Natural Theology and Cornelius Van Til

When discussing Natural Theology (NT) there is always a danger of equivocation of terms. What many Reformed thinkers call Natural Theology is really General Revelation (GR). Even Van Til spoke of Natural Revelation.

Fesko quotes G. Vos's short definition of NT and relies on it. That definition is too brief: "A teaching concerning God—that takes its content and method from nature.”

That definition could apply either to NT or to GR depending on what follows. What really matters is our definition of God. Van Til says,

"We must first ask what kind of a God Christianity believes in before we can really ask with intelligence whether such a God exists. The what precedes the that; the connotation precedes the denotation; at least the latter cannot be discussed intelligently without at once considering the former." - The Defense of the Faith, 4th ed., 30.

Another point is Fesko's over-reliance on the KJV's translation of katecho as "hold." He surely knows that the term envisages confinement. Hence, "hold down" or "suppress" is a perfectly good rendering.