The result is both an affirmation and a critique of the restorationist apologetic of Campbell. The synthesis is then held up for comparison and contrast with relevant elements of the introduction to Alexander Campbell’s Christian System. Elements of this practical presuppositionalism are identified, qualified, placed in parallel, and synthesized. The practical presuppositionalism explored here is derived from Voddie Baucham’s Expository Apologetics, framed against Cornelius Van Til’s My Credo, with definition and context provided by John Frame’s Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of his Thought. This thesis offers an introductory exploration of the common ground and the challenge.

Campbellites and other evangelicals have available common ground in practical presuppositionalism, but practical presuppositionalism also challenges Campbellites who may take up its philosophy and method of apologetics. For Campbellite Christians who hold to evangelical confession and identity, the biblical confessions and commitments inherent to presuppositional apologetics represent both an opportunity and a challenge. Presuppositional apologetics has emerged in the last century as a singular yet complex answer to modern and postmodern attacks on the gospel. It is my hope to revive a forgotten aspect of Confessions which is quite pertinent to the Church today. It is important to realize that the apologetic nature of Confessions does not detract from its other natures (autobiographical and religious-experiential) since objects, ideas and persons can have more than one nature – as is true with case of Christ and a number line. Although studies in recent years have focused on the autobiographical and religious experiential dimensions of Confessions, this paper seeks to demonstrate that the apologetic dimension is also foundational to Augustine's text. His negative apologetic elements include dealing with detractors from the Christian faith such as the Manichees and their objections. Some positive apologetic elements include Augustine's presentation of the implied ontological argument, the cosmological argument, the teleological argument, the argument from the experience of beauty, the demonstration of the coherence of the Christian conception of God (including his explorations with time and creation). Both positive and negative apologetic elements are examined throughout the paper. It first takes a brief look at Augustine's intricate view between the relationship of faith and reason, in order to provide a background to his employment of apologetic elements throughout Confessions. This paper explores the apologetic nature of Augustine's Confessions.

On guard defending your faith