What is the best Clarkian book to start with?

[RamistThomist]

I want to be more familiar with Clark. Rushdoony quoted him heavily and often with much approval. Where should I start?

 

[PresReformed]

I think "Religion, Reason and Revelation" is a good Gordon Clark book to start with.

 

[PresReformed]

Another great book would be "The Clark-Van Til Controversy" but it is written by Hoeksema. It gives a good background for the differences between the two.

 

[Civbert]

I think "Religion, Reason and Revelation" is a good Gordon Clark book to start with.

Then maybe God's Hammer: The Bible and Its Critics.

 

[johnny_redeemed]

I am by no means a Clark scholar, but I think his book An Introduction to Christian Philosophy is a good summary of this views.

 

[Pilgrim]

Would A Christian View of Men and Things be a good place to start, or at least near the front of the line? I picked it up not long ago but haven't started it yet.

 

[Civbert]

I think "Religion, Reason and Revelation" is a good Gordon Clark book to start with.

Also consider: Christian Philosophy, The Works of Gordon Haddon Clark, Volume 4 since it combines "Religion, Reason, and Revelation; Three Types of Religious Philosophy; and An Introduction to Christian Philosophy.

The following is the content of volume 4:

Religion, Reason, and Revelation: Is Christianity a Religion?; Faith and Reason; Inspiration and Language; Revelation and Morality; God and Evil; Three Types of Religious Philosophy: Introduction; Rationalism; Empiricism; Irrationalism; Dogmatism; An Introduction to Christian Philosophy: Secular Philosophy; The Axiom of Revelation; Several Implications; Scripture Index; Index.

Just an aside: John Robbin's books are printed with generous wide margins on the side. I remember a lecture he gave where he recommended that when you read a book, you do so with a pen or pencil and not hesitate to underline and make notes on the sides. We tend to think that marking a book is sacrilege. That's how I grew up since in public school you had to return all you books for the next year's class without any marks. But it's a very good way to get the most you can out of the text so I recommend it also.

 

[Arch2k]

I am by no means a Clark scholar, but I think his book An Introduction to Christian Philosophy is a good summary of this views.

This is THE book to start with. The rest are great, don't get me wrong, but this will give you a nice concise summary.

 

[VictorBravo]

I agree with all of the recommendations.

I'd add the book "Essays on Ethics and Politics" if you want a quick read on a wide range of subjects. I particularly liked his history of ethics chapter. It summed up how we got to our present state thoroughly yet in only a few pages.

We just got delivered "From Thales to Dewey" (his history of philosophy) yesterday. I opened it up last night around 8:30 and am hooked.

 

[Magma2]

Also consider: Christian Philosophy, The Works of Gordon Haddon Clark, Volume 4 since it combines "Religion, Reason, and Revelation; Three Types of Religious Philosophy; and An Introduction to Christian Philosophy.

Great place to start and return to from time to time. Intro to Christian Phil (his Wheaton Lectures) are indispensable, groundbreaking, and probably contributed more to getting him removed from Wheaton than did his uncompromising and comprehensive Calvinism. I used it to teach a college age Sunday School class once and I think it opened more than a few minds.

I have never really read anything from any Van Tilian which was approving of Clark. Generally what they approve in Clark on the one hand is beaten down with the other. Can you share any of those Rushdoony quotes?

 

[Magma2]

We just got delivered "From Thales to Dewey" (his history of philosophy) yesterday. I opened it up last night around 8:30 and am hooked.

Thales to Dewey was the first Clark book I ever bought. It was offered as an alternative selection when I was a member of the Conservative Book Club. I never heard of the guy, but liked the title so I picked it up on a lark. I was so impressed that when God finally prompted me in His providence some years later to study predestination, I remembered the listing of Clark's books in the back pages of Thales. The first book I read on the topic was Clark’s Predestination. Arguably one of the best books ever written on the topic, especially his handling of thee problem of evil. Predestination is a book that kept me up a night for weeks at the time searching the Scriptures to see if what this Clark guy was writing was true. Seems he was.

 

[RamistThomist]

Great place to start and return to from time to time. Intro to Christian Phil (his Wheaton Lectures) are indispensable, groundbreaking, and probably contributed more to getting him removed from Wheaton than did his uncompromising and comprehensive Calvinism. I used it to teach a college age Sunday School class once and I think it opened more than a few minds.

I have never really read anything from any Van Tilian which was approving of Clark. Generally what they approve in Clark on the one hand is beaten down with the other. Can you share any of those Rushdoony quotes?

My rush books are scattered but I will give it a shot:

The quotes are more along the lines of "He makes a good point" or "Clark is a philosopher who can help us out."

From Systematic Theology, p. 1087

Clark's study of Historiography shows an interesting ambivalence in the attitude of humanism through the centuries towards history.

p. 1088

As Clark points out, "Negatively, progress is the denial of divine providence." Positively, it is held to be a law of nature, and, therefore, "necessary and inevitable."

By What Standard, p. 134 n.8

On the other hand, Clark wisely observes, "instead of beginning with facts and later discovering God, unless a thinker begins with God, he can never end with God, or get the facts either" (p.38).

On p. 148 of Messianic Character of American Education, Rushdoony hinges a key argument using Clark's Thales to Dewey. I don't feel like reproducing the whole quote.

On p. 159 of the same book Rushdoony depends upon Clark's critique of Dewey's ethics.

On p. 356 of the same book Rushdoony endorses Clark (as he critiques Dewey).

CLARK, GORDON HADDEN
He was born on August 31, 1902, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; he received the following degrees from the University of Pennsylvania: AB, 1924, PhD, 1929; he was instructor and assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania from 1924 to 1937, and associate professor of philosophy at Wheaton College, 1937-43; since 1945 he has instructed at Butler University, where he has been a full professor since 1948; he was visiting professor, Theological Seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church, 1931-6.

So, while they aren't wholsesale endorsements of Clark's system en toto, Rushdoony was respectful of Clark's work and scholarship. Rushdoony's most influential book, The Messianic Character, depended heavily on Clark and Rush acknowledged this.

 

[Theogenes]

Jacob,
You may also want to read Crampton's "The Scripturalism of G.H. Clark" as an overview of Clark's thought. He quotes a lot from many of Clark's works which may whet your appetite.
Jim