Vern Poythress
Encyclopedia
Vern Sheridan Poythress (born 1946) is a Calvinist
philosopher
and theologian
and New Testament
scholar
.
in Madera, California
until he was five years old and later moved with his family to Fresno, California
. In 1981, he was ordained as a teaching elder
in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, which merged into the Presbyterian Church in America
. He married his wife Diane in 1983, and they have two children, Ransom and Justin.
He earned a B.S. in Mathematics
from California Institute of Technology
(1966), where he was a Putnam fellow
in 1964, and a Ph.D.
in mathematics from Harvard University
(1970). He studied linguistics
and Bible translation at the Summer Institute of Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma
in 1971 and 1972, and he enrolled at Westminster Theological Seminary
, earning an M.Div. (1974) and a Th.M. in apologetics
(1974). He then received an M.Litt. in New Testament
from University of Cambridge
(1977) and a Th.D. in New Testament from the University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
(1981).
He taught mathematics at Fresno State College (now California State University, Fresno
) for a year after earning his Ph.D. in the subject, and he taught linguistics at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1977. He has taught New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1976.
Poythress advocates the complete, divine authority of Bible
, and as a Calvinist
he places an emphasis on the sovereignty of God and adopts the Calvinistic
notion that Jesus
is Lord of every area of life, not just private, religious life. He makes use of Biblical Theology
in the tradition of Geerhardus Vos
, and builds on Meredith G. Kline
's work in Images of the Spirit to argue that "imaging" is a pattern in the Bible
beyond man and woman being made in the image of God. He has a decidedly positive view of the Old Testament Law, though he rejects theonomy
, and he rejects the hermeneutics of dispensationalism
. In Christian eschatology
, he advocates an Amillennial
view (compare the summary of Christian eschatological differences).
He is an advocate of Cornelius Van Til
's presuppositional apologetics
, particularly the ideas that epistemology and ontology
must find their ultimate grounding in the Trinity
. He has also sought to work out presuppositionalism's central claim that there is no neutrality
in the area of science
and mathematics
. In a manner akin to Augustine
's view that truth
is divine, Poythress views scientific law
as a form of the word of God. In 1976, Poythress broke new ground with an chapter on "A Biblical View of Mathematics," while in a 1983 article, he argued that mathematics is the rhyme
of the universe.
A central idea in Poythress' thought has concerned the validity of multiple perspectives, or multiperspectivalism
, a project that he shares with his teacher and collaborator John Frame
. In Poythress's seminal work Philosophy, Science, and the Sovereignty of God, he explored how the scientific concepts of wave
, particle and field
can be used analogically
to demonstrate different ways of looking at things. He argued that such a triadic structure is a "a means of avoiding unhealthy dualism
", and he continued on this line of thought in Symphonic Theology, where he applied multiperspectivalism to theology
.
, linguistics, theological method, dispensationalism
, biblical law, copyright law, hermeneutics, Bible translation, and eschatology
and the Book of Revelation
, many of which he has made available online for free:
He has been editor of the Westminster Theological Journal
since 2005, and he has contributed to a number of other volumes such as The Foundations of Christian Scholarship, Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, The New Testament Student and His Field, Inerrancy and Hermeneutic: A Tradition, A Challenge, A Debate, Theonomy: A Reformed Critique, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
, New Geneva Study Bible, and The Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. He was also a member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version
.
Additionally, he has published a number of scholarly articles, including:
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
scholar
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
.
Biography
Poythress lived on his family farmFamily farm
A family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family, and often passed down from generation to generation. It is the basic unit of the mostly agricultural economy of much of human history and continues to be so in developing nations...
in Madera, California
Madera, California
Madera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2010...
until he was five years old and later moved with his family to Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. In 1981, he was ordained as a teaching elder
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, which merged into the Presbyterian Church in America
Presbyterian Church in America
The Presbyterian Church in America is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church . The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education...
. He married his wife Diane in 1983, and they have two children, Ransom and Justin.
He earned a B.S. in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
(1966), where he was a Putnam fellow
William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, often abbreviated to the Putnam Competition, is an annual mathematics competition for undergraduate college students of the United States and Canada, awarding scholarships and cash prizes ranging from $250 to $2,500 for the top students and $5,000...
in 1964, and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in mathematics from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(1970). He studied linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and Bible translation at the Summer Institute of Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in 1971 and 1972, and he enrolled at Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
, earning an M.Div. (1974) and a Th.M. in apologetics
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
(1974). He then received an M.Litt. in New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
from University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(1977) and a Th.D. in New Testament from the University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
(1981).
He taught mathematics at Fresno State College (now California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
) for a year after earning his Ph.D. in the subject, and he taught linguistics at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1977. He has taught New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1976.
Thought
As an evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Poythress advocates the complete, divine authority of Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and as a Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
he places an emphasis on the sovereignty of God and adopts the Calvinistic
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
notion that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is Lord of every area of life, not just private, religious life. He makes use of Biblical Theology
Biblical Theology
Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament...
in the tradition of Geerhardus Vos
Geerhardus Vos
Geerhardus Johannes Vos was an American Calvinist theologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology. He is sometimes called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology.-Biography:...
, and builds on Meredith G. Kline
Meredith G. Kline
Meredith G. Kline was an American theologian and Old Testament scholar advance in Archeology, both Assyriology and Egyptology.-Academic career:...
's work in Images of the Spirit to argue that "imaging" is a pattern in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
beyond man and woman being made in the image of God. He has a decidedly positive view of the Old Testament Law, though he rejects theonomy
Theonomy
Theonomy is a theory in Christian theology that God is the sole source of human ethics. The word theonomy derives from the Greek words “theos” God, and “nomos” law. Cornelius Van Til argued that there "is no alternative but that of theonomy or autonomy"...
, and he rejects the hermeneutics of dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
. In Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology. Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning last and study , is the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world...
, he advocates an Amillennial
Amillennialism
Amillennialism is a view in Christian end-times theology named for its rejection of the theory that Jesus Christ will have a thousand-year long, physical reign on the earth...
view (compare the summary of Christian eschatological differences).
He is an advocate of Cornelius Van Til
Cornelius Van Til
Cornelius Van Til , born in Grootegast, the Netherlands, was a Christian philosopher, Reformed theologian, and presuppositional apologist.-Biography:...
's presuppositional apologetics
Presuppositional apologetics
In Christian theology, presuppositionalism is a school of apologetics that presumes Christian faith is the only basis for rational thought. It presupposes that the Bible is divine revelation and claims to expose flaws in other worldviews...
, particularly the ideas that epistemology and ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
must find their ultimate grounding in the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
. He has also sought to work out presuppositionalism's central claim that there is no neutrality
Objectivity (philosophy)
Objectivity is a central philosophical concept which has been variously defined by sources. A proposition is generally considered to be objectively true when its truth conditions are met and are "mind-independent"—that is, not met by the judgment of a conscious entity or subject.- Objectivism...
in the area of science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. In a manner akin to Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
's view that truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
is divine, Poythress views scientific law
Scientific law
A scientific law is a statement that explains what something does in science just like Newton's law of universal gravitation. A scientific law must always apply under the same conditions, and implies a causal relationship between its elements. The law must be confirmed and broadly agreed upon...
as a form of the word of God. In 1976, Poythress broke new ground with an chapter on "A Biblical View of Mathematics," while in a 1983 article, he argued that mathematics is the rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
of the universe.
A central idea in Poythress' thought has concerned the validity of multiple perspectives, or multiperspectivalism
Multiperspectivalism
Multiperspectivalism is an approach to knowledge advocated by Calvinist philosophers John Frame and Vern Poythress....
, a project that he shares with his teacher and collaborator John Frame
John Frame
John M. Frame is an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics...
. In Poythress's seminal work Philosophy, Science, and the Sovereignty of God, he explored how the scientific concepts of wave
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
, particle and field
Field (physics)
In physics, a field is a physical quantity associated with each point of spacetime. A field can be classified as a scalar field, a vector field, a spinor field, or a tensor field according to whether the value of the field at each point is a scalar, a vector, a spinor or, more generally, a tensor,...
can be used analogically
Analogy
Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject to another particular subject , and a linguistic expression corresponding to such a process...
to demonstrate different ways of looking at things. He argued that such a triadic structure is a "a means of avoiding unhealthy dualism
Dualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
", and he continued on this line of thought in Symphonic Theology, where he applied multiperspectivalism to theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
Publications
Poythress has published a number of books in different fields — Christian philosophy of sciencePhilosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
, linguistics, theological method, dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
, biblical law, copyright law, hermeneutics, Bible translation, and eschatology
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
and the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
, many of which he has made available online for free:
- Philosophy, Science, and the Sovereignty of God. Presbyterian and Reformed: 1976, reprinted 2004. ISBN 978-1596380028.
- Symphonic Theology: The Validity of Multiple Perspectives in Theology. Zondervan: 1987. ISBN 978-0875525174.
- Understanding Dispensationalists. 2d ed. Presbyterian and Reformed: 1993. ISBN 978-0875523743.
- Science and Hermeneutics: Implications of Scientific Method for Biblical Interpretation (Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation series, volume 6). Zondervan: 1988. ISBN 978-0310409717.
- The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, Wolgemuth & Hyatt: 1991, reprinted Presbyterian & Reformed: 1995. ISBN 978-0875523750.
- God-Centered Biblical Interpretation. Presbyterian and Reformed: 1999. ISBN 978-0875523767.
- The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation, Presbyterian and Reformed: 2000. ISBN 978-0875524627.
- The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy: Muting the Masculinity of Gods Words (with Wayne GrudemWayne GrudemWayne A. Grudem is a Protestant theologian and author. He was born in 1948 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and married Margaret White on June 6, 1969 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...
). Broadman and Holman: 2000. ISBN 978-0805424416. - The TNIV and The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy (with Wayne GrudemWayne GrudemWayne A. Grudem is a Protestant theologian and author. He was born in 1948 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and married Margaret White on June 6, 1969 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...
). Broadman and Holman: 2004. ISBN 978-0805431933. - Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach. Crossway Books: 2006. ISBN 978-1581347319.
- In The Beginning Was The Word: Language--A God-Centered Approach. Crossway Books: 2009. ISBN 978-1433501791.
- Redeeming Sociology: A God-Centered Approach. Crossway Books: 2011. ISBN 978-1433521294.
He has been editor of the Westminster Theological Journal
Westminster Theological Journal
Westminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
since 2005, and he has contributed to a number of other volumes such as The Foundations of Christian Scholarship, Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, The New Testament Student and His Field, Inerrancy and Hermeneutic: A Tradition, A Challenge, A Debate, Theonomy: A Reformed Critique, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is collection of articles on gender roles, written from a biblical perspective, and edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem. Crossway Books published the book in 1991 for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood...
, New Geneva Study Bible, and The Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. He was also a member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
.
Additionally, he has published a number of scholarly articles, including:
- "A Biblical View of Mathematics," in Gary North (ed.), Foundations of Christian Scholarship (Vallecito, CA: Ross House, 1976), 159-188.
- "Structuralism and Biblical Studies," Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyThe Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society is a refereed theological journal published by the Evangelical Theological Society. It was first published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, and was given its present name in 1969.- External links :* ** in PDF format;...
21, 1978. - "Science as Allegory," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 35, 1983.
- "Newton's Laws as Allegory," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 35, 1983.
- "Mathematics as Rhyme," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 35, 1983.
- "The Use of the Intersentence Conjunctions De, Oun, Kai, and Asyndeton in the Gospel of John," Novum Testamentum 26, 1984.
- "Reforming Ontology and Logic in the Light of the Trinity: An Application of Van Til's Idea of Analogy," Westminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
57, 1995. - "2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism," Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyThe Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society is a refereed theological journal published by the Evangelical Theological Society. It was first published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, and was given its present name in 1969.- External links :* ** in PDF format;...
37, 1995. - "Counterfeiting in the Book of Revelation as a Perspective on Non-Christian Culture," Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyThe Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society is a refereed theological journal published by the Evangelical Theological Society. It was first published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, and was given its present name in 1969.- External links :* ** in PDF format;...
40, 1997. - "Keep on Praying!" Decision, 39/10, 1998.
- "Why Scientists Must Believe in God: Divine Attributes of Scientific Law," Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyThe Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society is a refereed theological journal published by the Evangelical Theological Society. It was first published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, and was given its present name in 1969.- External links :* ** in PDF format;...
46, 2003.
External links
- Frame-Poythress.org, a website that publishes books, articles, and audio by John FrameJohn FrameJohn M. Frame is an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics...
and Poythress