69 good and acceptable and perfect.” Renewing the mind is a critical element of what it means to be a Christian intellectual. In the field of history, we start with the presupposition that God exists. Some might critique us and say that our system of thought is weak because it is based on a circular system of reasoning. The reality is that all systems of thought start with presuppositions. As such, any of them could be critiqued as being circular. Our system of thought must have some grounding. Either we start with God, or we start with man. If we start with God, then mankind has meaning and the highest source of knowledge is God’s revelation. If we start with man, then mankind is the product of chance and the highest source of knowledge is reason. The atheist can deride, demanding that the Christian prove that God exists. The Christian can respond in kind, demanding that the atheist prove that He does not. The reality is that neither can “prove” the existence or lack of existence of God. There is plenty of evidence for the existence of God found in His creation, His revelation, and the experience of His church, but His existence is not predicated on that evidence. We know He exists by faith. We know who He is through His Word, which we embrace by faith. The atheist uses a similar faith basis for rejecting His existence and His Word. In his case, the faith is placed in the lack of any truth beyond what the human mind can rationalize. Does that mean that the two systems of thought are equal since they are both circular in their reasoning (one harkens back to a self-authenticating God and the other to a self-authenticating man)? No! Unlike our politically correct society, Cedarville University stands on the authority of the Word as the highest source of knowledge. Surely if God exists, then His Word should be the highest authority. The Christian worldview, grounded in biblical principle, is the only true worldview. It is true because its foundation is true. Our faith is in the true and living God. The atheist’s is in fallible man. As Tison also noted, the irony is that fallen man, whether he recognizes it or not, can only think because of the existence of God. So, he must adopt the assumptions of Christianity implicitly to make his system work at all. God provided the necessary framework for man to think. As Abraham Kuyper emphasized, there is no element of creation over which Christ does not claim ownership. Once we embrace the notion of God’s existence, something taught by creation and the innate desire of man for meaning, we have to accept the idea that He communicated with mankind through His Word. His creation gave us the idea that He was there. His Word allowed us to know who He is, recognize our lost state, come to right relationship with Him, and understand why human beings have any meaning at all. God used
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