The Objective Proof for Christianity

The Presuppositionalism of Cornelius Van Til and Greg L. Bahnsen

While many have benefited greatly from Greg’s lectures in presuppositional apologetics, not enough work has been done to elaborate more on the argument within the apologetic itself: the Transcendental Argument for Christian Theism (or God)—TACT/ TAG. Proponents of presuppositionalism know how to pose a reductio argument against their opponent’s worldview to show its futility while also knowing how to express that Christianity can make sense of intelligibility. But exactly how many can formally state the argument? What if a more philosophically-astute opponent attacks the apologetic, specifically criticizing the nature of transcendental reasoning and its legitimacy? While the enterprise of apologetics is to be done by both the Christian philosopher and layman, the issue over transcendental reasoning must not be ignored by either class of people, despite its more philosophical nature.

In the Summer of 1995, just a few months before he passed away, Dr. Greg Bahnsen gave a wonderful three-day seminar surveying both the history and contemporary climate of transcendental reasoning, as well as expositing the transcendental program passed down from Van Til and how it relates and withstands the transcendental charges of its critics. 

Greg, however, was not the only one who taught in this seminar as he had required his pupil, Michael Butler, to teach on the contemporary climate of transcendental reasoning. While Butler teaches for two-and-a-half-tapes worth of time, Bahnsen still interjects periodically when the subject matter becomes more rigorous with an all-too-known incisiveness and profundity.

The impetus for creating this book arose from the lack of more philosophical works defending presuppositional apologetics from its transcendental perspective. Dr. Bahnsen contributed significantly to the apologetic enterprise, particularly regarding the correct theological approach and the appropriate method. However, despite his extensive writings on presuppositionalism, not enough work has been done to comprehensively cover its philosophical aspects, thus prompting criticism from 21st-Century academia. While the absence of Dr. Bahnsen, regarded as the “champion” of presuppositionalism, has resulted in a philosophical gap in the 21st Century, he has nevertheless left us with such needed material. This book aims to fill that gap by offering a rigorous defense of presuppositionalism from a philosophical and transcendental standpoint, transcribed directly from Dr. Bahnsen’s lectures.

280 pages; Paperback or PDF Download