Greg Bahnsen

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Greg Bahnsen (September 17, 1948 – December 11, 1995) was an American Calvinist philosopher and Christian apologist. He was a church minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and served as a Scholar in Residence for the Southern California Center for Christian Studies. Bahnsen helped popularize presuppositional apologetics, a method developed by Cornelius Van Til that challenges competing worldviews by starting with the truth of Christian faith.

Bahnsen was born in Auburn, Washington, and grew up in Pico Rivera, California. He faced medical challenges from a young age, including a lifelong platelet problem and later heart trouble. He began reading Van Til in high school and admired the Calvinist ideas of Rushdoony.

Education and early career: Bahnsen earned a BA in philosophy from Westmont College in 1970, graduating magna cum laude. He then earned Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1973. He studied under Van Til and formed a close friendship with him. Bahnsen completed a PhD in philosophy at the University of Southern California in 1978, with Gordon H. Clark as his doctoral advisor.

Teaching and influence: In 1975 Bahnsen became an associate professor of apologetics and ethics at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He worked to defend Christian Reconstructionism, advocating theonomy (the application of biblical law) and postmillennialism, alongside his work in presuppositional apologetics. He lectured widely across the United States and internationally, and published extensively in audio, video, and print.

Controversies and public debates: Bahnsen’s strong views, particularly on theonomy, led to controversy and he was dismissed from Reformed Theological Seminary. He debated many atheists on topics ranging from religion to politics and culture, including George H. Smith, Gordon Stein, and Edward Tabash. A notable debate with Michael Martin over a taped debate was canceled in 1994 after disagreements about recording and profit.

Personal life and legacy: Bahnsen was the father of David Bahnsen, a portfolio manager, author, and television commentator. He faced ongoing health issues and underwent a third aortic valve surgery in December 1995. Complications after the operation led to his death on December 11, 1995, at the age of 47.

Bahnsen produced a vast body of work—thousands of audio tapes, videos, articles, and books—through which he promoted presuppositional apologetics, postmillennialism, and theonomy.