Cornelius Van Til's Doctrine of God and Its Relevance for Contemporary Hermeneutics

Book excerpt: Cornelius Van Til's Doctrine of God and Its Relevance for Contemporary Hermeneutics seeks to answer the question, ""What does Van Til have to do with hermeneutics?"" It is argued that some of the most relevant concerns in the field of contemporary hermeneutics are similar to those addressed by Van Til in the area of apologetics. Van Til's approach involved a self-conscious consistency between method and theology proper in order to reason according to the Christian worldview found in Scripture. Just as one's apologetic method should be consistent with the theology revealed in the Bible, so also should one's hermeneutic. This work not only argues that Van Til has an important place in the hermeneutical discussion, but also demonstrates his place in terms of the main contours in his doctrine of God. In doing so, certain influences on evangelical hermeneutics are considered according to consistency with theology proper. Lastly, a Van Tillian hermeneutic is applied to the often-debated issue concerning the New Testament use of the Old Testament.