Van Til and the Foundation of Christian Ethics: A God-Centered Approach to Moral Philosophy

by Scott J. Hatch

Unveiling the often-overlooked significance of Cornelius Van Til in the realm of Reformed ethics, this work draws light upon his unique moral philosophy. Grounded in the covenantal epistemology and metaphysics typically employed for apologetics, Van Til masterfully harmonized his insights with those of Geerhardus Vos’ biblical theology. In contrast to many ethicists who concentrate on formulating and applying principles, Van Til focused his attention on the Christian’s greatest good (summum bonum), which is God himself. His dedication to exploring the ethical implications of this divine starting point produced a standard of God-centeredness in moral philosophy that remains distinctive among Reformed thinkers, setting him apart even from his students, such as Greg Bahnsen, John Frame, and Meredith Kline, who have also contributed substantially to Reformed ethics. Amidst the rise of moral relativism in the mid-twentieth century, Van Til’s stance was steadfast. This book, which includes a new critical edition of Van Til’s Christian Theistic Ethics, reveals how, against the backdrop of this challenging era, he not only successfully defended Christian ethical foundations but also holistically integrated ethics with the rest of Christian theology, reinforcing its relevance and import.

275 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2023

Reviews

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

His treatment of Van Til is excellent. In that sense it’s a good intro to some of Van Til’s work which is less often talked about and maybe a little difficult to read.

On the other hand, there are two main issues I have. First, the focus of the book is on the foundation of Christian ethics. But when he goes to compare Van Til to others he doesn’t really focus on how they saw the foundation of ethics. This is particularly glaring in his treatment of Bahnsen, whom he suggests divorces the law from the character of God. Whatever the merits of Bahnsen’s ethics, I don’t think that is a fair analysis of his view. In fact, Bahnsen’s argument for the continuing relevance of the Mosaic Law is based in the unchanging character of God.

Second, everything Hatch says about Aquinas can be ignored. He relies exclusively on secondary sources (Aquinas is never directly cited in the book), and those sources in turn are highly critical of Aquinas (eg., Scott Oliphint, whose work on Aquinas has been thoroughly critiqued by Richard Muller).