UHI Thesis - pdf download summary Are the Princetonians Passé? Evaluating the post-conservative critique of Charles Hodge Gurney, Michael Lawrence DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (AWARDED BY OU/ABERDEEN) Award date: 2012 Awarding institution: The University of Edinburgh Link URL to thesis in UHI Research Database General rights and useage policy Copyright,IP and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the UHI Research Database are retained by the author, users must recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement, or without prior permission from the author. Users may download and print one copy of any thesis from the UHI Research Database for the not-for-profit purpose of private study or research on the condition that: 1) The full text is not changed in any way 2) If citing, a bibliographic link is made to the metadata record on the the UHI Research Database 3) You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain 4) You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the UHI Research Database Take down policy If you believe that any data within this document represents a breach of copyright, confidence or data protection please contact us at [email protected] providing details; we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 30. Sep. 2021 ARE THE PRINCETONIANS PASSÉ? EVALUATING THE POST-CONSERVATIVE CRITIQUE OF CHARLES HODGE A Thesis Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology at the University of Aberdeen Michael L. Gurney BA- Multnomah University MA - Talbot School of Theology 2011 I, Michael Lawrence Gurney, confirm that the composition of this thesis is my own and has not been accepted in any previous application for any other degree. Furthermore, all quotations have been properly denoted by use of quotation marks and all sources explicitly acknowledged. Michael L. Gurney Date: _____________ ABSTRACT The theological method of Charles Hodge is widely recognized as a major influence on American evangelical theology. Consequently, the merits and liabilities of Hodge‘s theology, particularly his epistemological influences, most notably Scottish Common Sense Realism, have made Hodge‘s theology and epistemology the focus of much analysis and debate. This present work examines and evaluates three prominent objections to Hodge‘s epistemological use of Scottish Realism and its theological effects, with the primary focus on recent criticisms raised by ―post-conservatives‖ based upon postmodern criticisms of the credibility of foundationalism, propositionalism, and realism. The conclusion drawn and defended is that Hodge‘s theological method, particularly his use of Scottish Realism, while in need of some modification, is plausible, even in a postmodern context. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank a few of the many who have encouraged and assisted my labors in writing this dissertation. My doctoral supervisor, Andrew McGowan , who has been a source of encouragement and friendly criticism that has sharpened the focus and arguments of this present work, Paul Helm for his insights and recommendations, and Jamie Grant for his encouragement and assistance in navigating the process of completing a doctoral dissertation. I am additionally grateful for the assistance of Cheri Liu and the library staff at Multnomah University, and Martin Cameron, the librarian at Highland Theological College, and the library staff at Princeton Seminary and Archives. I wish to also acknowledge Philip Hiller whose unmatched expertise in finding out of print books and discussions on Reformed theology provided much assistance and inspiration. I am also appreciative for the extensive dialogue between John Franke and myself. While John will not concur with most of my conclusions, his input has been most helpful in my understanding of post-conservative theological method and hopefully has resulted in a more accurate representation of ―post- conservatives.‖ I further hope that this present work will contribute to and facilitate continued irenic dialogue between ―traditionalists‖ and those attracted to more postmodern approaches. Finally, several of my former students deserve mention, most notably Kendra Hanberg, Gabrielle Winship, Sara Vulgan, and Joe Gorra for their questions and assistance in research and writing. I have received much encouragement and support during this time of research and writing. Thanks to my colleagues at Multnomah University for their continual encouragement and tolerance of my endless reflections upon my work, most notably Tim Aldrich, Dan Christensen, Brad Harper, John Katsion, Dan Scalberg, and Wayne Strickland. I am particularly grateful for the support expressed in numerous ways by my family, my parents, Larry and Audrey Gurney, and in-laws Harold and Arlene Clem, and especially my wife Anne Marie and sons Jacob and Benjamin whose patience, love and encouragement has provided the motivation to complete this lengthy project. I wish to dedicate this literary effort to the memories of my grandfather, Earl Gordon, who initially inspired me to strive for the highest levels of academic achievement and my father, Lawrence Gurney, who exemplified the value and virtue of hard work and persistence. ABBREVIATIONS diss. dissertation ed (s). editor(s) e.g. example gratia, for example etc. et cetera, and the rest i.e. id est, that is M.A. Master of Arts no. number n.p. no publisher Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy p(p) page(s) Th. D. Doctor of Theology TSS testimonium spiritus sancti univ. university vol. volume TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter One A LITERARY REVIEW 9 1. Danhof 11 2. Berg 14 3. Ahlstrom 16 4. McAllister 17 5. Vander Stelt 19 6. Barranger 21 7. Hicks 24 8. De Bie 26 9. Duncan 28 10. Plaster 30 11. Jones 32 12. Stewart 35 13. Dahl 39 14. Summary Observations 43 Chapter Two REID‘S REALISM 46 1. Hodge, Reid, and The Decline of American Evangelicalism 46 2. The Relevance of Reid‘s Realism 48 3. The Influence of Francis Bacon 50 4. Descartes and ―The Doctrine of Ideas‖ 53 5. Reid‘s Proposed Alternative Theory of Perception 67 6. Perception and the Intellectual Powers 75 7. Reid‘s Response to Skepticism 78 Chapter Three CHARLES HODGE AND SCOTTISH REALISM 81 1. Examining Hodge‘s Writings 81 1.1 Princeton Review: Norton [1840] 82 1.2 The Way of Life [1841] 83 1.3 Princeton Review: Finney [1847] 88 1.4 Princeton Review: Bushnell [1849] 91 1.5 Princeton Review: Park [1850] 92 1.6 Princeton Review: Cousin [1856] 94 1.7 Princeton Review: Lee [1857] 95 1.8 Princeton Review: Hamilton [1860] 98 1.9Princeton Review: ―Can God Be Known‖ [1864] 99 1.10 Systematic Theology [1872-1873] 104 1.11 What is Darwinism [1874] 108 2. Summary Analysis of Hodge‘s Writings 109 i Chapter Four HODGE AND KANT 112 1. Kant‘s ―Copernican Revolution‖ 112 2. An Exposition of Kant‘s Epistemology 113 3. Hodge‘s Assessment of Sir William Hamilton 125 4. Conclusion: The Appeal of Reidian Realism 136 Chapter Five THE RATIONALIST OBJECTION 139 1. ―Rationalist Objection‖ Stated 139 2. Examining Hodge‘s Understanding of Faith and Reason 147 3. Response to ―Total Depravity‖ Criticism 155 4. Response to ―Faith‖ Criticism 156 5. Conclusion: Is Hodge a Rationalist? 160 Chapter Six THE MODERNIST OBJECTION 162 1. ―Modernist Objection‖ Stated 162 2. Foundationalism 164 3. Propositionalism 168 4. Reduction to ―Biblical Foundationalism‖ 170 5. Evaluating Marsden‘s Narrative 172 Chapter Seven THE PLAUSIBILITY OBJECTION 184 1. ―Plausibility Objection‖ Stated 184 2. Rejection of Foundationalism 189 3. ―Postmodern‖ Epistemology and Foundationalism 191 4. Post-Foundationalism and Theological Method 198 5. Benefits of a Post-Conservative Method 206 6. Assessing the Merits of a Post-Conservative Method 207 ii Chapter Eight THE REALISM OF CHARLES HODGE AND POST- CONSERVATIVE THEOLOGY 224 1. The Relevance of Realism 224 2. Realism and Critical Realism in a Postmodern Context 225 2.1 MacIntyre‘s Critical Realism 229 2.2 Murphy‘s Critical Realism 233 2.3 McGrath‘s Critical Realism 235 2.4 Grenz‘s ―Eschatological Realism‖ 241 3. Scrutinizing Critical and ―Eschatological‖ Realism 244 4. The Plausibility of ‗Reidian Realism‘ 248 5. Conclusion 255 Concluding Summary 258 Select Bibliography 262 iii INTRODUCTION John W. Stewart in a chapter aptly titled ―Introducing Charles Hodge to Postmoderns‖ makes this salient observation: ―Equally uncongenial to postmodern mentalities are Hodge‘s philosophical assumptions and worldview, which feel increasingly remote from the more pluralistic and relativistic affinities of contemporary discourse.‖1 Perhaps never truer words were spoken. The theology of Charles Hodge, and especially his often assumed philosophical predilections, seems to be seriously out of step with much of the propensities and preferences of those who self-identify as ―postmodern.‖2 Given Hodge‘s significant influence in American evangelical theology, this dissonance is noteworthy and for some especially troubling. Among those concerned by this dissonance are a growing number of American Evangelicals who believe that Hodge‘s theology, while historically interesting, is no longer relevant for purposes of current theological reflection. Most prominent are those self- 1 John W. Stewart, “Introducing Charles Hodge to Postmoderns” in Charles Hodge Revisited: A Critical Appraisal of His Life and Work, eds. John W. Stewart and James H. Moorhead (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 1. 2 Placing the term “postmodern” in quote marks is an acknowledgment that the term itself is susceptible to a wide variety of interpretations and uses. Defining “postmodern” is a challenging topic in and of itself and fortunately one tangential to the main focus of this dissertation. The complex and often diverse cultural phenomena associated with the term “postmodern” make this intellectual movement resistant to simplistic definitions and analyses.