I got his work on Van Til's Apologetic recently and was wondering what others on the board thought of this book and Bahnsen generally.

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA
Fairmount ARP Church

Student of Theology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
My Blog

IMO, he was the finest proponent of the Van Tillian apologetic. He was also a devastating debater and a wonderful preacher/teacher.....Yeah, I like the guy.

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Dave Gray
Bayview Orthodox Presbyterian Church
San Diego, CA
www.bayviewopc.org

I also highly suggest listening to this debate featuring prominent english athiest prof. Simon Blackburn and the OP minister Mark Garcia.

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Josiah Lovett
Member of
Trinity OPC Bothell Wa.
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
NAPARC
Westminster Confession (1788)

I love Bahnsen. I am not a theonomist- but I think that his contribution to Reformed Christianity will prove to be a big one. He popularized presuppositionalism (IMO).

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Nathan Eshelman
Grand Rapids, MI
First Reformed Presbyterian Church

PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS

First Reformed Presbyterian Church

but nleshelman are you a member of the former ARP church in Grand Rapids that went RPCNA recently?

Bahnsen did invaluable work developing the presuppoitionalist insights independently derived by Van Til and C. S. Lewis into an effective apologetic strategy for popular evangelism. If only he had not bought into Rushdoony's "ethical perspective of Christian Reconstruction" i.e. Theonomy....

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In Christ's love and service

Mr. Tim Cunningham, Dip. CS (Regent College)
Member, First Baptist Church
Vancouver, BC

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"The Reformation was a time when men went blind, staggering drunk because they had discovered, in the dusty basement of late medievalism, a whole cellar of 1500-year-old, 200 proof grace—a bottle after bottle of pure distillate of Scripture, one sip of which would convince anyone that God saves us single-handedly. The word of the gospel—after all these centuries of trying to lift yourself into heaven by worrying about the perfection of your own bootstraps—suddenly turned out to be a flat announcement that the saved were home-free before they started. Grace was to be drunk neat: no water, no ice, and certainly no ginger ale." – Robert Farrar Capon

I like to think he was being a consistently confessional Presbyterian.

He had much to offer, and I certainly learned much from his teaching and ministry.

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Tom Albrecht
Member, Covenant URCNA, New Holland, PA.

"I'm not a famous man. I'm just a simple country doctor with horse sense."

A brilliant theologian. A great apologist. An effective proponent of complex theories at a popular level. And a darn nice guy!

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Kevin Rogers
Sovereign Community Church, PCA
Moncton NB

What has always been interesting to me is that few in the nonbelieving camp would do anything more than cast stones from afar when he was alive...would never go toe to toe with him from the podium...then after his death, they all come out of the woodwork with their attacks in no danger of hearing his rebuttals.

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Joel Batts
Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) - Memphis, TN

"Why wasn't God watching? Why wasn't God listening? Why wasn't God there for Georgia Lee?"
- Tom Waits
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. - Psalm 10:14

Taking his ethics course on CD was some of the most valuable and insightful study time I have ever spent. I definitely give him a and a

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Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

Where would that be available from Barnpreacher?

Mine came from Whitefield Theological Seminary. I don't know if it's available elsewhere for purchase.

No kidding.

Bahnsen was a man to whom God gave a brilliant mind, and he used it well in his short stay on earth. His encouragement and application of Christianity as a comprehensive worldview has made a huge impact on a lot of folks here, myself included. For that, men like Bahnsen, VanTil, and Rushdoony should be commended.

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Devin Brian
1689er
Attending Trinity Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA.
Vivian, Louisiana, USA

"The fall of man is written in too legible characters not to be understood: Those that deny it, by their denying, prove it." - George Whitefield

Thanks!!!

I am. You can read about it here.

You are quite the anomaly yourself! PCUSA to ARP studying in PTS, RPTS, and heading to Erskine! Good stuff.

Brother, I only wish you had joined the Canadian Presbytry. We needed a wider persprective. IMHO.

I think you may be able to find it here.

Howdy All,

I'm brand-spankin new, and this is my first post.

As mentioned above, Bahnsen was a true gentleman, a scholar, and strong confessionalist. His debating skill was unparalleled, his research thorough, and his presentation inviting. In my estimation, he was head-and-shoulders above his peers.

As to the "theonomic" question, I don't think that his basic conclusions were contrary to the confession and catechism's usages of the Law (for instance, invoking Mosaic Judicials in explaining the requirements of / sins forbidden in the 10 commandments). His method of arguing those points was quite different from theirs, but the conclusions were very similar. Gillespie, for instance, would have seen many of the "judicial" laws as merely moral laws, applied to the civil sphere. In that way, resembling Rutherford's arguments in favor of executing idolaters, adulterers, etc.

Besides the controversial aspects of Bahnsen's views of the Confession, I think he is seen by Presbyterians and Reformed folk as a stalwart of the true Reformed Religion, and a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has now gone to his rest, and is rejoicing in Christ, his only Savior and Master. In this way, I pray he is an example to all of us who, though disagreeing in some points of understanding, can yet profit one another, and be a blessing to all; even those with whom we may sincerely disagree.

Cheers,

Adam

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Adam Brink, Grace Church of Pleasanton, PCA, Pleasanton, California

"Mark you this, Bassanio, The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart: O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!"

Antonio - The Merchant of Venice (Act 1, Scene 3)

I've read Van Til's Apologetic and was changed by it. Still, some of it is still over my head, and it's not clear to me that you can prove the whole Christian worldview with presuppositionalism. It seems like you'll have to bring in evidences at some point.

As for his theonomy, I really appreciate that too. Could someone explain to me where Bahnsen got it wrong on this?

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Chris
Independent Baptist
Michigan
Layman

Van Til's Apologetic is heavy reading...though Bahnsen made Van Til accessible with that work for people like me.

I found Always Readya great beginner, and I've listened to about 40 hours worth of his audio. The way he argued wan't mere cogitation for academia...he was desirous to glorify God, and was fiercely evangelistic.

I'm not sure I'd be considered a Theonomist by other Theonomists...but Bahnsen spurred me into accepting the principles...

Bahnsen was one of the greatest men God has given us in years.

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Craig French
Married and father of a beautiful daughter.
Member of Christ The Word, PCA
Toledo, OH

MY BLOG

Hello,
This is my first post and the "Bahnsen" title caught my eye.
His debate with Gordon Stein was one of the more impressive two hours of intellectual dialogue I have ever heard (from Bahnsen's side that is). God gave him a wonderful mind that Bahnsen used for His glory.

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Daniel Franzen
Church Creek Presbyterian (PCA)
Charleston, SC

I've read Always Ready and have listened to a number of his lectures. I'm thankful that He was obedient to the call God gave him and that he used that gift given him for God's glory. I think the Church is very blessed by how God worked through Dr. Bahnsen's life. Dr. Bahnsen has made a very important contribution that we only stand to benefit from.

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~Greg Carpenter~
Deerfield Beach, FL

"It is a throne of grace that God in Christ is represented to us upon; but yet it is a throne still whereon majesty and glory do reside, and God is always to be considered by us as on a throne." –John Owen

Bahnsen was my theological mentor, though I discovered him 8 years after his death.

I treasure what I have learned from him, even where I take it to different areas, which is something we all should do. Bahnsen would not want us to sit around meditating over the Stein debate (and I have memorized much of it). He certainly wouldn't want us to hinge our apologetics around a few key phrases of his turning them into cliches.

It is hard to put into words how much he means to me. I disagree with him on eschatology (being one of the few theonomic premillennialists!) and I tinker with his apologetics (still holding to the same format, though). I actually think his TAG can be reconstructed (no pun intended! ) along narratival lines. You can kill about 8 birds with that one stone.

Sadly though, people only see him as an ethicist/apologist when his courses on the Christian life, Calvin (get that if anything! 80 lectures on John Calvin! Who said theonomists didn't like Calvin? Actually, I know who said that in an encyclopedia on Apologetics, but I digress). Also get his systematic theology tapes. Very heartwarming.

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

I've listen to several of his tapes and read most of his apologetics books. He's an excellent debater and speaker. I especially like how he took apart the Theory of Evolution. Bahnsen was very bright, quick, and joy to listen to.

I do have problems with some of his apologetic arguments - the transcendental argument in particular. I think it's very impressive but logically flawed. I think if Bahnsen had better understood Clark's apologetics, I would have felt better about Bahnsen's. But Bahnsen's criticism of Clark's apologetics showed a flawed understanding of Clark's. I'm not sure why he didn't 'get' Clark, but there was bad blood between Clark and Bahnsen's mentor Van Til, at that time. And maybe Bahnsen was motivated by loyalty to his mentor. But for what ever reason, it keep him from seeing how Clark's arguments were very much like his own, but with some improvements that would have benefited Bahnsen greatly.

If you could combine Bahnsen's quick intellect and skill as a debater, with Clark's technical improvements, you'd have the über-apologist!

I am glad to have been exposed to the teachings of both men.

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R. Anthony Coletti
Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Jonesborough, TN
[i]et venite et arguite me dicit Dominus[/i]

Greg Bahnsen is my favorite Christian teacher of the last hundred years or so. It is a blessing to have many of his lectures in audio format to pass on to future generations. I think the best description of his character was "humble boldness", a trait that I hope that every Christian would strive to emulate.

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David Morrow
Faith Community Church
Kansas City, MO
http://presupposetheism.blogspot.com