Biblical Logic in Theory and Practice: Refuting the Fallacies of Humanism, Darwinism, Atheism, and Just Plain Stupidity

by Joel McDurmon

Publisher:

American Vision

, 2011

Overview

In the so-called marketplace of ideas, Christians face countless attacks on and challenges to their faith, many of which engage in subversive rhetoric and logic in order to undermine the whole counsel of God. Whether coming from skeptics, atheist, leftists, cults, or even other Christians, poor logic and dubious reasoning deserve exposure and correction. In his new book, Biblical Logic, Joel McDurmon returns to God’s Word to recover logic and critical thinking from the hands of the enemy, and to expose the fallacies of unbelief and unbiblical ideas.

But is the Bible really the place to turn for logic? Is not logic the domain of scholars and philosophers?

Long ago, the British philosopher John Locke answered this common misconception: God has not been so sparing to men to make them barely two-legged creatures, and left it to Aristotle to make them rational. In other words, logic existed and people reasoned and used the critical faculties of their minds long before any philosopher came along to teach about it. God created logic and reasoning as he created man, and he created it for man, and therefore we should find it reasonable that God’s Word has something to say—if not a lot to say—about logic, rationality, and good judgment.

Christ has made us priests and kings (Revelation 1:6). He has determined that his saints shall judge the world, and even judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:23), and he has thoroughly equipped us to perform these tasks. God’s Word sets the standard of reasoning and law by which we shall judge, and the Bible teaches us this standard—a standard we must follow and to which we ourselves must give account. Biblical Logic returns to God’s Word to find that standard, and to recover the God-given directives for faithful logic and critical thinking. By this standard, and by this example, God’s saints (you) can indeed discern and judge the world as God has commanded.

Since Biblical Logic in Theory & Practice is fully integrated with Logos, Scripture passages are linked to your favorite translation for quick reference and to your Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts for original-language study! You can also read this volume along with your Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the wealth of other Bible study tools in your digital library.

Key Features

• Brief introduction to five crucial perspectives on truth and critical thinking
• Fallacies of unbelief and unbiblical ideas exposed
• God-given directives for faithful logic recovered

Contents

Top Highlights

“Memorize these points—God (worldview), Man (representation), Law (Boundaries), Consequences (relevance), and Future (time)—and you will have a handy system in which to evaluate the truth and falsity of nearly every possible argument out there. Part 1 presents positively the Biblical view of logic. Then, with that doctrine in place, Part 2 examines and discerns fallacies in dozens of ways.” (Page 16)

“The proper understanding of human thinking and reasoning, then, must begin with a proper understanding of creation, and therefore of the Creator. In other words, the proper understanding of logic requires a proper understanding of theology.” (Page 21)

“Paul warns those who seek to base knowledge on anything other than God’s revelation in Christ: See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ … in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:8, 3). Paul does not here condemn philosophy (and thus the study of logic) in general, but rather philosophy according to the tradition of men … rather than according to Christ. Christ is the only guarantor of truth and wisdom, For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority (Col. 2:9–10).” (Pages 24–25)

“Putting logic within the framework of God’s covenant forces us to recognize that 1) human reason does not operate autonomously, 2) human reason must reckon with human nature, other people, and the rest of creation, 3) logical laws exist, and people break them in many ways, 4) good logic must lead to necessary and relevant conclusions (truth has consequences), and 5) time can pose certain obstacles to discerning truth. The failures of human reason that we call ‘fallacies’ also fall within these five main points, and represent distinct failures in each area.” (Page 16)

Product Details

• Title: Biblical Logic in Theory & Practice: Refuting the Fallacies of Humanism, Darwinism, Atheism, and Just Plain Stupidity
• Author: Joel McDurmon
• Publisher: American Vision
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 404

About Joel McDurmon

Joel McDurmon (MDiv, Reformed Episcopal Theological Seminary) is the director of research for American Vision. He is the author of Manifested in the Flesh: How the Historical Evidence of Jesus Refutes Modern Mystics and Skeptics, The Return of the Village Atheist, and Zeitgeist Refuted: Is Jesus an Astrological Myth? He also serves as a lecturer and regular contributor to the American Vision website, joining their staff in June of 2008.