---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til…"
description: "\"“As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til fought diligently to purge the Reformed tradition from the remnants of scholasticism that remained in the thought..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg"
---

#  As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til fought diligently to…

![“As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til fought diligently to purge the Reformed tradition from the remnants of scholasticism that remained in the thought of Old Princeton, Kuyper, and Bavinck. In light of that purging, presently it seems that those Van Tilians influenced by Frame are unsatisfied with…” quote by William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg)

> ““As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til fought diligently to purge the Reformed tradition from the remnants of scholasticism that remained in the thought of Old Princeton, Kuyper, and Bavinck. In light of that purging, presently it seems that those Van Tilians influenced by Frame are unsatisfied with Van Til’s view that the sole Archimedean point of a Christian epistemology is the ontological and economic Trinity. Henceforth, these Van Tilians are beginning to supplement the ground of epistemology with something within the creation. As I see it, Frame has been the catalyst for this movement; he is the transitional figure. In this context, I predict that there will be a renewed appreciation for Aquinas and scholasticism, even among Van Tilians.””

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Van Til sought to remove scholastic remnants from Reformed theology, but newer Van Tilians, influenced by Frame, are re‑introducing creation‑based epistemology, prompting a revival of Aquinas and scholastic thought.

**In simple terms:** Van Til removed scholasticism; newer scholars re‑add creation‑based ideas, reviving Aquinas.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the value of both tradition and new insight.

Themes

theology philosophy history of ideas epistemology

Mood

reflective analytical hopeful

Type

theoretical historical critical

When to use this quote

- seminar discussions
- academic research
- church teaching
- personal study

Key Concepts

Reformed tradition scholasticism creation Trinitarian epistemology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance historic doctrine with contemporary insights?
- What benefits arise from revisiting Aquinas?

A Different Perspective

Some may argue that re‑introducing scholasticism risks diluting Reformed distinctives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aquinas Scholasticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aquinas-scholasticism-4888098/) [Remnants Scholasticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remnants-scholasticism-4888097/) [Scholasticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholasticism/) [Scholasticism Remained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholasticism-remained-4888099/) [Scholasticism Van](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholasticism-van-4888096/)

## Related quotes

> [...mysticism and empiricism go together in opposition to scholasticism...they base themselves on the non-linear world of experience rather than the linear world of letters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/mysticism-and-empiricism-go-together-in-opposition-to-scholasticism/)

[Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/)

> [Theology is in disrepute among most Western intellectuals. The word is taken to mean a passe form of religious thinking that embraces irrationality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/theology-is-in-disrepute-among-most-western-intellectuals-the-word-is/)

[Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/)

> [Behind the epistemological scholasticism of empirio-criticism one must not fail to see the struggle of parties in philosophy, a struggle which in the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/behind-the-epistemological-scholasticism-of-empirio-criticism-one/)

[Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/)

> [I was trained as a political scientist and the profession bores me, to be frank. I am truly bored by mainstream work in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-scott/i-was-trained-as-a-political-scientist-and-the-profession-bores-me-to/)

[James C. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-scott/)

> [“Despite scholasticism or skepticism, skepticism is the confirmation and proof of existence. It follows that if we affirm and confirm the existence, we must,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/despite-scholasticism-or-skepticism-skepticism-is-the-confirmation/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [“The chief danger to our philosophy, apart from laziness and woolliness, is scholasticism, the essence of which is treating what is vague as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-chief-danger-to-our-philosophy-apart-from-laziness-and-woolliness-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Equality assertion of all cultures is disrespectful against human achievements. It is absurdity that the philosophy which got tangled at the level of scholasticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/equality-assertion-of-all-cultures-is-disrespectful-against-human/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [Scholasticism, a concept which does not bear criticism, is a theological concept specifically designed to sustain faith in the immortality of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-unamuno/scholasticism-a-concept-which-does-not-bear-criticism-is-a/)

[Miguel de Unamuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-unamuno/)

> [One must have a large dose of humanity, a large dose of a sense of justice and truth in order to avoid dogmatic extremes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/one-must-have-a-large-dose-of-humanity-a-large-dose-of-a-sense-of/)

[Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/)

> [“The rising influence of lay piety is particularly marked upon the Mariological controversies of the late medieval period. Two rival positions developed: the maculist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/the-rising-influence-of-lay-piety-is-particularly-marked-upon-the/)

[Alister E. McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alister-e-mcgrath/)

> [“The dangers of sophistry and scholasticism are present in the possibility of philosophy itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-neiman/the-dangers-of-sophistry-and-scholasticism-are-present-in-the/)

[Susan Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-neiman/)

> [“The chief danger to our philosophy, apart from laziness and woolliness, is scholasticism, . . . which is treating what is vague as if it were precise…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-p-ramsey/the-chief-danger-to-our-philosophy-apart-from-laziness-and-woolliness/)

[F. P. Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-p-ramsey/)

> [In Bach there is still too much crude Christianity, crude Germanism, crude scholasticism; he stands on the threshold of European (modern) music, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-bach-there-is-still-too-much-crude-christianity-crude-germanism/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [One of the characteristics of the university is that it is made up of professors who train professors, or professionals training professionals. Education was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/one-of-the-characteristics-of-the-university-is-that-it-is-made-up-of/)

[Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/)

## More by William D. Dennison

> [“The transcendental critique reveals the deep roots of sin in the heart of man, and it demands the purity of biblical truth in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/the-transcendental-critique-reveals-the-deep-roots-of-sin-in-the/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“history is not an autonomous or complementary category of epistemology. Rather, Van Til held that an ontological knowledge of God is given to mankind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/history-is-not-an-autonomous-or-complementary-category-of/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“For a church that proclaims the truth of the gospel, and for the believer who loves Christ, apologetics is not only the defending of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/for-a-church-that-proclaims-the-truth-of-the-gospel-and-for-the/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“despite Frame’s ability to view the holistic character of Van Til’s thought, his preoccupation with linguistic and conceptual units, especially in the context of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/despite-frame-s-ability-to-view-the-holistic-character-of-van-til-s/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“After the Christian apologist has uncovered the central presupposition of his opponent, he is in a position to move on to the next step:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/after-the-christian-apologist-has-uncovered-the-central/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“Following Vos, Van Til places epistemology where it truly belongs, within the eschatological status of history: either one is a member of the kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/following-vos-van-til-places-epistemology-where-it-truly-belongs/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“Van Til, Steen’s beloved teacher, claimed, however, that only the Reformed tradition can provide the rightful context for the subject of common grace. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/van-til-steen-s-beloved-teacher-claimed-however-that-only-the/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“Thereby, Van Til believed that one must view the facts of the universe in union with their Creator to view them rightly. In other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/thereby-van-til-believed-that-one-must-view-the-facts-of-the-universe/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“in my judgment, Frame, akin to Aquinas, is viewing the Christian story in accord with the logical construction and the empirical experience of language.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/in-my-judgment-frame-akin-to-aquinas-is-viewing-the-christian-story/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“Although Kuyper, Bavinck, and Hepp attempted to distance themselves from scholasticism and classicism, nevertheless, Van Til believed that they never overcame abstraction. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/although-kuyper-bavinck-and-hepp-attempted-to-distance-themselves/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

> [“Contrary to what many think, the basis for Van Til’s transcendental critique is not obscure or theoretical. His critique of human thought merely employs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/contrary-to-what-many-think-the-basis-for-van-til-s-transcendental/)

[William D. Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

[Explore all 12 William D. Dennison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/)

## More Scholasticism quotes

> [...mysticism and empiricism go together in opposition to scholasticism...they base themselves on the non-linear world of experience rather than the linear world of letters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/mysticism-and-empiricism-go-together-in-opposition-to-scholasticism/)

[Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/)

> [In Bach there is still too much crude Christianity, crude Germanism, crude scholasticism; he stands on the threshold of European (modern) music, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-bach-there-is-still-too-much-crude-christianity-crude-germanism/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [“The chief danger to our philosophy, apart from laziness and woolliness, is scholasticism, . . . which is treating what is vague as if it were precise…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-p-ramsey/the-chief-danger-to-our-philosophy-apart-from-laziness-and-woolliness/)

[F. P. Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-p-ramsey/)

> [“The dangers of sophistry and scholasticism are present in the possibility of philosophy itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-neiman/the-dangers-of-sophistry-and-scholasticism-are-present-in-the/)

[Susan Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-neiman/)

> [“The rising influence of lay piety is particularly marked upon the Mariological controversies of the late medieval period. Two rival positions developed: the maculist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/the-rising-influence-of-lay-piety-is-particularly-marked-upon-the/)

[Alister E. McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alister-e-mcgrath/)

> [One must have a large dose of humanity, a large dose of a sense of justice and truth in order to avoid dogmatic extremes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/one-must-have-a-large-dose-of-humanity-a-large-dose-of-a-sense-of/)

[Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/)

> [Scholasticism, a concept which does not bear criticism, is a theological concept specifically designed to sustain faith in the immortality of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-unamuno/scholasticism-a-concept-which-does-not-bear-criticism-is-a/)

[Miguel de Unamuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-unamuno/)

> [Equality assertion of all cultures is disrespectful against human achievements. It is absurdity that the philosophy which got tangled at the level of scholasticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/equality-assertion-of-all-cultures-is-disrespectful-against-human/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [“The chief danger to our philosophy, apart from laziness and woolliness, is scholasticism, the essence of which is treating what is vague as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-chief-danger-to-our-philosophy-apart-from-laziness-and-woolliness-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Despite scholasticism or skepticism, skepticism is the confirmation and proof of existence. It follows that if we affirm and confirm the existence, we must,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/despite-scholasticism-or-skepticism-skepticism-is-the-confirmation/)

[Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/)

> [I was trained as a political scientist and the profession bores me, to be frank. I am truly bored by mainstream work in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-scott/i-was-trained-as-a-political-scientist-and-the-profession-bores-me-to/)

[James C. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-scott/)

> [Behind the epistemological scholasticism of empirio-criticism one must not fail to see the struggle of parties in philosophy, a struggle which in the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/behind-the-epistemological-scholasticism-of-empirio-criticism-one/)

[Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/)

> [Theology is in disrepute among most Western intellectuals. The word is taken to mean a passe form of religious thinking that embraces irrationality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/theology-is-in-disrepute-among-most-western-intellectuals-the-word-is/)

[Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/)

> [One of the characteristics of the university is that it is made up of professors who train professors, or professionals training professionals. Education was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/one-of-the-characteristics-of-the-university-is-that-it-is-made-up-of/)

[Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/)

[Browse all 15 Scholasticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholasticism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til fought diligently to purge the Reformed tradition from the remnants of scholasticism that remained in the thought of Old Princeton, Kuyper, and Bavinck. In light of that purging, presently it seems that those Van Tilians influenced by Frame are unsatisfied with Van Til’s view that the sole Archimedean point of a Christian epistemology is the ontological and economic Trinity. Henceforth, these Van Tilians are beginning to supplement the ground of epistemology with something within the creation. As I see it, Frame has been the catalyst for this movement; he is the transitional figure. In this context, I predict that there will be a renewed appreciation for Aquinas and scholasticism, even among Van Tilians.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William D. Dennison"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-fought-diligently-to-purge-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Scholasticism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-fought-diligently-to-purge-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/william-d-dennison-37790_quote_as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-foug_2209790.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As most Van Tilians realize, Van Til fought diligently to purge the Reformed tradition from the remnants of…” — William D. Dennison",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William D. Dennison",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-d-dennison/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“As most Van Tilians realize, Van...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-fought-diligently-to-purge-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/as-most-van-tilians-realize-van-til-fought-diligently-to-purge-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
