Date
2-2021
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Theology and Apologetics (PhD)
Chair
Edward Martin
Keywords
Plantinga, Bibliology, Reformed Epistemology, Warrant, Basic Beliefs, Van Kleeck
Disciplines
Christianity | Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Recommended Citation
Van Kleeck, Peter William Jr, "A Case for Basic Belief in the Christian Scriptures: An Augmented Aquinas/Calvin Model in Favor of Including Scripture Beliefs among the Great Things of the Gospel" (2021). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2817.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2817
Abstract
By what means does the Christian come to believe and know the Christian Scriptures are the word of God? The more popular opinion relies on a discursive scientific evaluation of historical artifacts (i.e. manuscripts). While this methodology can be extremely helpful in several respects it is highly improbable that it can serve as the ground and fountain of the belief and knowledge that the Christian Scriptures are/probably are the word of God. With this improbability in mind, I offer an alternative by way of Alvin Plantinga’s Reformed Epistemology and his treatment of the great things of the Gospel [i.e. GTG]. Through the employment of Plantinga’s work I maintain that belief in the Scripture as the word of God is worthy to be counted among the GTG. So, just as basic beliefs in the GTG are enjoyed by Christians, beliefs and even knowledge of the Christians Scriptures as the word of God can be enjoyed in the same or similar way. After acknowledging and sufficiently overcoming a series of potential defeaters I conclude that if a Christian believes her Bible is the word of God down to the very words, she is rational and warranted in holding that belief.
