Fred Butler has already told his readers about his enthusiasm for Clifford McManis’s new book Biblical Apologetics. Now he has posted his review of the book. I hope you will take some time to read it:
A Review I’ve Been Waiting For
Dr. Reluctant.
musings of a "reluctant" dispensationalist
9 comments On A Review I’ve Been Waiting For
Thanks bro. I hope you get it and write up your own review. I’d be curious of your take, whether agreeing or disagreeing. I am enthusiastic about the book and thought it was an excellent contribution to the subject of apologetics.
Paul and Fred,
Sometime next week I was wondering if I could email the two of you of what you know of other Dispensationalists Presuppositional Apologetics, your own views and story of coming to Presuppositionalism,etc I’m hoping to do a series on the history of Presuppositionalism in Dispensationalists’ circles sometime soon on our blog (after our Islam Marathon week).
Don’t mind at all 🙂 Actually, I can tell you from personal conversations that Thomas Ice and Charles Clough are presuppositional. Also, (blowing my own trumpet), I introduced it to Tyndale Seminary when I was there, and Mal Couch adopted it.
I think the basic problem is with Dispensationalism itself – the problem of a constricting definition (“dispensations” which are not essential to the idea) not fostering heuristic thinking. So I’m a “Biblical Covenantalist!” 😉
Would you be able to email me your email…I plan to email you a list of like 8 to 10 questions as part of a series at our blog interviewing Dispensational Presuppositionalists. =)
Thank you!
Hi SLIMJIM,
Hope you don’t mind that I’m chiming in. It is rare for dispensationalists to adopt presuppositional apologetics because PA is mainly confined to the van Tilian school within the Reformed camp, and I’ve yet to see any significant teacher from the van Tilian school who later defect to dispensationalism. And in general, even large swamps of the Reformed camp don’t accept PA and use classical apologetics instead. Also bear in mind that there is hostility towards the Calvinistic side of thinking going on in the middle of the dispensational camp, and presuppositional apologetics is regarded with deep-seated suspicion as a “Calvie Trojan horse” in many popular dispensational circles circa 2012.
The only guys I know who are PA and also dispensational are John MacArthur (Fred Butler has 1st hand knowledge), Indian Hills Community Church in Lincoln Nebraska http://www.ihcc.org (Gil Rugh is the Senior Pastor there, they are 4-point Calvinistic dispensationalists, Mike Vlach was the Associate Pastor there before moving on to Master’s Seminary) and Dan Phillips.
Thanks for the link Joel
Thanks Joel for letting me know. From what I understand, there are also other pockets of Dispensationalists who are PA. Can someone tell me if I’m correct but Grace Theological Seminary at least at one time had Presuppositional apologetics taught? That’s how I understand the fact that George Zemek and James M. Grier being alumni of GTS became Presuppositional in their apologetics. I am hoping to write a historical theology of sorts on the Dispenational stream of Presuppositionalists
Yes, I forgot about Zemek & Grier. I might throw in John Whitcomb too, although there are one or two differences. He is basically presup.