Although Oliphant characterizes his
book as a translation of Van Til's Reformed apologetics, it broadens
the scope and makes it more accessible to a general audience. In
fact, he is responsible for making it more Christ-centered and
proposing the name change from presuppositional apologetics to
convenantal apologetics. Like other reviewers, I find this term much
easier to understand and makes clear our covenantal relationship to
God.
Chapters one through four lay out
Oliphant's methodological approach including the basic biblical
content. While these chapters are interesting and important, I found
the last three chapters where Oliphant demonstrates his method in
three imagined dialogues to be the most interesting. It's easy to
read a lot about method, but to see it put into action is most
instructive and most likely to give the reader an understanding of
how to use the material. Chapter five focuses on the atheistic
objector and the incompatibility of the coexistence of God and evil.
Chapter six takes on the Darwinian controversy and addresses
Dennett's and Dawkins issues with human origin. Chapter seven was to
me the most fascinating. It was a dialog between a Muslim and
Oliphant. Oliphant arguing that the Muslim God is not the same as the
Christian God and that the Christian God is greater.
I highly recommend this book. It is
very readable, although I admit some parts need a bit of study, and
gives an excellent overview of the present state of Reformed
apologetics.
I reviewed this book for Crossway.
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