Gordon H. Clark (1902–1985)
Author of Thales to Dewey: A History of Philosophy
About the Author
Works by Gordon H. Clark
Predestination: The Combined Edition of Biblical Predestination and Predestination in the Old Testament (1969) 153 copies
Predestination in the Old Testament (An International library of philosophy and theology. Biblical and theological studies) (1978) 17 copies
William James (International library of philosophy and theology. Modern thinkers series) (1963) 16 copies
The Incarnation 2 copies
Senhor Deus da Verdade 1 copy
Em Defesa da Teologia 1 copy
Christianity and Education. 1 copy
Attitude Before God. 1 copy
The Auburn Heresy. 1 copy
Living by Faith 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Clark, Gordon Haddon
- Birthdate
- 1902-08-31
- Date of death
- 1985-04-09
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Pennsylvania (BA, French)
University of Pennsylvania (PhD, Philosophy)
Sorbonne - Occupations
- philosopher
professor
Calvinist theologian
department head - Organizations
- University of Pennsylvania
Reformed Episcopal Seminary
Wheaton College
Butler University
Covenant College
Sangre de Cristo Seminary (show all 9)
Presbyterian Church of the USA
United Presbyterian Church of North America
Evangelical Theological Society (president) - Short biography
- [excerpted from Theopedia website]
Gordon Haddon Clark (1902-1985) was a philosopher and Calvinist theologian and taught philosophy at the college level for most of his life. He was an expert in pre-Socratic and ancient philosophy and was noted for his rigor in defending Platonic realism against all forms of empiricism, in arguing that all truth is propositional, and in applying the laws of logic.
Clark graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1924 with a bachelor's degree and earned his PhD from the same institution in 1929. The following year, he did postgraduate work at the Sorbonne in Paris.
He began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania and also taught at Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia. In 1936, he accepted a professorship in philosophy at Wheaton College, where he remained until 1944, at which time he accepted a position at Butler University. In 1974, he left Butler and taught at several institutions, including Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia and Sangre de Cristo Seminary in Westcliffe, Colorado.
In 1944, Clark was ordained as a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Clark left the OPC in 1948 following what has become known as the Clark-Van Til Controversy. He first changed to the United Presbyterian Church of North America and later to the Reformed Presbyterian Church. He died in 1985 and was buried in Westcliffe, Colorado. - Nationality
- USA
- Place of death
- Westcliffe, Colorado, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Colorado, USA
Members
Reviews
O tratamento de Gordon Clark ao assunto é uma joia rara. Enquanto outros recuam e são transigentes, cedendo ponto após ponto, ele enfrenta o desafio com conhecimento e precisão. Ele mantém a defesa da natureza constante de Deus e explica todas as outras coisas por meio dela. Essa é a única abordagem correta, e resulta numa resposta que não pode ser questionada. No processo, ele interage com vários teólogos filósofos, chega a definições apropriadas para termos cruciais, e show more responde às objeções. A exposição de forma geral tão excelente que torna quase todas as outras tentativas supérfluas.
Top Highlights
“Lá, não seremos capazes de pecar. Mais uma vez, por conseguinte, a capacidade para fazer o bem ou o mal é algo que não existe, pois, embora consigamos fazer o bem, não seremos capazes de fazer o mal. Há, por conseguinte, três etapas em todo o drama humano: antes da queda, posse non pecare (é possível não pecar); no mundo porvir, non posse pecare (não é possível pecar); mas no mundo presente, non posse non pecare (não é possível não pecar). Logo, Adão foi o único homem que já teve livre-arbítrio – livre-arbítrio no sentindo usual do termo.” (Page 29)
“Não somente livre-arbítrio e permissão são irrelevantes para o problema do mal, como também, além disso, a ideia de permissão não faz sentido inteligível.” (Page 34)
“Mantendo a harmonia com a opinião comum, a expressão livre-arbítrio será usada de agora em diante para indicar a teoria de que o homem, perante cursos de ação incompatíveis, tem a capacidade de escolher tanto um como o outro.” (Page 32)
“A suposição metafísica de que ser é melhor do que não-ser, não leva à conclusão de que ser pecador é melhor do que ser pedra?” (Page 28)
“Livre-arbítrio quer dizer que não existe nenhum fator determinante operando sobre a vontade, nem mesmo Deus. Livre-arbítrio significa que qualquer uma de duas ações incompatíveis é igualmente possível. Livre agência segue de mãos dadas com a ideia de que todas as escolhas são inevitáveis. A liberdade que a Confissão de Westminster atribui à vontade é a liberdade da compulsão, da coação, ou da força de objetos inanimados; não é liberdade do poder de Deus.” (Pages 64–65) show less
Top Highlights
“Lá, não seremos capazes de pecar. Mais uma vez, por conseguinte, a capacidade para fazer o bem ou o mal é algo que não existe, pois, embora consigamos fazer o bem, não seremos capazes de fazer o mal. Há, por conseguinte, três etapas em todo o drama humano: antes da queda, posse non pecare (é possível não pecar); no mundo porvir, non posse pecare (não é possível pecar); mas no mundo presente, non posse non pecare (não é possível não pecar). Logo, Adão foi o único homem que já teve livre-arbítrio – livre-arbítrio no sentindo usual do termo.” (Page 29)
“Não somente livre-arbítrio e permissão são irrelevantes para o problema do mal, como também, além disso, a ideia de permissão não faz sentido inteligível.” (Page 34)
“Mantendo a harmonia com a opinião comum, a expressão livre-arbítrio será usada de agora em diante para indicar a teoria de que o homem, perante cursos de ação incompatíveis, tem a capacidade de escolher tanto um como o outro.” (Page 32)
“A suposição metafísica de que ser é melhor do que não-ser, não leva à conclusão de que ser pecador é melhor do que ser pedra?” (Page 28)
“Livre-arbítrio quer dizer que não existe nenhum fator determinante operando sobre a vontade, nem mesmo Deus. Livre-arbítrio significa que qualquer uma de duas ações incompatíveis é igualmente possível. Livre agência segue de mãos dadas com a ideia de que todas as escolhas são inevitáveis. A liberdade que a Confissão de Westminster atribui à vontade é a liberdade da compulsão, da coação, ou da força de objetos inanimados; não é liberdade do poder de Deus.” (Pages 64–65) show less
Many Christians avoid the subject of God and evil. It is (so they say) controversial, unedifying and embarrassing (p. 12). Yet it is a serious topic that cannot be avoided. "How can the existence of God be harmonized with the existence of evil?" (p. 9) Gordon Clark, in his logical and methodical manner, sets about to tell us just that, believing the "...system known as Calvinism and expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith..." provides the answer.
Clark first provides an historical show more exposition of the subject/problem, including proposed solutions of both secularists and religionists -- e.g. both good and evil deities, God is not omnipotent, there is no evil, etc. The author serves his readers by clearly defining his terms, a service at times not well performed by authors. Free will is "...the equal ability, under given circumstances, to choose either of two courses of action." (p. 15) "...man faced with incompatible courses of action is as able to choose any one as well as any other." Free will is not free agency (p. 31). "...free agency -- or natural liberty -- means that the will is not determined by physical or physiological factors." Choice is "...a mental act that consciously initiates and determines a further action. The ability to have chosen otherwise is an irrelevant matter and has no place in the definition." (p. 32) Whether the reader agrees with Clark on these definitions, he will know of what the author speaks when he uses a particular term.
One is easily swept along by Clark's logic. His presuppositions admitted, his conclusions are easily accepted. He leads the reader through the "Calvinistic system" to the ultimate question, "Is God the author of sin?" Mr. Clark posits that God IS NOT, though he is "...the sole ultimate cause of everything." (p. 38) God is not sinful. God is not responsible for sin. If anyone has come close to solving the problem, Clark has.
God and Evil is well-written and demands close attention and deep thinking on the part of the reader. Gordon Clark's view of God and evil is well-integrated into his "system known as Calvinism," though it seems to one could embrace Clark's conclusion without adopting Calvinistic soteriology. Whatever one believes, surely Clark is right when he writes, "...the doctrine should be fully integrated with the rest of God's revelation..." (p. 35)
At some point most every God-believer wonders, "If God is all-good and if God is all-powerful, why are sin and suffering in the world?" (p. 7) Right or wrong, this book is one of the best succinct presentations of the problem of "God and Evil". A philosophic journey on the road to understanding the relationship of God and evil should pass through this place. If your problem isn't solved, perhaps it's just begun. show less
Clark first provides an historical show more exposition of the subject/problem, including proposed solutions of both secularists and religionists -- e.g. both good and evil deities, God is not omnipotent, there is no evil, etc. The author serves his readers by clearly defining his terms, a service at times not well performed by authors. Free will is "...the equal ability, under given circumstances, to choose either of two courses of action." (p. 15) "...man faced with incompatible courses of action is as able to choose any one as well as any other." Free will is not free agency (p. 31). "...free agency -- or natural liberty -- means that the will is not determined by physical or physiological factors." Choice is "...a mental act that consciously initiates and determines a further action. The ability to have chosen otherwise is an irrelevant matter and has no place in the definition." (p. 32) Whether the reader agrees with Clark on these definitions, he will know of what the author speaks when he uses a particular term.
One is easily swept along by Clark's logic. His presuppositions admitted, his conclusions are easily accepted. He leads the reader through the "Calvinistic system" to the ultimate question, "Is God the author of sin?" Mr. Clark posits that God IS NOT, though he is "...the sole ultimate cause of everything." (p. 38) God is not sinful. God is not responsible for sin. If anyone has come close to solving the problem, Clark has.
God and Evil is well-written and demands close attention and deep thinking on the part of the reader. Gordon Clark's view of God and evil is well-integrated into his "system known as Calvinism," though it seems to one could embrace Clark's conclusion without adopting Calvinistic soteriology. Whatever one believes, surely Clark is right when he writes, "...the doctrine should be fully integrated with the rest of God's revelation..." (p. 35)
At some point most every God-believer wonders, "If God is all-good and if God is all-powerful, why are sin and suffering in the world?" (p. 7) Right or wrong, this book is one of the best succinct presentations of the problem of "God and Evil". A philosophic journey on the road to understanding the relationship of God and evil should pass through this place. If your problem isn't solved, perhaps it's just begun. show less
“Um só é o vosso Mestre, Cristo” (Mateus 23.10) Em Senhor Deus da Verdade, o filósofo e teólogo Gordon Clark examina os quatro principais problemas na filosofia empirista: sensação, causalidade, imaginação e indução. Ele conclui que o empirismo falha em resolver esses quatro problemas, ao passo que o cristianismo bíblico não somente deslinda mas impede a formação mesma dos diculdades que, aos empiristas, assomam como obstáculos intransponíveis. A segunda parte deste livro show more consiste na transcrição da obra De Magistro, escrita aproximadamente em 390 d.C. por Aurélio Agostinho, o famoso Bispo de Hipona. Neste clássico, profundamente relacionado com o argumento do dr. Clark, Agostinho discute com o seu lho Adeodato a natureza do aprendizado e do ensino. Sua conclusão é que há somente um Mestre, Cristo. Juntos, esses dois magníficos tratados ensinam em uníssono que Deus é o Deus da verdade. Ele é o Mestre da verdade, a própria verdade e o verdadeiro objeto do conhecimento. Em suma, é o Senhor Deus da verdade! O leitor tem em mãos um verdadeiro tesouro para o desenvolvimento de uma epistemologia distintamente cristã. Toma e lê! show less
At the moment, I'm actually just skimming through certain early philosophers. The Greeks fascinate me in a way that most later philosophers simply don't. Not sure why.
This book was my father's college Intro to Philosophy course book. When I was 17 and interested in attending St. John's College (which teaches via its Great Books program), he gave me this to read to see if I was ready for something like that. I never finished the book because I would get sidetracked into reading some of the show more original source materials. (Plato can be a big time sink, 'cause he's a pretty entertaining writer.)
Anyway, this book has a lot of nostalgic connections for me. Hence, my rating. I think most readers today (even those predisposed to like philosophy) would find it a bit dry. show less
This book was my father's college Intro to Philosophy course book. When I was 17 and interested in attending St. John's College (which teaches via its Great Books program), he gave me this to read to see if I was ready for something like that. I never finished the book because I would get sidetracked into reading some of the show more original source materials. (Plato can be a big time sink, 'cause he's a pretty entertaining writer.)
Anyway, this book has a lot of nostalgic connections for me. Hence, my rating. I think most readers today (even those predisposed to like philosophy) would find it a bit dry. show less
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