Category Archives: Vern S. Poythress

Reforming Ontology and Logic in the Light of the Trinity (Vern S. Poythress)

“Reforming Ontology and Logic in the Light of the Trinity: An Application of Van Til’s Idea of Analogy” by Vern S. Poythress

Reflection on John 1:1 can lead us in reforming our conceptions of fundamental philosophical categories and logic.

 

John 1:1 shows that understanding the Trinity involves three aspects inextricably.  First, there is classification.  Each Person of the Trinity is classified as God.  Second, there is instantiation.  Each Person is particular, an “instantiation” of God, distinct from the other Persons.  Third, there is an associational aspect.  Each Person exists in association and communion with the other Persons (“the Word was with God”). …

What Is the Presuppositionalism of Cornelius Van Til? (Vern S. Poythress)

“What Is the Presuppositionalism of Cornelius Van Til? Apologetics in Action” by Vern S. Poythress

Dear A———:

 

I appreciate your inquiry.

 

I am sorry to hear of your distress. I am taking this opportunity to pray for you. My experience is that when people are in spiritual distress, only a limited amount can be done at a distance. I would encourage you to talk and pray with your pastor. Spiritual crises do not solve themselves by merely intellectual means. In fact, they tend to prolong themselves by intellectual means, because the intellect becomes a false godlike source of reliance.

 

I hesitate to say more about presuppositional apologetics, because you have already studied it. But people who study it on their own, and even some who study it in the classroom or with a mentor, frequently develop misconceptions. So let me say a few things that you may already know. If I am off base, please excuse it. …