LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
What is Reformed epistemology apologetics?
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
5/2022
What is Reformed epistemology apologetics?
In theology, the term Reformed implies a connection to the Protestant Reformation,
especially the work of John Calvin. In philosophy, epistemology is the study of how we know
things. Both ideas are connected to the field of Reformed epistemology, which applies core
principles espoused by John Calvin to our assessment of religious or spiritual truths. This
approach is not identical to presuppositional apologetics, but the two are closely related. The
most notable contributors to discussions on this theory are Alvin Plantinga, Nicholas
Wolterstorff, and William Alston.
A cornerstone of Reformed epistemology is the claim that belief in God is “properly basic.”
Being “properly basic” means something is reasonable, necessary, and ultimately needs no
prior proof. It can be assumed from the start and to some extent is even required for other
thoughts to make sense. This implies that the existence of God is an assumption at the same
logical level as that of our own existence, the validity of logic, and so forth.
The idea that God’s existence is properly basic is related to Calvin’s concept of the sensus
divinitatis: the claim that all people have some innate perception of God. So far as Reformed
epistemology is concerned, belief in God is considered justified—acceptable or reasonable—
without resort to any particular argument or evidence.
As one can imagine, this is a controversial claim, with debates on the subject occurring both
within and across religious perspectives. A common criticism of this stance is that it amounts to
fideism: a choice to believe “just because, no matter what.” However, Reformed epistemology
qualifies acceptance of even properly basic beliefs as needing to be defended against
reasonable objections or questions.
A primary application of Reformed epistemology apologetics is the suggestion that justified
knowledge comes from human intellectual abilities that are functioning according to their
intended design. This, of course, implies there is some intended design, which is derived from a
theistic God.
Reformed epistemology differs from presuppositional thinking in subtle ways. Typical
presuppositionalism interprets the sensus divinitatis as a literal “awareness” of God: that all
people intrinsically know God exists. Reformed epistemology sees the sensus divinitatis more as
a tendency or capacity than as a point of cognitive awareness. Presuppositional apologetics
embraces the idea that all logical arguments are eventually circular; therefore, there can be no
real “common ground” between the believer and non-believer. Reformed epistemology takes a
less strident view of that divide. Likewise, presuppositional views imply that rational discussion
is ultimately impossible without theistic assumptions, another area in which Reformed
epistemology takes a less-firm stance.
There are also differences between Reformed epistemology and schemes such as
foundationalism. Rather than suggesting that cornerstone beliefs need to be “highly certain,”
even “self-evident,” as in classic foundationalism, Reformed epistemology allows for more
flexibility, and is therefore an example of reliabilism. Given that it accepts beliefs as justified,
even if there is no explicit evidence, Reformed epistemology is opposed to exclusively
evidentialist views of justification or apologetics.
