Always Ready: Directions For Defending The Faith, Randy Booth Edition [Paperback]

Greg Bahnsen's book, Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith, a collection of classroom materials and articles, makes many of the difficult concepts of Biblical apologetics accessible to believers who never went to seminary. One of the greatest minds in evangelical scholarship in the twentieth century, Bahnsen interpreted, popularized, and made practical the groundbreaking work of Cornelius Van Til in what is known as presuppositional apologetics. The book under discussion lays the Biblical foundation of apologetics and gives direction for engaging in discussion with unbelievers. The popular view of apologetics suggests that believers find common, neutral ground with unbelievers in order to convince them of the plausibility of Christianity. In contrast, Bahnsen's basic contention is that believers must maintain the same Scriptural foundation in their encounters with unbelievers as they do in all theological discussion.

Bahnsen begins by dispelling the idea that neutral ground exists between believers and unbelievers. When a believer seeks "neutrality," he surrenders "his distinctive religious beliefs" with the result that he becomes "impotent in [his] witness, aimless in [his] walk, and disarmed in [his] battle with the principalities and powers of this world" (4). In contrast, all knowledge and wisdom are found only in Christ (Colossians 2:3), who is the believer's Lord even in the intellectual realm. Believers must have a correct understanding of the thinking of the unbeliever, who "have a vain mind and a darkened understanding" (Ephesians 4:17-18) (12). Bahnsen asserts, therefore, "from the fact that God is the sovereign Creator of heaven and earth, from the fact that the world and history are only such as His plan decrees, from the fact that man is the creaturely image of God, we must conclude that all knowledge which man possesses is received from God, who is the originator of all truth and the original Truth" (24). Thus, neutrality is nothing but a myth.

Bahnsen then addresses common arguments against presuppositionalism. Rather than arrogance, believers must maintain a "humble boldness" when dealing with unbelief (36). Also, while an unbeliever would indeed be totally incapable of knowledge of anything if he were consistent with his worldview, he is actually able to attain knowledge. Unbelievers do have a knowledge of God (which they suppress) and thus are able to understand the world (38). And believers are able to engage in meaningful conversation with unbelievers by virtue of several facts. Because God has created all things, "there is no area in the world, in thought, in word, or in deed which is irrelevant, indifferent, or neutral toward God and His demands" (42). And because all men are created in God's image, believers have a "point of contact" with all men (47).

Bahnsen next gives practical information about how exactly to defend the faith. He outlines two broad directions on how to proceed based on Proverbs 26:4-5. First, believers must not answer the unbeliever according to his foolishness, "in terms of his own misguided presuppositions." Rather "the apologist should defend his faith by working within his own presuppositions" (61). Second, the believer should answer the unbeliever according to his folly. "Pursued to their consistent end presuppositions of unbelief render man's reasoning vacuous and his experience unintelligible; in short, they lead to the destruction of knowledge, the dead-end of epistemological futility, to utter foolishness" (62). In addition, believers must realize that engagement with unbelievers is not conflict between beliefs of just particular aspects of truth but rather between complete worldviews (68). The believer also must constantly keep in mind that success is not dependent on his abilities, but rather that God is the One who gives understanding (85). Belief in God is the foundation of all understanding (88).

The remainder of the book puts these principles into practice. Believers must use reason as a tool, as an expression of God's image in them (113). In pointing out the fallacies in the unbeliever's worldview, he must point out prejudicial conjectures (136), unargued philosophical bias (138), presuppositions which do not comport with each other (141), logical fallacies (144-48), and behavior which betrays his professed belief (148). Bahnsen ends this section of the book by exposing the fallacies of the philosophical objections that Bertrand Russell hurled against Christianity. He also deals with issues like the problem of evil (163-74), anti-supernaturalism (177-91), faith versus reason (193-203), religious language (205-20), and miracles (221-32).

The final chapter of the book is worth the price of the whole book. In it Bahnsen gives a masterful exposition of Acts 17, which is the account of Paul's apologetic for Christianity on Mar's Hill in Athens. He demonstrates that Paul's methodology comports precisely with all the claims of presuppositional apologists. Although Paul appeared before an entirely pagan audience, he still assumes the veracity of Scripture without apology. In all, Always Ready is an indispensable tool for believers as they seek to give a faithful defense for the hope that is in them.

Whenever the topic of pressupositional apologetics comes up, it tends to cause the eyes to gloss over and the mind to immediately assume it is in way over its head. Dr. Bahnsen's works can be some of the most intellectually demanding works of theology one can encounter so it was with some concern when I picked up this book and wondered how it would communicate the topic. Dr. Bahnsen proved that it is possible to boil the topic down into its essential elements for evangelism and make it clear to the average reader and to the philosophy nuts alike. It is a great defense of the methodology as it relates to evangelism and is an invaluable resource for sharing your faith.

It would rather silly for me to recap Bahnsen's argument here, in this venue and at this time.

What you need to know is the following: this is _the_ best introduction to Christian apologetics that exists. It is mightily readable, and yet it is by no means juvenile. Although high schoolers should be able to read this book just fine, it is not written _for_ them (like Pratt's book is). Everyone will benefit mightily from this book. You can read it in just a few days; it is well bound on high quality paper; it is easy to understand; and yet it is incendiary in brilliance.

After this, consider Rushdoony's _By What Standard?_ and then move on to Van Til.

Alternatively, you could buy Bahnsen's tome _Van Til's Apologetic_. I have yet to read this one, but it is an amalgamation of what Bahnsen thought was Van Til's best stuff (in all of his books combined) with non-stop running commentary, introductions, conclusions, and tons of elucidation.

But, back to this one. Just buy it. And buy a copy for everyone you know.

The last hundred+ pages are the best.

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