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Cornelius Van Til

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Cornelius Van Til

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HISTORIC FACULTY

APOLOGETICS

Cornelius Van Til

CHURCH HISTORY

William S. Barker Jr.

Samuel T. Logan Jr.

Chad Van Dixhoorn

NEW TESTAMENT

Ned B. Stonehouse

Richard B. Gaffin

J. Gresham Machen

OLD TESTAMENT

Robert Dick Wilson

Tremper Longman

Raymond Dillard

Michael B. Kelly

James Alan Groves

Douglas J. Green

PASTORAL THEOLOGY

Timothy Z. Witmer

George C. Fuller

Harry L. Reeder III

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

Robert Strimple

Richard B. Gaffin

CURRENT FACULTY

Cornelius Van Til

APOLOGETICS

BOOKS

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ARTICLES

A Christian Theory of Knowledge

A Christian Theory of Knowledge

Cornelius Van Til

January 9, 2023

WSP PUBLICATION

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WATCH

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LISTEN

Christ and Human Thought: Barth & Modern Theology - Part 19 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Barth & Modern Theology - Part 19 of 28

Van Til continues to show the Kantian roots of Barth's theology, arguing that Barth's use of language does not make him orthodox, since he means something entirely different by the common terms he uses.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Berkouwer, I - Part 22 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Berkouwer, I - Part 22 of 28

Van Til introduces G.C. Berkouwer and his relation to neo-orthodox thinkers such as Barth and Von Balthasar. He also provides behind-the-scenes details about Westminster's split from Princeton and the ensuing aftermath.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Church Fathers, Part 2 - Part 5 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Church Fathers, Part 2 - Part 5 of 28

Van Til continues his discussion of the Creator-creature distinction in contrast to the Greek form-matter scheme, as well as the thought of Clement and Origen. For Van Til, we must continue to challenge the fundamental assumptions of unbelieving thought, including assumptions about God and the nature of man.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Christ & Human Thought & Augustine - Part 6 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Christ & Human Thought & Augustine - Part 6 of 28

Van Til lectures on the genius of St. Augustine and how he continued to struggle with platonic influence, even though his biblical faith was sincere and won out over Platonism.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Church Fathers, Part 1 - Part 4 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Church Fathers, Part 1 - Part 4 of 28

Van Til begins exploring the church fathers (Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian), showing how they contributed to apologetis but also did not challenge the deeper assumptions of unbelieving thought.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Greek Philosophy, Part I - Part 2 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Greek Philosophy, Part I - Part 2 of 28

Van Til explores Greek thought in more detail, showing the tendency for philosophers to reject the Creator-creature distinction and assume autonomy and neutrality in thinking.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: God is Dead Theology - Part 16 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: God is Dead Theology - Part 16 of 28

Van Til responds to the popular "God is dead" claim in mainstream media, along with its liberal theological supporters. He affirms the biblical response of man's creaturehood and his submission to God's authority. He shows again how prevalent the notion of autonomy is to ancient and modern thought.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Critique of Neo-Orthodoxy Part 1 - Part 20 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Critique of Neo-Orthodoxy Part 1 - Part 20 of 28

Continuing his critique of Barth, Van Til develops a response to Emil Brunner. He focuses here on the neo-orthodox understanding of God's Word and the subject-object relationship of orthodox faith, which Brunner criticises.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Critique of Neo-Orthodoxy Part 2 - Part 21 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Critique of Neo-Orthodoxy Part 2 - Part 21 of 28

Van Til goes further in his critique of Emil Brunner and Karl Barth's view of revelation and Scripture. He shows that neo-orthodox theologians identify God as only his act, that who God is must only be what God does, especially what God does for us in Christ. This undermines the doctrine of Scripture and all traditional teachings of orthodoxy.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Immanuel Kant - Part 10 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Immanuel Kant - Part 10 of 28

Van Til explores the thought of Immanuel Kant and his approach to knowledge through the mind imposing categories on the raw material of reality. He once again points out how this approach presupposes man's autonomy and the rebellion against God's revelation of himself.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Greeks and Our Relation to Them - Part 1 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Greeks and Our Relation to Them - Part 1 of 28

Van Til compares Christian philosophy to the ancient Greek idea that man and God are on the same level, each related to general concepts such as "being" or "the good."

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Karl Barth, part 1 - Part 17 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Karl Barth, part 1 - Part 17 of 28

Van Til dives into volumes 1-3 of Barth's Church Dogmatics, exploring how Barth uses orthodox language with an entirely different meaning.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Greek Philosophy, Part 2 - Part 3 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Greek Philosophy, Part 2 - Part 3 of 28

Van Til delves deeper into the thought of Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, showing how important it is to maintain the Creator-creature distinction.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Karl Barth, part 2 - Part 18 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Karl Barth, part 2 - Part 18 of 28

Van Til gets into volumes 4 and 5 of Barth's Church Dogmatics and explores election in Christ and universalism in Barth's thought.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 2 - Part 13 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 2 - Part 13 of 28

Van Til contrasts the Christian position with the "monisms" of Greek and modern thought, arguing that only Christianity has a way forward.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Middle Ages - Part 7 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Middle Ages - Part 7 of 28

Van Til continues his lecture on Augustine, showing how his thought was still based on a Greek notion of being. He also discusses Christian ethics based on the Westminster Confession and how they reveal the problems with Greek ethics.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Philosophy Before Kant - Part 9 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Philosophy Before Kant - Part 9 of 28

Van Til launches into modern philosophy after finishing comments on Aquinas. The theme of the Creator-creature distinction continues to show the problems with rationalism and empiricism.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 3 - Part 14 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 3 - Part 14 of 28

Van Til explains the thought of Immanual Kant once again and shows how it ignores the Creator-creature distinction at every turn.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 1 - Part 12 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 1 - Part 12 of 28

Van Til sets out the Christian position rooted in the Trinity and contrasts this with the modern approaches to God of using bare reason.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 4 - Part 15 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Modern Theology, part 4 - Part 15 of 28

Van Til once again discusses the thought of Kant and its relation to Karl Barth, highlighting the prevalence of autonomy in modern theology.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Philosophy After Immanuel Kant - Part 11 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Philosophy After Immanuel Kant - Part 11 of 28

Van Til moves on from Kant to talk about those who built on his thought, especially Karl Barth. He offers a critique of those who, as Barth, use traditional language but mean something entirely different by it.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christianity and Culture: Christian View of Education (No Neutrality in Education) - Part 1

Christianity and Culture: Christian View of Education (No Neutrality in Education) - Part 1

Van Til calls on Christians to wage war against Satan in the realm of culture by reclaiming Christian education for Christ.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Middle Ages - Part 7 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Middle Ages - Part 7 of 28

Van Til lectures on the genius of St. Augustine and how he continued to struggle with platonic influence, even though his biblical faith was sincere and won out over Platonism.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Thomas Aquinas - Part 8 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Thomas Aquinas - Part 8 of 28

Van Til begins a discussion of Thomas Aquinas and his importance to Roman Catholic thought. He also shows how Reformed thought and apologetics differs fundamentally in terms of its starting point.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christianity and Culture: Pro Rege: For the King - Part 2

Christianity and Culture: Pro Rege: For the King - Part 2

Van Til makes a passionate plea for Calvinism in America to start engaging more with culture and the public square, in the spirit of Abraham Kuyper.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

History and Nature of Apologetics: Common Grace (Part 3)

History and Nature of Apologetics: Common Grace (Part 3)

Van Til compares Calvin's understanding of God, sin, and grace to Roman Catholicism and Aristotle. He also explores common grace according to Scripture and the honest offer of the gospel.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

History and Nature of Apologetics: New Evangelicalism (Part 4)

History and Nature of Apologetics: New Evangelicalism (Part 4)

Van Til contrasts New Protestantism with biblical Christianity, showing the assumptions of modern theology, and critiquing probabilistic apologetics and theology.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

History and Nature of Apologetics: Faith, Reason, and Theistic Proofs (Part 1)

History and Nature of Apologetics: Faith, Reason, and Theistic Proofs (Part 1)

Van Til discusses the point of contact, autonomy, the antithesis between belief and unbelief, the roles of faith and reason, and the theistic proofs.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

History and Nature of Apologetics: Foundational Considerations (Part 6)

History and Nature of Apologetics: Foundational Considerations (Part 6)

Van Til discusses the foundational difference between biblical faith and unbelieving philosophy as expressed in Roman Catholicism, Joseph Butler, Aquinas, and Aristotle. The Creator-creature distinction, he argues, requires humans to submit to the incomprehensibility of God in their thinking.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

History and Nature of Apologetics: Patterns of Thinking and the Gospel (Part 2)

History and Nature of Apologetics: Patterns of Thinking and the Gospel (Part 2)

History and Nature of Apologetics: Patterns of Thinking and the Gospel (Part 2)

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Sing Praise to God

Sing Praise to God

Van Til offers reflections on the importance of singing about Jesus's victory over sin and death.

Cornelius Van Til

November 1, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Christ and Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Man, Part 1 - Part 24 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Christ and Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Man, Part 1 - Part 24 of 28

Van Til explains the biblical and pauline basis for apologetics and evangelism before contrasting it with Greek philosophy and ethics. He also engages with Plotinus and Augustine as they were appropriated in the Middle Ages in pursuit of natural and negative theology.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Christ and Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Man, Part 2 - Part 25 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Christ and Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Man, Part 2 - Part 25 of 28

Van Til explores medieval theology and the concept of the "analogy of being" that underlies the thought of Greek philosophy and Thomas Aquinas. Once again, this contrasts with the biblical notion of the Creator-creature distinction.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Berkouwer, II - Part 23 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Berkouwer, II - Part 23 of 28

Van Til continues discussing the widespread embrace of Karl Barth and his theology built on the foundation of Immanual Kant.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Conflict in History - Part 26 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Conflict in History - Part 26 of 28

Van Til paints with a broader brush in this lecture, moving from Greek philosophy, to medieval, to modern. Throughout, he argues that man's autonomy and brute rationality have been unable to account for truth or certainty in any coherent way.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Conflict in Philosophy - Part 28 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Conflict in Philosophy - Part 28 of 28

Van Til applies three points of Kantian philosophy to Post-Kantian thought, grounding them in Genesis 3. These include (1) the principle of autonomy, (2) the pure contingency of the world, and (3) man's rational capacity. These points are addressed fully only in Christ.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Practical Atheism

Practical Atheism

Van Til contrasts biblical Christianity with modernity's "practical atheism," which tries to substitute science for prayerful worship of the true God.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Paul's Triumph in Christ

Paul's Triumph in Christ

Van Til unpacks Paul's message in 2 Corinthians 2 concerning true wisdom and the glorious triumph of the cross.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

Covenant Consciousness

Covenant Consciousness

Van Til revisits the Christian philosophy of life and situates humans as creatures in covenant, making all people either covenant keepers or covenant breakers.

Cornelius Van Til

October 31, 2023

LECTURE

For the King, Part One

For the King, Part One

Cornelius Van Til

May 7, 2021

LECTURE

For the King, Part One

For the King, Part One

Listen in as Cornelius Van Til speaks on the victory of Jesus over Satan in the salvation of sinners.

Cornelius Van Til

May 7, 2021

LECTURE

For the King, Part Two

For the King, Part Two

Cornelius Van Til

April 30, 2021

LECTURE

For the King, Part Two

For the King, Part Two

Listen in to this second lecture as Cornelius Van Til continues to speak on the victory of Jesus.

Cornelius Van Til

April 30, 2021

LECTURE

Sing Praise to God

Sing Praise to God

Listen to Dr. Cornelius Van Til speak on music and worship.

Cornelius Van Til

January 1, 1975

LECTURE

Christ and Human Thought: Conflict in Theology - Part 27 of 28

Christ and Human Thought: Conflict in Theology - Part 27 of 28

Van Til explores the problems of modern theology in the work of Barth and Brunner, showing how Reformed Christianity is the only hope for Christians, as the only theology that truly goes from "the top down."

Cornelius Van Til

LECTURE

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