I’m especially excited to present our annual Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional apologetics and Van Til’s apologetics. That is because this is our blog’s fourteenth year in which we post our recommendations of books as Christmas gifts on the subject of Presuppositional apologetics or the Christian worldview!
Below are links to the recommendations from previous years, and if you are new to the whole thing with Presuppositional apologetics and want something introductory I highly recommend the first two books we recommend this year along with the listing from 2014 which we highlighted in bold:
- Christmas wish list in Presuppositional Christian Apologetics (2010)
- Christmas Gift Book Lists on Christian Worldview and Apologetics Discipleship 2011 (2011)
- More Christmas Gift Book Lists on Christian Worldview and Apologetics Discipleship (2012)
- More Christmas wish list in Presuppositional Christian Apologetics (2013) (2013)
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2014
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2015
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2016
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2017
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2018
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2019
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2020
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2021
- Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2022
This year list’s of recommended books on Presuppositional apologetics is listed below. Each work will have a link to my fuller review and also links to where one can purchase the book.
Here’s this year’s recommendations:
From Van Til Himself
The Protestant Doctrine of Scripture
Cornelius Van Til. The Protestant Doctrine of Scripture. Ripon, CA: den Dulk Christian Foundation, January 1, 1967. 156 pp.
Van Til recommends this as one of the early reads for those who want to go through his work!
Purchase: Amazon
Learning Presuppositional Apologetics
Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief
Craig Biehl. The Box: Answering the Faith of Unbelief. Franklin, TN: Carpenter’s Son Publishing, November 10, 2014. 160 pp.
This is an update to John Frame’s introductory work to presuppositional apologetics. While I’m more of where Greg Bahnsen is at, I do appreciate Frame.
Purchase: Amazon
Francis Schaeffer’s Trilogy
The God Who Is There by Francis A. Schaeffer
Francis Schaeffer. The God Who is There – Speaking Historic Christianity into the Twentieth Century. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, September 1, 1968. 226 pp.
The first work in Francis Schaeffer’s classic trilogy. Schaeffer is a student of Van Til and has been impacted by him though his method is different than Van Til.
Purchase: Amazon
Escape From Reason by Francis A. Schaeffer
Francis Schaeffer. Escape from Reason. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, January 1, 1968. 125 pp.
This is a shorter work and the second volume in Schaeffer’s trilogy.
Purchase: Amazon
He Is There and He Is Not Silent by Francis A. Schaeffer
Francis Schaeffer. He Is There and He Is Not Silent. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, September 1st, 2001. 125 pp.
I enjoyed this.
Purchase: Amazon
Authors that influenced Van Til
Christianity and Science by Herman Bavinck
Herman Bavinck. Christianity and Science Wheaton, IL: Crossway, August 29, 2023. 240 pp.
Herman Bavinck is nuanced, and a great thinker. A Reformed theologian, here he writes on the relations of Christianity and academic knowledge.
Purchase: Westminster | Amazon
Personality and Worldview by J.H. Bavinck
Johan Herman Bavinck. Personality and Worldview. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, April 18, 2023. 208 pp.
This is by a student and nephew of Herman Bavinck; nuanced take on worldview and also introduces a helpful category of worldvision.
Purchase: Westminster | Amazon
This is an interesting list Jim 👍 Have you ever reviewed Voddie Baucham’s book “Expository Apologetics” ?
Yes I have read it! I reviewed it last year: https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/book-review-expository-apologetics/
Are you thinking about reading it or have read it???
I was thinking of reading it at some point. I am beginning to look for introductory books/video series on apologetics to increase my knowledge of Biblical themes.
Great list! I also loved John Frame’s On Theology. The last chapter is about Steve Hays of Triablogue too.
Wow really??? I need to read that then! Wow, that’s so cool! Did you guys have Thanksgiving even though you guys aren’t in the US currentlY???
Oh yeah! John Frame’s chapter on Steve Hays is mostly a mildly revised version of this post on Triablogue. But I still enjoyed reading it or rather re-reading it! 🙂
For Thanksgiving, we mainly just stayed home with the kids, had a small dinner (without my favorite pumpkin pie though since that doesn’t really seem to exist where we are!) and tried to be grateful to the Lord in the midst of our recent turmoils (as you know about and we totally appreciate you praying for us – thank you so much, Jim, and please keep praying for us!).
And we pray for you and your (newish) ministry! May the Lord continue to use you as a wonderful vessel for his glory and others’ good! 🙂
Thanks for this list! One of these days I’m going to have to read some Schaeffer.
That would be great to see your review of it!!! Are you up early from Thanksgiving? I am!
RE: up early from Thanksgiving?
Did you wake up early because of turkey agita?
I was up late (11PM) due to I had to drive my sister-in-law home. Finally fell asleep, but the dog started barking at 3AM. Stayed up till 4, laid down, but got up again at 6. What a night!
As always thanks for this list! I want to see if Amazon has the Bavinck book on sale!
Which of Bavinck’s book you have in mind? Let me get it for you for Christmas????
You don’t have to do that! I am really interested in JH Bavinck Personality and Worldview!!!
We are getting that for you!
Thank you!!!! Please know I didn’t say that so you would do that!!!!! 🤗🤗🤗🙏🙏🙏
Thanks brother. I look forward to this list every year.
Blessings.
Thank you thank you soo soo much for your support!!!!
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I am glad you have made these lists and keep reminding us of them every year. It is easy to forget titles.
I also am at this point In my life I need my own reviews to keep track what I read and didn’t read as well as a reminder of what I learned from them!!
Great! Thank you for sharing. I get my books on Kindle and am currently reading The Soul Sufferings of Christ. I can check this one out, too.
That’s neat to hear what you are reading! Do you prefer physical books over Kindle or Vice versa?
I prefer physical books, but Kindle is often cheaper for same books. (Please pray for me. I’m asking YOU bcuz I believe in your Christian integrity).
Praying right now
I’m just trying to get through all the Puritan writers my husband’s got me over the years! 📚📚📚I’m afraid I’ll have to depend on you for the modern theologians through your reviews. Which, btw, I’m so thankful for! God bless you, brother, hope you and your family have a good weekend.
Wow your husband must love you to get all those Puritans!
My cup overfloweth — one Christmas he got me every single volume of Thomas Manton’s sermons!!!! He’s a sweetheart. My husband, I mean. 😊
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This is so resourceful for those who follow apologetics -Rodeo Crunch
Thanks for checking them out
I have How shall we then live but got to read the others