Reformed Apologetics: Revelation, Van Til, Bavinck and the Scottish Evidences

1. Lectures Listen to the lectures in order. Those marked supplementary are optional.

   • Herman Bavinck's Trinitarian Theology and Organic Apologetic (Christ the Center) Dan Ragusa (with Camden Bucey) 55 min (mp3 duration read with ffprobe from the episode page's audio file) Open source Doctrinal Messiah's Reformed Fellowship (URCNA), Manhattan, per the page link
   • The Trinity, Image of God, and Apologetics: Bavinck's Consistently Reformed Defense of the Faith Jim Cassidy 64 min (mp3 duration read with ffprobe from the episode page's audio file) Open source Doctrinal Orthodox Presbyterian Church (recorded at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, Hope OPC, Grayslake, Illinois) American subscribers (1788 text). None of their items in this stream touches WCF 20.4, 23 or 31. No comparison heading needed in this stream; keep the standing note on the page.
   • Van Til's Common Grace and the Gospel (Christ the Center) K. Scott Oliphint 55 min (mp3 duration read with ffprobe from the episode page's audio file) Open source Doctrinal Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia (professor of apologetics and systematic theology) PCA minister (American text). In 2018 his presbytery examined charges concerning his language about God's 'covenantal properties' and found no strike against the Standards; the matter is intramural and not among the listed disqualifiers. Keep as doctrinal; note on the page. American subscribers (1788 text). None of...
   • Apologetics and Pastoral Ministry (interview with David Robertson) David Robertson (with Nick Batzig) 37 min (archive.org file ctc073.mp3, 2213 s; the file streams, HTTP 206) Open source Doctrinal St Peter's Free Church, Dundee (Free Church of Scotland), per the description
   • Reason, Revelation, and Calvin's View of Natural Theology (Christ the Center) Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey 61 min (mp3 duration read with ffprobe from the episode page's audio file) Open source Doctrinal Orthodox Presbyterian Church ministry (Reformed Forum) Reads the OPC (American) text of the Larger Catechism. The 1647 text of WLC 109 lists 'tolerating a false religion' among the sins forbidden by the second commandment; the American text omits it. Keep as primary-text with the note; the 1757 Glasgow printing is the reference wording and the Standards reader must show...

   Total: 4.5 hours

2. Reading Read in the order given. Public-domain and free texts are linked; purchases are optional and never required.

   • The Philosophy of Revelation (Stone Lectures, Princeton, 1908) Herman Bavinck 364 scanned pages (archive.org, Google scan, Longmans Green) Open source Doctrinal 1909. Public domain
   • De algemeene genade (1894) Herman Bavinck 67 scanned pages (archive.org) Open source Doctrinal 1894. Public domain
   • The Defense of the Faith (first edition, 1955) Cornelius Van Til 458 scanned pages (archive.org) Open source Supplementary 1955. Free online
   • Why I Believe in God (OPC Committee on Christian Education pamphlet, c. 1936) Cornelius Van Til 24 pages (archive.org description) Open source Doctrinal 1936. Free online
   • Van Til the Evangelist K. Scott Oliphint Open source Doctrinal 2008. Free online PCA minister (American text). In 2018 his presbytery examined charges concerning his language about God's 'covenantal properties' and found no strike against the Standards; the matter is intramural and not among the listed disqualifiers. Keep as doctrinal; note on the page. American subscribers (1788 text). None of...
   • On the Miraculous and Internal Evidences of the Christian Revelation, and the Authority of Its Records Thomas Chalmers 478 scanned pages (archive.org, New York: Robert Carter) Open source Doctrinal 1845. Public domain
   • The Psalms in Present-Day Apologetics Jesse Johnson Open source Supplementary 1907. Free online
   • Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics Camden Bucey Open source Supplementary Purchase (optional) Reads the OPC (American) text of the Larger Catechism. The 1647 text of WLC 109 lists 'tolerating a false religion' among the sins forbidden by the second commandment; the American text omits it. Keep as primary-text with the note; the 1757 Glasgow printing is the reference wording and the Standards reader must show...

   Total: 24 pages

3. Assignment Write a research paper of 30 pages on a topic drawn from the lectures and readings of this course. Argue from Scripture, the Westminster Standards (1647 text) and the Three Forms of Unity, cite the primary sources you read, and state the points on which the sources differ.

   Open the assignment

Every lecture and reading carries its role. "Under review" means the teacher's subscription to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms of Unity is not yet established; "Read as comparison" means the material teaches the 1788 American text of WCF 20.4, 23 or 31 or of Larger Catechism Q.109, which the school reads beside the 1647 text. Nothing has been removed.