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Every Thought Captive: A Study Manual for the Defense of Christian Truth by Jr. Richard L. Pratt
A helpful study manual on apologetics. Using down-to-earth language, Pratt teaches how to answer nonbelievers in a practical format using concepts that any one can understand. Includes illustrations and review questions.
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First published June 1, 1979
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July 17, 2019
Straightforward and helpful!!!!
October 14, 2013
Many books focused on the discussion of apologetics engage the issue with a barrage of techniques aimed at providing the reader with a list of responses to those who reject biblical truth. Often the techniques provided by those authors neglect one important factor, that of the necessity for any apologetical effort to be firmly rooted in Scripture. All the arguments and communicative techniques in the world will be of no service to the conversation if God’s word is not first and foremost the source of one’s approach to all of life. It is this presupposition that God’s word is the source of truth that forms the basis for the approach contained in Every Thought Captive: A Study Manual for the Defense of Christian Truth by Richard Pratt.
At the outset of this study manual on apologetics, Pratt rightly notes the words of the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 10:5: “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Arguably, this is a verse about how to do apologetics that is quite often overlooked. Fundamentally, this is what the pursuit of apologetics for the believer is all about. While certainly providing a defense of what we believe is also of utmost importance, providing that defense should not come at the expense of the necessity to destroy any though or speculation that takes aim at the things of God. In order to wage war against ungodly thoughts and ideas, one must first understand what building a firm foundation on God’s word is all about.
Pratt aptly comments “The Bible is both the foundation upon which our defense must be built and one of our beliefs which must be defended. All too often, this twofold role which the Bible must play is forgotten. Well-meaning Christians lose sight of the foundational character of the Bible and tend to build their defense on mere human wisdom and reasoning. The Word is placed, as it were, on the roof of their structure and is supported by apologetics.” He further elaborates on this concept noting “As followers of Christ, we must remember always to build out defense of the Christian faith on the sure foundation of the Bible. If we do so, there will be no weight too great to be supported; no wind too strong to be resisted.” This is a very important element for those engaging in apologetics to understand. Given that apologetics should be a practice of all believers to one degree or another, it is vital for followers of Christ to grasp that apologetics apart from a firm foundation of Scripture is not apologetics. In reality, such an approach is far too often what takes place in the apologetic community, specifically the appeal to human reasoning as subservient to Scripture. That backwards approach is presented by Pratt as wholly incorrect and resting on shaky ground at best.
Another important element presented by Pratt of understanding how to properly define and practice apologetics is that of understanding who God is and how we related to Him as His creation. Pratt describes this as the “Creator-creature distinction”. This concept is vital to apologetics for a number of reasons which Pratt does an excellent job of elaborating. For instance, our perspective on origins stems from this distinction. This is because “Man can understand himself and the creation surrounding him only as he recognizes the Creator-creature distinction revealed there and sees the will of God more clearly through his observation of creation.” Even our understanding of biblical concepts such as the character of man, both before and following sin, as well as that of redemption, stem from this Creator-creature distinction. Those in the apologetics community who solely depend on human reasoning and arguments based on logic must recognize something Pratt ably declares, namely that “Logic is not God and it should never be given the honor due to God alone. Truth is found at the judgment seat of God, not the court of logic.”
After providing this necessary foundation for apologetics, Pratt spends the remainder of this study manual providing valuable tips for engaging the non-believers positions on a number of key matters, including the deity of Christ, the existence of God, the problem of evil, the resurrection of Christ, the validity of Scripture, sin, origins, eschatology, and general matters of faith. As Pratt moves through those issues, he does so by constantly returning to the aforementioned Creator-creature distinction that forms the locus for his apologetical approach. In each element of his approach, Pratt not only provides valuable responses to popular tactics of the non-believer, more importantly, he roots his recommendations on the solid foundation of Scripture, essentially practicing the very methodology he teaches the reader.
At the end of each chapter, Pratt provides the reader with additional study questions focused on reiterating the material in the chapter as well as assisting the reader with tools to engage the topic at hand in greater detail. I always enjoy such study questions and books that include that element are ones I find to be most helpful and something I will return to in the future.
Every Thought Captive is a journey into the presuppositional or “Van Tillian” approach to apologetics, one rooted in the belief that God and His word should form the basis for any defense or discussion of biblical truth. It is a work that everyone engaged in apologetics, meaning every believer should read and take note of this book as the concepts and principles provided by Pratt will serve the reader well when the time comes for them to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
At the outset of this study manual on apologetics, Pratt rightly notes the words of the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 10:5: “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Arguably, this is a verse about how to do apologetics that is quite often overlooked. Fundamentally, this is what the pursuit of apologetics for the believer is all about. While certainly providing a defense of what we believe is also of utmost importance, providing that defense should not come at the expense of the necessity to destroy any though or speculation that takes aim at the things of God. In order to wage war against ungodly thoughts and ideas, one must first understand what building a firm foundation on God’s word is all about.
Pratt aptly comments “The Bible is both the foundation upon which our defense must be built and one of our beliefs which must be defended. All too often, this twofold role which the Bible must play is forgotten. Well-meaning Christians lose sight of the foundational character of the Bible and tend to build their defense on mere human wisdom and reasoning. The Word is placed, as it were, on the roof of their structure and is supported by apologetics.” He further elaborates on this concept noting “As followers of Christ, we must remember always to build out defense of the Christian faith on the sure foundation of the Bible. If we do so, there will be no weight too great to be supported; no wind too strong to be resisted.” This is a very important element for those engaging in apologetics to understand. Given that apologetics should be a practice of all believers to one degree or another, it is vital for followers of Christ to grasp that apologetics apart from a firm foundation of Scripture is not apologetics. In reality, such an approach is far too often what takes place in the apologetic community, specifically the appeal to human reasoning as subservient to Scripture. That backwards approach is presented by Pratt as wholly incorrect and resting on shaky ground at best.
Another important element presented by Pratt of understanding how to properly define and practice apologetics is that of understanding who God is and how we related to Him as His creation. Pratt describes this as the “Creator-creature distinction”. This concept is vital to apologetics for a number of reasons which Pratt does an excellent job of elaborating. For instance, our perspective on origins stems from this distinction. This is because “Man can understand himself and the creation surrounding him only as he recognizes the Creator-creature distinction revealed there and sees the will of God more clearly through his observation of creation.” Even our understanding of biblical concepts such as the character of man, both before and following sin, as well as that of redemption, stem from this Creator-creature distinction. Those in the apologetics community who solely depend on human reasoning and arguments based on logic must recognize something Pratt ably declares, namely that “Logic is not God and it should never be given the honor due to God alone. Truth is found at the judgment seat of God, not the court of logic.”
After providing this necessary foundation for apologetics, Pratt spends the remainder of this study manual providing valuable tips for engaging the non-believers positions on a number of key matters, including the deity of Christ, the existence of God, the problem of evil, the resurrection of Christ, the validity of Scripture, sin, origins, eschatology, and general matters of faith. As Pratt moves through those issues, he does so by constantly returning to the aforementioned Creator-creature distinction that forms the locus for his apologetical approach. In each element of his approach, Pratt not only provides valuable responses to popular tactics of the non-believer, more importantly, he roots his recommendations on the solid foundation of Scripture, essentially practicing the very methodology he teaches the reader.
At the end of each chapter, Pratt provides the reader with additional study questions focused on reiterating the material in the chapter as well as assisting the reader with tools to engage the topic at hand in greater detail. I always enjoy such study questions and books that include that element are ones I find to be most helpful and something I will return to in the future.
Every Thought Captive is a journey into the presuppositional or “Van Tillian” approach to apologetics, one rooted in the belief that God and His word should form the basis for any defense or discussion of biblical truth. It is a work that everyone engaged in apologetics, meaning every believer should read and take note of this book as the concepts and principles provided by Pratt will serve the reader well when the time comes for them to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
October 2, 2015
I read this book on the recommendation of my pastor, which is normally all the endorsement a book needs for me to plow through it with gusto. I had no gusto after a few paragraphs because, for me, the writing style was dreadfully dull. I was further discouraged because I felt that the author was far, FAR too harsh in his criticism of other apologists and evangelistic techniques. In fact,I had to put the book down for about a week and a half and come back to it with a cooler head. Being a Bahnsen fan already, I did very much enjoy Pratt's chapter, "Structure of a Biblical Defense" and all the chapters that followed because they demonstrated Pratt's technique in a variety of potential apologetic situations. The last chapter, while I believe again it was a caricature of other apologetic techniques, did reveal their inherent weaknesses and the strength of a presuppositional approach. The book reveals that the FANTASTIC STRENGTH of the presuppositional model is that any christian can be prepared to "boil that cabbage down" with any attacker/seeker to reveal their underlying beliefs. While I think Lee Strobel and other evidence based defenses are very fruitful and necessary and NOT AT ALL unbiblical (as the author states) and that those defenses meet everyone on the common ground of "we all agree that we can think and reason," and that many I know have come to faith through such ministries, ultimately we either show people that they let GOD be God, or they exalt themselves as God as their prior faith commitment, which is what presuppositional apologetics as presented by Pratt does handily in his book.
August 10, 2024
Very simple understanding of Van Tillman apologetics. I liked how specific Richard Pratt was with real life examples on how to use it, as well as answer tough questions unbelievers ask. He also did a good job identifying Creator-creature distinction and showing how that is essential to understanding how to defend the faith properly.
April 13, 2019
The first several chapters of this book are particularly helpful and clear for laying the ground rules of defending the faith in a way that honors Christ and follows Scripture.
July 21, 2021
Review: Every Thought Captive, by Richard L. Pratt Jr.
Book description
In down-to-earth language, Richard L. Pratt, Jr., has given us this helpful study manual on apologetics, the task of defending the faith. Far from a theoretical exposition, this training manual teaches how to answer nonbelievers and to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." Pratt shows how the biblical doctrines about humanity and our relationship to our Creator determine how we should do apologetics. Within this theological framework, he examines the premises, attitudes, and specific steps involved in a genuinely biblical defence of Christianity. Illustrations and review questions help to make this a valuable tool for individual or group study.
About the author
Richard Linwood Pratt Jr. is an American theologian, author, and founder and President of Third Millennium Ministries. Pratt is actively involved in all aspects of ministry, including writing, teaching, and global advancement. He has travelled extensively throughout the world to evangelize and lecture.
At a glance
On the back of the book, Frame writes that Pratt has written a manual to help ordinary people engage in apologetics along the lines of Van Til's approach. In the process, he has translated the philosophical terminology of Van Tillian apologetics into everyday language.
Most of what I've learned so far regarding presuppositional apologetics comes from conversations with people on social media. The first book I read that came from a presuppositional approach is Jason Lisle's The Ultimate Proof of Creation. I no longer consider myself to be an outright beginner in understanding presuppositional apologetics (although I'm do find the more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to learn), therefore this book is not really meant for someone who's already made some strides into understanding Van Til.
I have an appreciation of Pratt's use of Scripture thought-out to substantiate his claims. I can see myself returning to this book in the future to investigate the Scriptures he used to build the case for a Biblical apologetic.
Another feature of his book is the use of visual aids to help the reader understand what he's after.
The book is not divided into chapters, but lessons. Each lesson is rather short (it contains the basics but doesn't investigate the detail of the claims), and after the lesson, it contains questions for use in group discussions. I can see how this book can be used quite naturally in the context of a Bible study group, or an apologetics course presented to church congregants.
The book spends quite a bit of time on the Christian life, and the necessity of the apologist's life to reflect the truthfulness of his words. For example, we cannot hope to argue people into heaven if we're living as people heading for hell. In this section, he made me pause and reflect on my own Christian walk. The apologist who lacks daily prayer and Scripture reading simply isn't a Christian apologist. He's an inconsistent defender of his own ideals since he doesn't know nor serve His Creator.
I appreciated the final few lessons in the book the most. After providing us with the theory, he sketches a practical picture of how to defend Christian truth. Pratt indicates the failures of the traditional method in providing a successful defence against sceptics (with regards to the existence of God, the resurrection etc.) and then outlines the Biblical method of defense which he gathers from Proverbs 26:4,5.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Probers 26:4,5 ESV
Rating: 7/10.
If you feel like purchasing the book yourself, please use the link below. Apologetics Central receives a commission for each of our links that convert into purchases. Click the book below, or follow this link.
Contents at a glance
A firm foundation
Where it all began
The character of man before sin
The character of man in sin
The character of man redeemed by Christ
The non-Christian point of view
The Christian point of view
Attitudes and actions
Popular tactics
Structure of Biblical defence
Defending the faith (1)
Defending the faith (2)
Defending the faith (3)
An apologetic parable
Pratt's Biblical method for the defence of the faith
A particular issue arises that often gives rise to the presentation of the Gospel, and an opportunity to defend the Christian truth.
Admit your faith commitment.
If an answer is known, give a biblical answer and biblical evidence for the particular issue in question [Dependet certainty].
If an answer is not known, give justification for your ignorance and show by Christianity is no less certain [Dependet uncertainty].
If the unbeliever is not convinced, show him that his disbelief is founded on his commitment to independence.
That the commitment to independence cannot be justified.
If the unbeliever is certain that the evidence is against Christianity, show him that he has not and cannot know enough to be sure he understands his evidence correctly.
If the unbeliever is totally uncertain because there is not enough evidence to be sure, show him that he has not and cannot know enough to be sure that he must be uncertain.
Challenge the unbeliever to recognize his commitment to independence as the source of his futility.
Present the Gospel message of repentance and faith.
Possible critique and defence
It was indicated to me by a follower on the Apologetics Central page that Pratt's view on the "answer a fool according to this folly" (as indicated in steps 7 and 8 above) does not follow a presuppositional approach.
The individual writes:
These suggested methods of answering the fool according to his folly are not presuppositional, nor Bahnsenian. You can go on Youtube right now and find William Lane Craig giving these exact same answers to atheist objections. These suggestions are pleas to the ignorance of the unbeliever, and the improbability of the finding "certainty" given their beliefs. That is, these are arguments based on probabilities. That is not presup.
I agree. The challenge against the folly of the unbeliever is not that the unbeliever cannot know enough to be certain about the existence of God, as that seems to indicate that the unbeliever can know some things, just not enough on the particular topic to disprove Christianity or to be sure of his or her own position.
But we must perhaps read Pratt in light of what he mentioned in the previous parts of the book, specifically lessons 1 through 7. He mentions near the end of lesson 6 that:
No matter what he may claim or profess, the unbeliever is inevitably absolutely certain and totally uncertain. Consequently, he is left unable to say anything about God, the world, or man - even that he is uncertain about them. Non-Christian philosophy is based on a commitment to independence and that commitment has brought man into futility and hopelessness.
And on the previous page regarding the unbeliever's knowledge of the external world, writes,
The dilemma of unbelieving philosophy shows itself in what non-Christians say about their created environment as well. The claim of absolute certainty is made, for instance, when the non-Christian says that the world is in some sense orderly and understandable. He is absolutely certain that the order he discerns is in reality actually there. Yet, the non-Christian is faced with the fact that he has not investigated and cannot investigate the entire external world in such a way as to avoid total uncertainty. The presence of the unknown calls into question what the unbeliever claims to know. Total uncertainty regarding the external world often involves the notion that the world does not have order and is ruled by chance and makes no sense to the man. It is obvious that even when the unbeliever denies the possibility of knowing the world in this fashion, he is making a statement of absolute certainty about the character of the world. He knows for certain that the world is of such character that it is unordered and that it is the product of mere chance. Once again, the unbeliever is faced with the dilemma of being absolutely certain, and totally uncertain at the same time.
Taking this into account, although it might sound that Pratt appeals to the ignorance of the unbeliever when making his defence, (stating that the unbeliever "does not know enough"), he does not believe that the unbeliever knows even some things regarding the external world correctly. In this way, he is consistent with Van Til and Bahnsen.
It is the case that the unbeliever goes about categorising and investigating the world around him, attempting to build his system apart from any concrete guidance from his Creator. Since man is not all-knowing and omnipresent (nor the creator and sustainer of all that is), it is not possible for him to come to true knowledge of the external world since his finite system cannot in and of itself guarantee that it correctly describes the external world, or that it will continue to correctly describe the external world. Perhaps this is what Pratt means in the later sections of the book when he outlines his defence in practical terms.
I do agree with the individual that Pratt's example of the defence does come close to simply appealing to gaps in the knowledge of unbelievers. It also struck me as strange. Either he was inconsistent on this point, or we must interpret him in a favourable light. I lean to the latter - simply because Pratt attempted to put practical flesh to the theoretical overview of lessons 1 through 7.
Conclusion
I would recommend anyone interested in Van Til's apologetic to read this book. I find his practical guide to the defence of the faith to be helpful, and to be a useful model that we can employ when discussing with our unbelieving friends and during our evangelistic efforts.
I agree with Frame that Pratt's book was somewhat of a breakthrough. It's sad to see that the Reformed world has not produced books like Pratt's provides additional discussions and guides. The other book that is similar to this book is Lisle's book, but Lisle does not come from a Reformed perspective.
Book description
In down-to-earth language, Richard L. Pratt, Jr., has given us this helpful study manual on apologetics, the task of defending the faith. Far from a theoretical exposition, this training manual teaches how to answer nonbelievers and to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." Pratt shows how the biblical doctrines about humanity and our relationship to our Creator determine how we should do apologetics. Within this theological framework, he examines the premises, attitudes, and specific steps involved in a genuinely biblical defence of Christianity. Illustrations and review questions help to make this a valuable tool for individual or group study.
About the author
Richard Linwood Pratt Jr. is an American theologian, author, and founder and President of Third Millennium Ministries. Pratt is actively involved in all aspects of ministry, including writing, teaching, and global advancement. He has travelled extensively throughout the world to evangelize and lecture.
At a glance
On the back of the book, Frame writes that Pratt has written a manual to help ordinary people engage in apologetics along the lines of Van Til's approach. In the process, he has translated the philosophical terminology of Van Tillian apologetics into everyday language.
Most of what I've learned so far regarding presuppositional apologetics comes from conversations with people on social media. The first book I read that came from a presuppositional approach is Jason Lisle's The Ultimate Proof of Creation. I no longer consider myself to be an outright beginner in understanding presuppositional apologetics (although I'm do find the more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to learn), therefore this book is not really meant for someone who's already made some strides into understanding Van Til.
I have an appreciation of Pratt's use of Scripture thought-out to substantiate his claims. I can see myself returning to this book in the future to investigate the Scriptures he used to build the case for a Biblical apologetic.
Another feature of his book is the use of visual aids to help the reader understand what he's after.
The book is not divided into chapters, but lessons. Each lesson is rather short (it contains the basics but doesn't investigate the detail of the claims), and after the lesson, it contains questions for use in group discussions. I can see how this book can be used quite naturally in the context of a Bible study group, or an apologetics course presented to church congregants.
The book spends quite a bit of time on the Christian life, and the necessity of the apologist's life to reflect the truthfulness of his words. For example, we cannot hope to argue people into heaven if we're living as people heading for hell. In this section, he made me pause and reflect on my own Christian walk. The apologist who lacks daily prayer and Scripture reading simply isn't a Christian apologist. He's an inconsistent defender of his own ideals since he doesn't know nor serve His Creator.
I appreciated the final few lessons in the book the most. After providing us with the theory, he sketches a practical picture of how to defend Christian truth. Pratt indicates the failures of the traditional method in providing a successful defence against sceptics (with regards to the existence of God, the resurrection etc.) and then outlines the Biblical method of defense which he gathers from Proverbs 26:4,5.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Probers 26:4,5 ESV
Rating: 7/10.
If you feel like purchasing the book yourself, please use the link below. Apologetics Central receives a commission for each of our links that convert into purchases. Click the book below, or follow this link.
Contents at a glance
A firm foundation
Where it all began
The character of man before sin
The character of man in sin
The character of man redeemed by Christ
The non-Christian point of view
The Christian point of view
Attitudes and actions
Popular tactics
Structure of Biblical defence
Defending the faith (1)
Defending the faith (2)
Defending the faith (3)
An apologetic parable
Pratt's Biblical method for the defence of the faith
A particular issue arises that often gives rise to the presentation of the Gospel, and an opportunity to defend the Christian truth.
Admit your faith commitment.
If an answer is known, give a biblical answer and biblical evidence for the particular issue in question [Dependet certainty].
If an answer is not known, give justification for your ignorance and show by Christianity is no less certain [Dependet uncertainty].
If the unbeliever is not convinced, show him that his disbelief is founded on his commitment to independence.
That the commitment to independence cannot be justified.
If the unbeliever is certain that the evidence is against Christianity, show him that he has not and cannot know enough to be sure he understands his evidence correctly.
If the unbeliever is totally uncertain because there is not enough evidence to be sure, show him that he has not and cannot know enough to be sure that he must be uncertain.
Challenge the unbeliever to recognize his commitment to independence as the source of his futility.
Present the Gospel message of repentance and faith.
Possible critique and defence
It was indicated to me by a follower on the Apologetics Central page that Pratt's view on the "answer a fool according to this folly" (as indicated in steps 7 and 8 above) does not follow a presuppositional approach.
The individual writes:
These suggested methods of answering the fool according to his folly are not presuppositional, nor Bahnsenian. You can go on Youtube right now and find William Lane Craig giving these exact same answers to atheist objections. These suggestions are pleas to the ignorance of the unbeliever, and the improbability of the finding "certainty" given their beliefs. That is, these are arguments based on probabilities. That is not presup.
I agree. The challenge against the folly of the unbeliever is not that the unbeliever cannot know enough to be certain about the existence of God, as that seems to indicate that the unbeliever can know some things, just not enough on the particular topic to disprove Christianity or to be sure of his or her own position.
But we must perhaps read Pratt in light of what he mentioned in the previous parts of the book, specifically lessons 1 through 7. He mentions near the end of lesson 6 that:
No matter what he may claim or profess, the unbeliever is inevitably absolutely certain and totally uncertain. Consequently, he is left unable to say anything about God, the world, or man - even that he is uncertain about them. Non-Christian philosophy is based on a commitment to independence and that commitment has brought man into futility and hopelessness.
And on the previous page regarding the unbeliever's knowledge of the external world, writes,
The dilemma of unbelieving philosophy shows itself in what non-Christians say about their created environment as well. The claim of absolute certainty is made, for instance, when the non-Christian says that the world is in some sense orderly and understandable. He is absolutely certain that the order he discerns is in reality actually there. Yet, the non-Christian is faced with the fact that he has not investigated and cannot investigate the entire external world in such a way as to avoid total uncertainty. The presence of the unknown calls into question what the unbeliever claims to know. Total uncertainty regarding the external world often involves the notion that the world does not have order and is ruled by chance and makes no sense to the man. It is obvious that even when the unbeliever denies the possibility of knowing the world in this fashion, he is making a statement of absolute certainty about the character of the world. He knows for certain that the world is of such character that it is unordered and that it is the product of mere chance. Once again, the unbeliever is faced with the dilemma of being absolutely certain, and totally uncertain at the same time.
Taking this into account, although it might sound that Pratt appeals to the ignorance of the unbeliever when making his defence, (stating that the unbeliever "does not know enough"), he does not believe that the unbeliever knows even some things regarding the external world correctly. In this way, he is consistent with Van Til and Bahnsen.
It is the case that the unbeliever goes about categorising and investigating the world around him, attempting to build his system apart from any concrete guidance from his Creator. Since man is not all-knowing and omnipresent (nor the creator and sustainer of all that is), it is not possible for him to come to true knowledge of the external world since his finite system cannot in and of itself guarantee that it correctly describes the external world, or that it will continue to correctly describe the external world. Perhaps this is what Pratt means in the later sections of the book when he outlines his defence in practical terms.
I do agree with the individual that Pratt's example of the defence does come close to simply appealing to gaps in the knowledge of unbelievers. It also struck me as strange. Either he was inconsistent on this point, or we must interpret him in a favourable light. I lean to the latter - simply because Pratt attempted to put practical flesh to the theoretical overview of lessons 1 through 7.
Conclusion
I would recommend anyone interested in Van Til's apologetic to read this book. I find his practical guide to the defence of the faith to be helpful, and to be a useful model that we can employ when discussing with our unbelieving friends and during our evangelistic efforts.
I agree with Frame that Pratt's book was somewhat of a breakthrough. It's sad to see that the Reformed world has not produced books like Pratt's provides additional discussions and guides. The other book that is similar to this book is Lisle's book, but Lisle does not come from a Reformed perspective.
August 24, 2009
In an attempt to make Vantillian presuppositional apologetics palpable to the layperson, Richard Pratt has written Every Thought Captive. In a very quick read, only about 140 pages, the author builds his systematic approach to this method of defending the faith, and takes complex philosophical thoughts of VanTil and explains them though an easily understood format. He begins where the Bible does—in the beginning. By laying the groundwork of creation and man’s partaking of the world God has made, Pratt does an excellent job of reminding the reader that the Bible is God’s revealing to us our condition and the effects of the fall, and it is this same God who has revealed to us the inner workings of the sinful man’s heart. If we do not begin with this knowledge, arguing over the existence of God with an unbeliever is an exercise in futility.
Pratt continues building on the foundation of creation and the fall, in an effective manner, showing the unbeliever’s worldview as one that is not a neutral position. Since the Scripture is the believer’s guide in all things pertaining to life and godliness, it also explains to us as Christians what we are up against with unbelievers. Since no one seeks after God, but all suppress the truth in unrighteousness, the unbeliever is not a clean slate when it comes to thoughts about God. Armed with this truth, the Christian can proceed to dismantle the logic of the unbeliever by exposing his worldview as illogical and self-refuting.
While I do very much appreciate this approach, and plan on using it in the future, there is still the problem of offensive apologetics which is normally lacking in the presuppositional camp. Pratt attempts to fix this, working towards explaining different ways this can be done, but overall I still think it fails. It is one thing to say that all positions are going to be circular in some form—that is easy to agree with. However, it seems that using this method by continually bringing the unbeliever back to his need to trust the Bible and not his independent thinking, begs the question in some sense. Why should he trust in the Bible, because the Bible says so. Now, perhaps the author would not argue against supplementing these arguments with some evidences for the authenticity of Scripture, but I would like to see this camp utilizing many of the proofs out there that God has given us in addition to the presuppositional methodology.
I must clarify that I recognize that Pratt does spend 3 chapters using such proofs such as the “evidence from Scripture” and the “evidence from the external world,” it always is a knee-jerk formula to make the person not trust in his own independence, but the Bible. Of course I think this is great, but does this really bear fruit? If we want to be the most biblical, why argue with them at all about their atheistic commitments and just preach the gospel to them, leaving the job up to the Lord to save or reject? I am speaking somewhat tongue in cheek, since I do believe that God uses good arguments to save sinners, but I think this going round and around with the unbeliever about commitments might not make any headway with a person who does not care about truth in the first place.
All in all, I thought it was a good book for explaining the complex system of presuppositional apologetics. His arguments are sound, straightforward and helpful.
Pratt continues building on the foundation of creation and the fall, in an effective manner, showing the unbeliever’s worldview as one that is not a neutral position. Since the Scripture is the believer’s guide in all things pertaining to life and godliness, it also explains to us as Christians what we are up against with unbelievers. Since no one seeks after God, but all suppress the truth in unrighteousness, the unbeliever is not a clean slate when it comes to thoughts about God. Armed with this truth, the Christian can proceed to dismantle the logic of the unbeliever by exposing his worldview as illogical and self-refuting.
While I do very much appreciate this approach, and plan on using it in the future, there is still the problem of offensive apologetics which is normally lacking in the presuppositional camp. Pratt attempts to fix this, working towards explaining different ways this can be done, but overall I still think it fails. It is one thing to say that all positions are going to be circular in some form—that is easy to agree with. However, it seems that using this method by continually bringing the unbeliever back to his need to trust the Bible and not his independent thinking, begs the question in some sense. Why should he trust in the Bible, because the Bible says so. Now, perhaps the author would not argue against supplementing these arguments with some evidences for the authenticity of Scripture, but I would like to see this camp utilizing many of the proofs out there that God has given us in addition to the presuppositional methodology.
I must clarify that I recognize that Pratt does spend 3 chapters using such proofs such as the “evidence from Scripture” and the “evidence from the external world,” it always is a knee-jerk formula to make the person not trust in his own independence, but the Bible. Of course I think this is great, but does this really bear fruit? If we want to be the most biblical, why argue with them at all about their atheistic commitments and just preach the gospel to them, leaving the job up to the Lord to save or reject? I am speaking somewhat tongue in cheek, since I do believe that God uses good arguments to save sinners, but I think this going round and around with the unbeliever about commitments might not make any headway with a person who does not care about truth in the first place.
All in all, I thought it was a good book for explaining the complex system of presuppositional apologetics. His arguments are sound, straightforward and helpful.
December 4, 2014
I read this book for a discussion-based apologetics class, so disclaimer: our discussions about it may have influenced my opinion of the book. I did not like this book. The writing style was disorganized at some points, and too organized at parts where I thought the topic was too complex for lists and basic outlines. I did not really understand what Pratt was trying to get across until I read the epilogue, which was written in parable form. This was much more helpful than the lists and confusing chapters leading up to it. But the thing I disliked most about the book was the undertone of manipulation I felt throughout the entire book. I felt like Pratt was trying to teach me how to manipulate people into Christianity. Christians should never act that way. You should never become friends with someone just so you can convert them--friendship has no agenda. And in any conversation about Christianity, the believer should never be trying to win; rather, they should authentically and sincerely explain what they believe out of love for the other person. Christians also need to pay attention to other people's concerns about Christianity and make sure they fully understand them, instead of classing arguments and having blanket counter-arguments that come from books that they don't really understand to throw into the conversation whenever the topic arises. A Christian needs to actually understand evolution before he can make arguments about it.
June 13, 2024
This book was good for what it was: a popular level and practical presentation of presuppositional apologetics. I got through it rather quickly on vacation to prep for a deeper read of Van Til in the future.
The first half of the book was my favorite, although there was a bit of straw-manning of classical apologetics that wasn’t great. I also think the later half of the book got very repetitive and highlighted how essentially no matter what the topic of debate is, presuppositional apologetics argues by showing that an unbeliever is committed to independent thought but can never have enough information to prove or disprove Christian claims. So in a sense it is easier to apply than classical apologetics, however, I think it does better at arguing negatively against unbelievers than positively for Christian truth. But I’ll read more on both sides before I firm up that conclusion.
In the meantime, if you are interested in presuppositional apologetics and don’t have time to read volumes by seminary professors, in less that 150 pages “Every Thought Captive” will give you “the lay of the land” so to speak.
The first half of the book was my favorite, although there was a bit of straw-manning of classical apologetics that wasn’t great. I also think the later half of the book got very repetitive and highlighted how essentially no matter what the topic of debate is, presuppositional apologetics argues by showing that an unbeliever is committed to independent thought but can never have enough information to prove or disprove Christian claims. So in a sense it is easier to apply than classical apologetics, however, I think it does better at arguing negatively against unbelievers than positively for Christian truth. But I’ll read more on both sides before I firm up that conclusion.
In the meantime, if you are interested in presuppositional apologetics and don’t have time to read volumes by seminary professors, in less that 150 pages “Every Thought Captive” will give you “the lay of the land” so to speak.
July 17, 2020
Excellent and down to earth introduction to presuppositional apologetics. Highlights the difference between believing and unbelieving worldviews and especially the commitment of dependence for the Christian as well as the commitment to independence for the non-Christian on God. Pratt provides a good framework for the application of Proverbs 26:4-5. The first is argument by truth and then the argument by folly.
I found the answers to objections in the last few chapters a little bit simple and shallow, other than that, it was an excellent book.
I found the answers to objections in the last few chapters a little bit simple and shallow, other than that, it was an excellent book.
September 27, 2020
Strengths? The first few chapters are good introduction to what presuppositional apologetics is. I like his discussion of proper attitudes and actions to emulate whenever you are dealing with someone about defending the faith. There is an excellent chapter on the structure of a biblical defense.
Weaknesses? The illustrations/figures are not helpful. The last chapter—an apologetic parable—is a bit of a letdown due to caricatures. It needs refinement.
Weaknesses? The illustrations/figures are not helpful. The last chapter—an apologetic parable—is a bit of a letdown due to caricatures. It needs refinement.
October 10, 2021
This is a very accessibly written book on not only the theory but also the practice of presuppositional apologetics.
Here, Richard hinges on the fact that unbelievers are inconsistent in their certainty and uncertainty, and exploits that for his apologetic to show positively why the Christian faith should be believed and negatively why unbelievers have no reason for their unbelief.
Here, Richard hinges on the fact that unbelievers are inconsistent in their certainty and uncertainty, and exploits that for his apologetic to show positively why the Christian faith should be believed and negatively why unbelievers have no reason for their unbelief.
March 28, 2018
Good lay-level explanation of the theology behind the reformed apologetic. But poor demonstration of it, at least until the last chapter. Other books do much better in demonstrating how the theology of this approach should be put into practice. I'm in between 3 and 4 stars. Say 3.5 but list 4.
March 25, 2019
First chapters usefully set out the basics of presuppositional thing - of which I am a great fan.
But the closing sections on how it works in practice are hugely disappointing and largely unhelpful.
But the closing sections on how it works in practice are hugely disappointing and largely unhelpful.
July 21, 2020
Very good book, and very helpful. Thoughtfully explains a biblical approach to apologetics in a down time earth way. The writing style can be a bit dry because of it’s outline form; but outline form is a plus if the book is being used in a small group or teaching setting. Highly recommended.
June 2, 2024
Indeed a very concise intro book. Setting up the presuppositional framework but you need to fill in those details by reading and thinking a lot to defend your faith. The language could be more accessible to lay people like me.
May 24, 2020
Good, basic introduction to and overview of biblical apologetics.
June 4, 2023
Great resource.
June 1, 2024
If I was given this in my youth group I would’ve given up apologetics.
November 7, 2024
A good practical approach to defending our faith in Christ.
Plus Mr. Hinkley's great teaching on apologetics makes the book all the more better.
Plus Mr. Hinkley's great teaching on apologetics makes the book all the more better.
October 11, 2022
Good information- the author needs some new illustrations/pictures though
June 13, 2023
Writing style really wasn’t for me.
Maybe I’ll return to it someday. It does have food content though.
Maybe I’ll return to it someday. It does have food content though.
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July 23, 2011This book was written by Richard Pratt, the Old Testament professor out at Reformed Theological Seminary. Quite the well rounded professor, he wrote this work when he was much younger, for the purpose of training young Christians (high school age) in the defense of the Faith from a Van Tillian perspective. I appreciated Pratt's effort of communicating Van Til's school of apologetics in non-technical language. The thirteen lessons are perfect for sunday school material, and each lesson ends with several discussion questions. The book also has various drawings as visual aids, a plus for those who learn visually. The book also manage to critique popular non-Presuppositional apologetics in lesson nine, where Pratt provided a general yet gracious critique of Paul E. Little's popular, "Why I Believe". But the gist of the book was positive construction of the framework to engage in apologetics. The core of his apologetics methodology applied is found in lesson 11-13, and much of his attention is on the certainty-uncertainty dialectic found in the autonomous (what Pratt calls 'independent') man. The book close with an illustration of a hypothethical scenario of apologetics applied.
June 30, 2009
This is a great book on presuppositional apologetics. Probably the second best book available on defending the faith from a Biblically consistent approach that the lay young-adult learner would benefit from (I'd have to say Always Ready is better - at least for those in their 20s and up).
While this book was written for high-schoolers, I think everyone would benefit greatly from reading it. It illustrates well how to defend the faith without departing from the foundation of the faith, and yet is very readable. One of the most engaging aspects of presuppositional apologetics is recorded in the following: "Christians must always remember when defending the faith that human reason is never to be treated as the ultimate or final authority" (p. 70).
Probably the best practical outline of how presuppositional apologetics works that I've ever seen is at the end of this book, in Lesson 14: An Apologetic Parable. I would say the book is worth the price from that chapter alone.
All together the book is 142 pages and worth every one of them. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know how to defend the faith as a Christian should.
While this book was written for high-schoolers, I think everyone would benefit greatly from reading it. It illustrates well how to defend the faith without departing from the foundation of the faith, and yet is very readable. One of the most engaging aspects of presuppositional apologetics is recorded in the following: "Christians must always remember when defending the faith that human reason is never to be treated as the ultimate or final authority" (p. 70).
Probably the best practical outline of how presuppositional apologetics works that I've ever seen is at the end of this book, in Lesson 14: An Apologetic Parable. I would say the book is worth the price from that chapter alone.
All together the book is 142 pages and worth every one of them. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know how to defend the faith as a Christian should.
January 5, 2013
I've always thought that Van Tillian apologetics was just circular logic and I could never quite get a handle on its popularity. This book was said to explain it in "down-to-earth language" and "to help ordinary people engage in apologetics along the lines of Van Til's approach", and it did just that -- it helped me better understand this form of apologetics, and I can understand now why it is so popular.
However, even though the author directly addresses the circular logic problem, I still have issues with it, and don't believe that it would be effective in confronting non-Christians. I do agree with the basic problem in apologetics that Van Til identifies (that of authority), but I'm not (yet) satisfied that this is the way to address that problem.
However, even though the author directly addresses the circular logic problem, I still have issues with it, and don't believe that it would be effective in confronting non-Christians. I do agree with the basic problem in apologetics that Van Til identifies (that of authority), but I'm not (yet) satisfied that this is the way to address that problem.
December 4, 2014
This book frustrated me to no end! I could tell that Pratt really did try to provide solid arguments, but in the end, his writing style confused me and left me with questions, not answers. After much discussion, I was able to find some truth in what he wrote, but if I were a non-believer, I would feel very put-off from Christianity, and in this way I feel that Pratt did a disservice to his readers. His words and diagrams are confusing and many of his arguments are repetitive and unfinished, so I would not count this as a helpful apologetics book.
April 21, 2014
A primer on presuppositional apologetics but still not easy despite its claim to be written for "High school students"! Could have done with more of the application method included in the final chapter. I'm certainly attracted to presupp apologetics but it needs a lot of work to get your head aroundt it. Must watch Sie Ten Bruggencate on Youtube again. Atheists can't cope with him so they dismiss him as a prat and a loony without ever dealing adequately with the arguments.
February 19, 2023
A good, basic, general introduction into apologetics. Though it stems from a presuppositional apologetic, I don't hold that against it. Starting with the condition of man, his creaturely nature, and moving towards a renewed nature, it is helpful to trace the different apologetic needed at each step. With end chapter discussion questions, this would be good material for a highschool or college study guide.
January 19, 2024
This is some of Pratt's early work, which is not his best work. I've found that he seems to have peaked around 2013. This book was somewhat on the elementary side, appearing to be directed toward High School Students, but seemingly unrealistic even in its applications for today. Teens and young adults don't behave or think the same way today as they did in the 1970s when this was first published. I'm an admirer of Pratt's work generally, but this book was a bit of a disappointment.
November 12, 2012
A good refresher if you have been offer worldview apologetics before, but might be rusty. I would not recommend this book to someone who is brand new to the idea of worldview apologetics. Pratt summarizes much and doesn't give lots of detail, assuming the reader can make some logical progressions on his own. Not an ideal teaching scenario for a new apologist.
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