr Scott

It did not take you long reading that; thanks for the helpful review. I look forward to this book landing in Northern Ireland.

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)

Dr. Clark,

You wrote:

May I ask what creation science society this was? The reason I ask is this: a few years ago my wife and I attended a seminar by Answers in Genesis. I had been to similar things when I was younger, so I knew what to expect: Literal interpretation of the days of Genesis and as a side note, fundamentalism (aka "non-Calvinism"). So, as you can imagine, I was shocked when the speakers continually quoted Van Til (and used his name as their source) and used terminology such as "presuppositional".

Then I read this little sentence in your review. So, I'm curious is there is a connection between yourself and Answers in Genesis?

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Seth Stark
Member, Communion Presbyterian Church (ARP), Irvine, CA
Biola University, Graduate Student, M.A. - Science and Religion
Seth's Blog

One of the more prominent YEC-ers is Doug Phillips, who is a rabid Van Tillian. It was his use of Van Til that convinced me of YEC.

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College