Agenda for Theology

In a discussion of theological paradox , John Frame comments on and approves a formula regularly used by Cornelius Van Til, “not in spite of, but because of.” Frame sees it as a summons to creative rethinking of a lot of classic “paradoxes”:

“the formula ‘not in spite of, but because of,’ which recurs so often in Van Tils thought, places a substantial challenge before theologians as they deal with apparent contradictions in biblical teaching. Have we too often been content merely to point out the consistency of biblical doctrines when the Bible itself would have us do more? Have we been content merely to show that human responsibility is compatible with divine foreordination, rather than showing that human responsibility depends upon divine foreordination and is inconceivable without it? If we are going to do the latter, some hard thinking may be necessary. We will certainly have to go beyond the elliptical, highly summarized arguments of Van Tils own writings. Yet the rewards will be great.”