Ok, so I need to expand my knowledge on the subject of apologetics. In what order should I read the following books?

1. Apologetics to the Glory of God, Frame
   
2. Revelation and Reason, Oliphant
   
3. Reason for The Faith, Oliphant
   
4. Van Til's Apologetic, Bahnsen

I own all of them. I'd appreciate any advice

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Jonathan
College Student
Grace Family Fellowship {SBC}
Kentucky

... yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

1 Corinthians 8:6

Well, I read this some time ago and though I might wait for a response before I piped in. All writers are excellent and offer somewhat different perspectives. I've read #1 and #4 as well as Oliphint's "The Battle Belongs to the Lord", but not the other two you list. I'd just read them all. YOu will come away much wiser.

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Michael Masztal
Ruling Elder, Chapel By The Sea, ARP
Melbourne Beach, FL

Begin with 1 because it's a good overview of apologetics; then 4, great overview on presuppositional apologetics; then, 2(does require some exegetical knowledge at certain points); and finally 3. I recommend 3 last because it is more philosophically rigorous than the others and requires a basic understanding of metaphysics and epistemology. If you don't have any kind of background in philosophy it may be hard to follow at times. I found it had a good discussion on the relation of theology and philosophy.

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Noah
Calvin College (student)
CRC
Grand Rapids, MI

my

When I set out to learn apologetics, I too bought books by Bahnsen and Oliphint. I read them and re-read parts that I couldn't understand, to no avail. The reason was that I didn't have any grasp of the basic philosophical issues.

Then I read Russell's "Problems of philosophy" (small booklet, should be available for just a couple of dollars) and C.E.M. Joads' "Guide to philosophy" (basically an expanded version of Russell's book) and after that I could easily see the logic of the arguments of Bahnsen and other apologists.

At least for me, my mind needed to be wrenched open a little bit before studying Bahnsen for example.

Anyhow, it might be that I am slower than other folk, but in case you feel you get stuck with the textbooks you mention I would recommend Russell's book as "side-reading". It can be of great profit, and won't take much of your time or money.

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Christoffer S.
Layman
Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran church
Vaasa, Finland

Bahnsen's "Always Ready" is shorter and slightly easier - and also more hands on re doing apologetics - than "Van Til's Apologetic", which is nevertheless a good intro to Van Til.

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Richard
communicant member, FCoS
Perth, Scotland UK

His Name forever shall endure;
last like the sun it shall:
Men shall be blessed in Him,
and blessed all nations shall Him call (Ps. 72:17)

Don't bother with presuppositional apologetics.

Get yourself some William Lane Craig or something along those lines. And you can listen to very helpful lectures on this website: The Veritas Forum

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Steven Nemes
Phoenix, AZ

Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy must be answered - C.S. Lewis

Start with Frame, move to Oliphant, finish with van Til.

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Tim Phillips
Pastor, Midlane Park Presbyterian Church (ARP)
Louisville, KY
Husband of Scottish Lass
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Pasig United Covenant Reformed Church (a Reformed church plant)
United Covenant Reformed Churches in the Philippines (UCRCP)
Three Forms of Unity and Westminster Confession of Faith

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