Brandon Whitaker > Recent Status Updates

I need to finish this book this week. I have been putting this off; I do not like this book. Pray for me.

So far he is walking an interesting line. Smith wants to argue that discipleship is not primarily a question of what we think, but rather of affection and habit -- but writing a book encouraging us to think differently about the nature of discipleship assumes the deep relevance of our understanding of discipleship.

It took me some time and effort to get on Webster's wavelength, but lots of good stuff here. I appreciate his insistence upon a grounded and relational understanding of God's holiness, and I find the discussion of holy reason a welcome reflection as I begin my studies this year.

Frame handles the subject well. He has firsthand insight into Van Til's life and thought, and he goes out of his way to be both charitable and critical as necessary. As for Van Til himself... eh. It seems that his focus on the doctrine of God as "absolute personality" is designed to subsume antinomies in non-Christian thought under the incomprehensibility of God, rather than usefully critiquing those tensions.

Frame handles the subject well. He has firsthand insight into Van Til's life and thought, and he goes out of his way to be both charitable and critical as necessary. As for Van Til himself... eh. It seems that his focus on the doctrine of God as "absolute personality" is designed to subsume antinomies in non-Christian thought under the incomprehensibility of God, rather than usefully critiquing those tensions.

Crazy that there are people who don't know how to post a general update on Goodreads? What a world we live in.

I have NEVER seen Goodreads recommend me a book that is even remotely close to my interests. And honestly? It comforts me.

This combined with the Federalist Papers has provided me with a lot more perspective on the formation of our Constitution. Very worth the time.

What a blessing it has been to dig into this story. Judson accomplishes so many monumental firsts -- first American missionary (or one of the first), first missionary to the Burmese people, first to translate the Bible into the Burmese language. The birth of a church in a nation is a beautiful thing. His conversion to the Baptist creed is also fascinating.

Characteristic of what I saw in Christian Worldview so far. Bavinck is more sympathetic toward the Western philosophical tradition than many thinkers in the Neo-Calvinist tradition -- it is interesting to read him back to back with Dooyeweerd and Vollenhoven, as he appears far less systematic.

Now I understand why it was so hard to find a clear explanation in Dooyeweerd's work -- it is given here, in Vollenhoven's Isagoge. He is a much clearer communicator, for sure.

Almost there...

Now we're getting to the good stuff. His analysis of the problem of mechanical determinism was an eye-opening demonstration of how the modal theory gets applied

Someone asked me what this book was about and I stammered for a while. "It's, uh... the nature of... theory.... and philosophy, and... it's kinda complicated." Since then, I have rehearsed an elevator pitch.

Dooyeweerd has a funny way of making it awkward that you ever liked any philosopher ever in the history of Western civilization. You like Aristotle? Apostate form-motive. Thought Leibniz was interesting? Humanistic science-ideal. Found Kant enlightening? Absolutization of the logical modal aspect. It will be a short list of thinkers who come out looking good.

The current plan is to I) read this volume, II) reread this volume, III) study up on Kant, and IV) reread this volume again

This is going to be a long project. Currently trying (and failing) to remember how I was first introduced to Dooyeweerd -- whoever first pointed me this way set me down the path of what promises to become an area of primary philosophical interest for me for years to come. Give me five years -- either I will be an expert on Dooyeweerd's thought, or I will be buried under all these books.

Whatever is said of free will and grace, this book is a fascinating study into the Protestant attitude towards tradition and certainty in doctrine. And Luther is a bull in a china shop. Fun so far.

Essential reading.