Book Review: A Christian View of Men And Things by Gordon Clark
(Reviewed by B. K. Campbell)

There is no book I wd. rather review than Gordon Clark’s Christian View of Men and Things. It is a very special book to me because Gordon Clark was a very special man. Good thinkers are rare and Gordon Clark was a good thinker. I am too young to have known Clark personally, but I am more than acquainted with him through his writings. Next to Augustine he is the best thinker I know; it was from his pen that I learned to think critically and theologically. As an apologist Clark was second to none including Van til. It is no secret that Van til conveying his ideas is often hard to understand to the point of being cryptic, while Clark is clear and concise (these are good attributes for a writer to posses). This is not to minimize the importance of Van til; rightly both men should be studied. However, Clark had what we might call philosophical or theological ‘style’, his system of apologetics is complete, it virtually lacks nothing. On the other hand Van til’s ideas are confusing and his apologetics are problematic. In Christian view of men and Things Clark constructs a complete system of Christian philosophy. Clark masterfully defends and outlines his thesis and his effort was not wasted. The result has been an irrefutable system of Christian apologetics. Clark knew that in order for a defense to be made logically it must be articulated comprehensively:

“…if Christianity is to be defended against the objections of other philosophies, the only adequate method will be comprehensive.”

This is why Clark covered so much ground in such a small space. The book presents a solid Christian position on history, logic, science, ethics and epistemology. In every area Clark remains undefeated. It seems every time Clark set his mind on a subject he mastered it. Clark disposes of every rotten and irrational idea. Those who criticize Clark often only know him by name, but have never seriously studied his work. Assaulting Clark’s name is one thing, an easy thing, but refuting his arguments is another thing, an impossible thing. This is because all of Clark’s theology and philosophy was founded on the basic principle that the Bible alone is the Word of God. In Clark’s system all knowledge is deduced from this basic principle. His desire was that truth wd. prevail and in his Christian View of Men and Things truth does prevail because truth is at the very center of this extraordinary thesis. It has been my long-standing opinion that ‘A Christian View of Men and Things’ is Clark’s magnum opus. The book is timelier now then it was at the date of its publication. Here is Clark’s entire system of apologetics in a nutshell. This is not just a book to read and cast aside, this is a book to study, learn and re-read until you can fully comprehend it. Go anywhere in the field of apologetics you will not escape from the ideas of Gordon Clark. Not just a thinker, but a man who taught people how to think. The very first book I recommend on apologetics!

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