
Tobi England
- I have always found Frame worth my time, and this book is no exception. Here he reviews several central philosophical questions and provides Christian insight on each point. His overview of western thought in the first chapter is outstanding, as is chapter seven where he presents an overview of the Gospel. Perhaps the weakest point of this book is Frame’s attempt to address human free will. Here one finds that Van Tillian presuppositions not only determine his conclusions, but even his definitions and arguments. He begins with a defective definition of libertarian freedom that is impossible to support, then proceeds to correctly show that his definition is irrational and unbiblical. Unfortunately, this constitutes a straw-man argument. He should define libertarian in a charitable way that acknowledges the more nuanced view of Kenneth Keathley or Alvin Plantinga. Also, by suggesting that libertarian freedom denies any cause (which it does not), he explicitly affirms that God directly causes evil. He also implies a full determinism, which he fails to address. In fact, the word “determinism” appears only once in the entire book as a glossary entry. Despite its shortcomings, this book provided a helpful introduction to foundational philosophical questions and is certainly worth reading. Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.