Dialogue With Gordon Clark
The Philosophy of Gordon H. Clark, by Ronald H. Nash (Presbyterian and Reformed, 1968, 516 pp., $9.95), is reviewed by Alvin Plantinga, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California.
This Festschrift in honor of Professor Gordon H. Clark contains an expanded version of his 1965 Wheaton Lectures, some twelve essays in comment and criticism by “evangelical” philosophers and theologians, and Clark’s “Reply to Critics.” Although nearly all the contributors react with appreciation to Clark’s work, nearly all of them also find important areas of disagreement. Among the most interesting I found Merold Westphal’s “Theism and the Problem of Evil” (which defends Clark against the charge of committing the “naturalistic fallacy” and makes some enlightening distinctions along the way), Arthur Holmes’s “The Philosophical Methodology of Gordon Clark,” and George Mavrodes’ “Revelation and Epistemology.”
Clark’s lectures are written in a breezy, insouciant style, punctuated here and there with memorable wit. Archbishop Temple, says Clark, claims that “the possibility of misunderstanding the Scripture ‘destroys the whole value of this form of revelation’ Clark retorts that “apparently the possibility of misunderstanding the writings of Archbishop Temple did not in his opinion destroy the whole value of his writing his book.” He adds later that the archbishop “has no excuse for personally illustrating his theory that the Scriptures can be misunderstood.”
Clark’s first lecture is a rapid and necessarily cursory examination of “secular theories of epistemology, science, ethics, and religion”; he concludes that none are successful. Here he tries, I think, to cover far too much ground in far too brief compass; the result is probably too ambitious to be of much use.
The second lecture is noteworthy for a valuable polemic against those who unduly deprecate “mere human reason” and claim that all knowledge of God must be “analogical” or “negative” or “paradoxical” or all three. In this connection Clark quite properly defends logic and the use of logical techniques of argumentation in philosophy and theology; on the other hand, his paraphrase of the Prologue to the Gospel of John (“In the beginning was Logic, and Logic was with God and Logic was God”) might be considered a little strong even by the more enthusiastic friends of logic.
More important, however, is that he argues in this chapter that every philosophy must have presuppositions; apparently he thinks of a philosophy as a deductive system whose axioms are its presuppositions. And since all secular systems fail (as he thinks to have shown in chapter 1), Clark suggests that we try the Christian philosophy, whose sole axiom is:
A1The Bible is the Word of God. From A1 Clark apparently believes he can deduce “syllogistically” such truths, as, for example, that David was King of Israel.
What, exactly, is the role Clark means to assign to this axiomatic system? This question is not altogether easy to answer. But clearly he means to assert it; that is, he means to endorse every proposition that is a theorem of the system. Further, he claims, I think, to know the theorems of the system. But he also seems to suggest that neither he nor anyone else knows any proposition that is not a theorem of the system.
This claim has a certain initial implausibility. I know my name and address, and I think that the same could be said for Professor Clark. Yet clearly enough the Bible does not furnish us with these bits of information; and according to Clark it follows that no one knows them. Furthermore, according to Clark, none of us knows who his wife is (or, for that matter, whether he’s married), a situation that could conceivably lead to trouble. To this kind of objection, Clark retorts that no one has given a really convincing solution of such traditional epistemological problems as Descartes’s “evil demon” query: Is it not possible, for all Descartes knows, that some malignant demon is constantly and consistently deceiving him (and us) about his name? (He always thought it was “Descartes”; but all along it was “Schultz.”) And so long as we have no answer to Descartes we cannot, Clark holds, properly claim to know these things.
Even more interesting, I think, is the fact that from A1 alone we can deduce very little. We cannot, for example, deduce that David was King of Israel; to do that we should need the additional premise P1:
P1The assertion “David was King of Israel” is contained in the Bible.
But P1 does not follow from A1; how, then, does Clark know it is true? You and I think we know P1 is true; we simply turn to Second Samuel Chapter 5 and there it is: David was anointed King of Israel. But this won’t do for Clark; he may be, for all he knows, the victim of some evil demon’s deceit; he may have been led to suppose that Second Samuel contains this assertion (and also led to suppose that everyone else thinks so too) when in fact it says nothing of the kind.
This problem is carefully explored in Mavrodes’ excellent essay; so far as I can see, Clark’s only recourse is to take as axiom, not the assertion that the Bible is the word of God, but each of the propositions asserted in Scripture. Clark expresses a certain distaste for this procedure (a deductive system with 16,000 axioms could perhaps be scored as uneconomical and inelegent), but it is not easy to see an alternative for him.
Although the essays in this volume are of uneven quality, it contains much that is stimulating and much that is worth reading. I recommend it.
Refreshing Study Of John
The Gospel According to St. John, by J. N. Sanders, edited and completed by E. A. Mastin (Harper & Row, 1968, 480 pp., $10), is reviewed by Bruce M. Metzger, professor of New Testament language and literature, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey.
Of the writing of many books on the Fourth Gospel there is no end; according to Edward Malatesta’s recently compiled bibliography entitled St. John’s Gospel, 1920–1965 (Rome, 1967), more than thirty-one hundred books and articles on John were published within that forty-five-year period. Yet there is always room for one more good book, and this commentary qualifies as a scholarly and sensitive piece of exegesis.
J. N. Sanders, a former student of Sir Edwyn Hoskins of Cambridge, was fellow and dean of Peterhouse, Cambridge University, and university lecturer in divinity. At the time of his death in 1961 he had completed the introduction and the commentary on chapters 1 through 14. One of his students, B. A. Mastin, who now teaches at University College of North Wales, completed the commentary and added a few notes to Sanders’s material at points where recent discussion seemed to demand notice.
Sanders takes a refreshingly balanced and realistic approach to the Fourth Gospel. Again and again he insists that the theological symbolism that pervades John does not preclude the historicity of the events that are recounted. “The sceptical attitude to the historicity of the Gospels which is characteristic of Form Criticism (though by no means confined to it) is only justifiable if it can be shown to be impossible for the evangelists’ aims to be at once historical and theological.” Furthermore, “only those who can share the evangelists’ presuppositions are capable of admitting that their Gospels are historically reliable.” At the same time Sanders acknowledges that the expositor must still “ask himself whether the evidence which the evangelists adduce will bear the significance which they find in it, and whether they have committed mistakes of fact or interpretation. In particular, the Gospel which presents Christ as the truth ought to be able to stand up to the most rigorous investigation, and the critic would be failing in his duty, not only as a critic, but also as a Christian, if he hesitated to apply it.”
In view of such forthright statements, one is not surprised that Sanders accepts the literal historicity of Jesus’ miracles reported in John’s Gospel, including the resurrection of Lazarus.
Concerning the knotty question of the authorship of the Fourth Gospel, Sanders argues that it was the work of John, known in the New Testament as John Mark, the son of Mary, whose house in Jerusalem was probably the scene of the Last Supper. After traveling with his uncle Barnabas and Paul to Cyprus, he later was with Paul at Rome, where, after Paul’s death (A.D. 62?), he met Peter. John returned to Jerusalem and was banished to Patmos, where he received the visions that are included in the Revelation. Released at last from exile in A.D. 96, he went to Ephesus, and there, on the basis of a copy of what he believed to be the memoirs of Lazarus (who was the “beloved disciple” mentioned in the Fourth Gospel), he dictated the Fourth Gospel to an amanuensis named Papias. The First Epistle is an introduction to the Gospel, and Second and Third John are letters he wrote from Ephesus. It was only at a later date, perhaps subsequent to Irenaeus (c. A.D. 180), that patristic tradition identified the author of the Fourth Gospel as John the son of Zebedee.
Whatever one may think of Sanders’s ingenious theory (and the reviewer has certain reservations), it is at least a worthy alternative to other hypotheses, many of which make little or no attempt to correlate internal evidence with the external evidence preserved in the Muratorian Canon, the Anti-Marcionite Prologue, and other early patristic sources.
Sanders’s death at the age of forty-eight cut short the fulfillment of a productive and scholarly career. It is a matter for satisfaction that his work on the Fourth Gospel has now been made available in the series known in America as “Harper’s New Testament Commentaries” and in Great Britain as “Black’s New Testament Commentaries.”
Israel And The Canaanites
Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan, by William F. Albright (Doubleday, 1968, 294 pp., $6.95), is reviewed by R. Laird Harris, professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.
The remarkable literary output of Dr. Albright continues with this and other significant volumes on biblical history. Basically, this book is a study of the literary and cultural interrelations of Israel and her Canaanite-Phoenician neighbors. It contains the Jordan Lectures given at the University of London in 1965. Albright’s thesis is that the Canaanite’s influences were much more important than those from elsewhere.
The first chapter presents Albright’s analysis of the poetic style of Ugaritic literature in comparison to the biblical. He claims that truly archaic poetry has a higher ratio of repetitive parallelism than that of the monarchy. His study is of value, though one may wonder whether our scanty evidence justifies such sweeping generalizations. No Hebrew poetry has been discovered in excavations of the monarchical period.
In his discussion of the patriarchal backgrounds, Albright restates his views on Abraham as a caravaneer, on the relation of Hebrews and the ‘Apiru, and on the background of biblical law. His view, though far from that of Warfield, is a distinct relief from that of Well-hausen et al. He says he has changed his earlier opinion and now believes that the “religious traditions of Genesis” and the “specifically Israelite religious institutions” go back to pre-Mosaic times.
The analysis of the religion of Canaan as evidenced by the Ugaritic literature is broad and useful. It is no wonder that the Canaanite deities here described were the horror of Israel’s prophets. Albright gives some interesting conclusions: a pre-exilic data for Genesis 1 (supposedly in the P document), the reliability of Chronicles and its authorship by Ezra (in the “first edition at least”). He puts Job in the seventh century and Ecclesiastes in the fifth, which is at least in the right direction. He presents here his theory that the divine name YHWH is derived from the causative form of the verb “to be” and cannot come from the simple stem. His negative conclusion is based on evidence and is convincing. The reviewer feels, however, that the word may not be a verb form at all and that Exodus 3:14 is a play on words rather than an etymology.
He remarks that parallels fail in the area of cult: “We have almost no description of ritual in the entire Ugaritic literature.” He claims also that there are few material remains of the cult and that all possible parallels to the tabernacle have perished. Here he overlooks a very good parallel to the construction of the tabernacle, on display in the Cairo museum. It is a demountable chapel from the tomb of King Tutankhamun made with panels of framework construction held together by sliding bolts and covered with linen curtains. The linen cloth still is decorated with gold ornaments.
In dealing with the prophets and their conflict with Canaanite religion, Albright rightly points out that Canaanite contacts are shown in the use of words, names, and so on; but about this influence he says, “Israelite authors were able to utilize it without permitting it seriously to distort their monotheistic approach.”
This somewhat technical book will repay careful study. Its many references are particularly valuable.
Suggested For Mission Study
Sent by the Sovereign, by Walter D. Shepard (Presbyterian and Reformed, 1968, 109 pp., $2.50), is reviewed by C. Darby Fulton, retired executive secretary, Board of World Missions, Presbyterian Church in the United States.
This is a book about theology and missions, delightfully simple and direct, written by a layman. It is refreshingly free from the pedantry of many theological discussions today which tend to compound the confusion of thought by confusion of language. Walter D. Shepard is an architect who spent twenty-one years in missionary service: thirteen in Africa and eight on the staff of the Presbyterian U. S. Board of World Missions.
Each chapter of the book has two parts: first, a brief statement and explanation of a specific doctrine; second, a demonstration of the power inherent in this doctrine for the Church’s task of missions. There are chapters on the sovereignty of God, human depravity, predestination, salvation by grace, perseverance, and the Bible. In all these doctrines the author finds “those principles which underlie, energize, indeed produce as a natural and necessary effect” the Church’s efforts to spread its message throughout the world. He concludes: “We rest our case for missions in the Holy Scriptures, a missionary book, which from start to finish is inspired with a world vision, energized with a world purpose, and marches to a world goal.”
There is an autobiographical quality about this book. The author makes use of plain logic and his own experience as he presents Bible teaching, and he enlivens his discussion with illustrations and humor. Sent by the Sovereign offers a lift to spiritual morale in an age when both theology and missions have suffered from the erosion of faith within the churches.
Basic Text In Introduction
A General Introduction to the Bible, by Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix (Moody, 1968, 480 pp., $6.95), is reviewed by Merrill C. Tenney, dean, The Graduate School, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.
New scholarly writers in the biblical field are always welcome, especially when they make a positive contribution to the store of knowledge. Geisler and Nix have produced a compact and thoroughly systematized work dealing with the inspiration, canon, and textual transmission of the Bible that is exact enough to be reliable and plain enough to be understood by neophytes. Its organization is particularly impressive; it is a model of lucidity and orderly progression. The content is stated clearly and outlined well, and each chapter concludes with a summary for review. The work is designed for textbook use and should become a standard one in its field.
The apologetic aspect is firm but not obtrusive. Although the writers’ evangelical position is unmistakable, the reader feels they have dealt fairly and objectively with the facts. Their claims are not extravagant, and their sources are generally well documented.
One or two points might be debatable: whether Jesus knew and quoted apocryphal works, and whether Codex C was actually “erased by Ephraem” or by some copyist of his sermons. A definition of Urim and Thummim would clarify the rather obscure statement of the paragraph in which these terms are abruptly introduced. For the more advanced student, a bibliography of the main editions of the more important manuscripts of the Greek New Testament might be useful, and a diagram of the ages, provenance, and possible relationships of these MSS would clarify an area of the discussion. These criticisms, however, are eclipsed by the general excellence of the book, which deserves acceptance as a basic text in general introduction.
Book Briefs
Rediscovering the Book of Revelation, by Barclay M. Newman, Jr. (Judson, 1968, 127 pp., $3.95). Suggests that Revelation was written as a refutation of gnosticism.
Farewell to the Lonely Crowd, by John W. Drakeford (Word, 1969, 144 pp., $3.95). Analyzes some small-group attempts to deal with contemporary social problems.
Tradition for Crisis by Walter Brueggemann (John Knox, 1969, 164 pp., $4.95). Sees Hosea and the other prophets as interpreters of the Mosaic covenant tradition rather than as innovators, and on the basis of this thesis suggests principles for a prophetic ministry in our own situation.
The Fantasy World of Peter Stone by Malcolm Boyd (Harper & Row, 1969, 119 pp., $3.95). A slightly different approach, but the same old Boydism.
The Czeh Black Book, edited by Robert Littell (Praeger, 1969, 298 pp., $6.95). An eyewitness, documented account of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia.
The Jesuits: A History, by Christopher Hollis (Macmillan, 1969, 284 pp., $6.95). A concise history of the Society of Jesus from its foundation in 1539 to the present.
The Christian and the Nations, by André Donner (Eerdmans, 1969, 71 pp., $3.95). Emphasizes the necessity that the Christian consider world affairs from a biblical rather than a purely “nationalistic” perspective.
Prayers to Pray Wherever You Are, by Jeanette Struchen (Lippincott, 1969, 64 pp., $2.50). Short, straightforward, plain-talk prayers about a variety of subjects.
For Laymen and Other Martyrs, by Gerald Kennedy (Harper & Row, 1969, 122 pp., $3.95). Written for and about laymen, these witty, tongue-in-cheek observations about church life offer helpful insights toward a more effective Christian witness.
The Gospel According to St. John, by Rudolf Schnackenburg (Herder & Herder, 1968, 638 pp., $16). This first installment of a multi-volumed coverage of John’s Gospel offers a long introduction and detailed exegesis of chapters 1–4. An extremely thorough and scholarly work that opposes Bultmann’s at many points and affirms the Old Testament-Jewish background of John rather than a Hellenistic-Jewish one.
God, Christ and the World, by Arthur Michael Ramsey (Morehouse-Barlow, 1969, 125 pp., $2.95). The Archbishop of Canterbury affirms the continuing validity of the historic Christian faith and concludes that its supernatural character can be asserted most effectively as we are willing to learn from contemporary conflicts.
Evolutionary Philosophies and Contemporary Theology, by Eric C. Rust (Westminster, 1969, 256 pp., $6.50). Surveys the various process and evolutionary philosophies of the past century and suggests they may work as analogies in contemporary theological thought.
Paperbacks
The Now Generation, by Dennis C. Benson (John Knox, 1969, 143 pp., $2.45). Seeks to relate the needs and contributions of contemporary youth culture to the Christian faith.
Earth with Heaven, by Richard R. Caemmerer. Sr. (Concordia, 1969, 124 pp., $2.75). Examines the problems that confront the Church in communicating the message of Jesus to our skeptical scientific age and emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the connecting link for man between earth and heaven.
Include Me Out, by Colin Morris (Abingdon, 1968, 99 pp., $1.25). Vividly demonstrates that in its preoccupation with some of the trivial details of union the Church has overlooked matters of eternal significance.
A Man Just Like Us, by Harold W. Fife (Christian Literature Crusade, 1969, 117 pp., $1.25). Sermons on Elijah relating the experience of the prophet to the present day.
Ethics and Social Responsibilities in Business, by Harold A. Gram (Concordia, 1969, 108 pp., $1.25). A realistic approach to Christian ethics for the businessman who deals with the complex problems of business today.
Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, by Thomas Brooks (Puritan, 1968, 253 pp., 7s. 6d.). Reprint of a Puritan classic discussing the ways in which Satan will seek to lead men into sin and suggesting ways to defeat temptation.
The Best Books—A Guide to Christian Literature, by W. J. Grier (Banner of Truth Trust, 1968, 175 pp., 4s. 6d.). Although most publishers listed are English and prices are in English currency, this is a most useful list of evangelical books currently in print (in October, 1968), arranged according to subject matter.
The Bible and Tomorrow’s News, by Charles C. Ryrie (Scripture Press, 1969, 190 pp., $1.25). A sober consideration of prophecy from a pre-millennial, pretribulation-rapture, dispensational position.
The Bible Tells Us So, by R. B. Kuiper (Banner of Truth Trust, 1968, 132 pp., 5s.). A clear, readable statement of some of the major doctrines of the Christian faith from the pen of an outstanding Reformed theologian.
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah 1–39, by Arthur E. Cundall Eerdmans, 1968, 96 pp., $1.25). A helpful addition to the “Scripture Union Bible Study Books” series.
Knowing the Living God, by Harold L. Phillips (Warner, 1968, 128 pp., $1.75). Assumes the reality of God and proceeds to consider the ways in which God makes himself known to man.
