Gordon Haddon Clark (August 31, 1902 – April 9, 1985) was an American

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

. He was a leading figure associated with presuppositional apologetics and was chairman of the Philosophy Department at

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study within six colleges in the arts, business, communic ...

for 28 years. He was an expert in

pre-Socratic Pre-Socratic philosophy, also known as early Greek philosophy, is ancient Greek philosophy before Socrates. Pre-Socratic philosophers were mostly interested in cosmology, the beginning and the substance of the universe, but the inquiries of the ...

and

ancient philosophy This page lists some links to ancient philosophy, namely philosophical thought extending as far as early post-classical history (). Overview Genuine philosophical thought, depending upon original individual insights, arose in many cultures ro ...

and was noted for defending the idea of propositional revelation against

empiricism In philosophy, empiricism is an epistemological view which holds that true knowledge or justification comes only or primarily from sensory experience and empirical evidence. It is one of several competing views within epistemology, along ...

and

rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the Epistemology, epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge", often in contrast to ot ...

, in arguing that all truth is propositional. His

theory of knowledge Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowledg ...

is sometimes called ''scripturalism''.

Biography

Clark was raised in a Christian home and studied Calvinist thought from a young age. In 1924, he graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in French and earned his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in Philosophy from the same institution in 1929. The following year he studied at the Sorbonne. He began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania after receiving his bachelor's degree and also taught at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. In 1936, he accepted a professorship in Philosophy at Wheaton College, Illinois, where he remained until 1943 when he accepted the Chairmanship of the Philosophy Department at

in Indianapolis. After his retirement from Butler in 1973, he taught at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and Sangre de Cristo Seminary in Westcliffe, Colorado. Clark's denominational affiliations would change many times. He was born into and eventually became a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. However, he would eventually leave with a small group of conservatives, led by John Gresham Machen, to help form the Presbyterian Church of America (renamed the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1938) and would be ordained in the OPC in 1944. However, in 1948, following the Clark- Van Til Controversy, he joined the United Presbyterian Church of North America. Following the UPCNA's 1956 merger with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (the same denomination from which the OPC had separated from in 1936) to form the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, Clark joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Synod in 1957. Clark was instrumental in arranging a merger between the RPCGS and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to form the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod in 1965. When the RPCES became part of the

Presbyterian Church in America The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Calvinist, Reformed in theolog ...

in 1982, Clark refused to join the PCA and instead entered the unaffiliated Covenant Presbytery in 1984. Clark was also elected president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 1965. He died in 1985 and was buried near Westcliffe, Colorado.

Philosophy

Clark's philosophy and theology has been summarized as:. *

Epistemology Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowle ...

: propositional revelation in the Bible *

Soteriology Soteriology (; ' "salvation" from wikt:σωτήρ, σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and wikt:λόγος, λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of Doctrine, religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special sign ...

: faith alone *

Metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...

: theism *

Ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

: the superiority of divine law over human law/Christian egoism *

Politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

: constitutional republic

Personal life

Clark met his future wife Ruth Schmidt during his graduate studies at the

; she had actually been baptized by Gordon's father as a baby. They married in 1929 and stayed together for 48 years until Ruth's death from leukemia in 1977. They had two daughters, Lois Antoinette (later Lois Zeller, b. 1936) and Nancy Elizabeth (later Betsy Clark George, b. 1941). At the time of his death, Clark was survived by his two daughters and their husbands, 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.Douma, Douglas (2017). ''The Presbyterian Philosopher: The Authorized Biography of Gordon H. Clark''. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock. Clark was well known as a keen

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

player. In 1966, he won the championship of the King's Men Chess Club in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Publications

Clark was a prolific author who wrote more than forty books, including texts on ancient and contemporary philosophy, volumes on Christian doctrines, commentaries on the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

and a one-volume history of philosophy. Many of his works have been reprinted by the Trinity Foundation.

Philosophy

* ''An Introduction to Christian Philosophy'' (), in which Clark's thought is well summarized in three lectures given at Wheaton College, reissued in ''Christian Philosophy'' () * ''Three Types of Religious Philosophy'', reissued in ''Christian Philosophy'' () * ''Thales to Dewey'', a history of philosophy () * ''Ancient Philosophy'', Dr. Clark's section of a ''History of Philosophy,'' which he co-published with three other authors; also includes eleven major essays, including his doctoral dissertation on

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

() * ''William James and John Dewey'' () * ''Behaviorism and Christianity'' () * ''Philosophy of Science and Belief in God'' () * ''Historiography: Secular and Religious'' () * ''A Christian View of Men and Things'', which develops Clark's Christian

worldview A worldview (also world-view) or is said to be the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and Perspective (cognitive), point of view. However, whe ...

() * ''A Christian Philosophy of Education'' () * ''Logic'', a textbook on logic for students () * ''Essays on Ethics and Politics'' () * ''Lord God of Truth'' printed with ''Concerning the Teacher'' by St. Augustine () * ''Selections from Hellenistic Philosophy'' edited by Clark () * ''Readings in Ethics'' edited by Clark and T. V. Smith () * ''Clark Speaks from the Grave'' written just before Clark died and published posthumously, responding to some of his critics ()

Theology

* ''In Defense of Theology'' () * ''Religion, Reason, and Revelation'', Clark's major work on apologetics () * ''God's Hammer: The Bible and Its Critics'' () * ''What Do Presbyterians Believe?'', a commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith () * ''Predestination'', the combined edition of ''Biblical Predestination'' and ''Predestination in the Old Testament''; a study of the idea of

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

in the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

* ''Karl Barth's Theological Method'', a book critical of Barth () * ''Language and Theology'' () * ''The Johannine Logos'', on

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

's use of the term ''

Logos ''Logos'' (, ; ) is a term used in Western philosophy, psychology and rhetoric, as well as religion (notably Logos (Christianity), Christianity); among its connotations is that of a rationality, rational form of discourse that relies on inducti ...

'' () * ''Faith and Saving Faith'' (); reissued as ''What is Saving Faith?'' () * ''Today's Evangelism: Counterfeit or Genuine?'' () * ''The Biblical Doctrine of Man'' () * ''The Incarnation'' () * ''The Holy Spirit'' () * ''The Atonement'' () * ''Sanctification'' () * ''The Trinity'' () * ''Logical Criticism of Textual Criticism''

Commentaries

* ''First Corinthians: A Contemporary Commentary'' () * ''Ephesians'' () * ''Philippians'' () * ''Colossians'' () * ''First and Second Thessalonians'' () * ''The Pastoral Epistles'' on the first and

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

letters to Timothy and Titus () * ''New Heavens, New Earth'' on the first and

letters of Peter () * ''First John'' () Additionally, Ronald Nash edited a

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

''The Philosophy of Gordon H. Clark'' (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1968), which presented a summary of Clark's thought (''viz''., the Wheaton lectures mentioned above), critiques by several authors, and rejoinders by Clark.

References

External links

The Gordon H. Clark Foundation
Working with Dr. Clark's family and friends to release previously unpublished material. Scanned original sources included often.
The Trinity Foundation
reprints Clark's works and publishes those of his followers. They have books for sale and articles and audio lectures available for free.
The Trinity Lectures
in MP3 format free for download (but not

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

), including Clark's ''Lectures in Apologetics,'' ''Lectures on Theology,'' and ''Lectures on the Holy Spirit.''
The Gordon Clark Papers
, archived by the Presbyterian Church in America. {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Gordon 1902 births 1985 deaths Calvinist and Reformed philosophers Supralapsarians American Presbyterians American Calvinist and Reformed theologians Christian apologists Writers from Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania alumni Wheaton College (Illinois) faculty 20th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians Reformed Episcopal Seminary faculty Butler University faculty Orthodox Presbyterian Church ministers American critics of atheism Presidents of the Evangelical Theological Society

Biography

Philosophy

Personal life

Publications

Philosophy

Theology

Commentaries

References

Further reading

External links