My Thoughts on James R. White

Influences of Apologists and Theologians on My Thinking

Alright, in this video, actually I'm thinking in terms of doing a series of videos in which I take the time to talk a little bit about various philosophers, theologians, Christian apologists who have had an impact on my own thinking.

And so I thought you guys might find it useful because in that sort of discussion I can talk a little bit about certain books that I've read, certain debates that I've watched that have helped me in my own journey in apologetics.

And so folks might be interested, for example, in what I think about people like William Lane Craig, or James White, or Greg Bonson, or Van Til, or Gordon Clark, or R .C. Sproul, or Gary Habermas. All these different thinkers have contributed to my own thinking in some way, shape, or form, even if at the end of the day I don't necessarily agree with all of the angles that they come at certain issues.

So, with that said, I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. I'm going to be putting out a couple of videos that cover these major thinkers in the sense that they've influenced me in some variety of ways.

And so hopefully it'll be helpful to people who are listening, and hopefully you guys find it somewhat interesting. So, in this first video in that series, I want to talk a little bit about my thoughts on James White.

James White’s Influence on Apologetics and Theology

Now, James White is over there at Alpha and Omega Ministries, and of course, a very, very well-known Christian apologist from the Reformed perspective. Of course, for some, admittedly, Dr. White is an acquired taste.

Definitely not a softie. He can come off a little bit rough around the edges, if I can say. But that being said, if I could honestly evaluate the impact of Dr. White in my journey of apologetics, I'd have to be perfectly honest.

And this is all the criticisms aside, because I know there are a lot of folks who don't like Dr. White for various reasons, but I'm just going to have to give you my own personal evaluation of his impact on my own thinking.

Is that Dr. White, whether you agree with him or not, what I have gleaned from his ministry, whether it's in debate, whether it's in sermons that he's done, he has reminded me of the importance of the significance and foundational importance of the Word of God in everything that we do.

Now, granted, you might disagree with his Reformed theology. I don't. I'm a Calvinist, so we're definitely on the same page there. But I have been constantly reminded through listening to countless hours of his material that the Word of God plays a very central role in what we're doing, especially as apologists.

He has emphasized greatly the fact that our theology needs to be consistent with our apologetics. And so he spoke to a great extent of the important relationship between our theology and our apologetic methodology and the importance of being consistent in that area.

And that has been a very, very important thing to keep in mind for myself, always asking myself, is what I'm doing consistent with what I profess theologically or what I see in Scripture? Now, again, you might think that Dr. White doesn't do that because maybe you differ with him.

Maybe you are turned off by his rough-around-the-edges and sometimes, you know, some people say, you know, he can be a little snarky, you know. But that aside, in terms of content, I have been greatly blessed by his ministry, especially his debates.

I listen to almost, I think almost every debate that Dr. White has done that's available on YouTube or, you know, Sermon Audio or something like that. And I have greatly benefited from his debates on Calvinism, his debates especially with Roman Catholics, and his debate with Dr. Bart Ehrman on textual criticism.

These are great resources, whether you like Dr. White or not. I think folks who are looking to sink their teeth into some good material, apologetically speaking, will do well to give Dr. White a listen.

Of course, I'm not helping him out in any way. I mean, Dr. White is far more well-known than myself, but I'm just sharing. I mean, if people are just getting into apologetics and you don't know who Dr. White is, you know, go and check out some of his debates and his teachings.

I think you will benefit greatly. Another thing that I have learned from Dr. White is the idea that he brings up often, which is this idea of consistency in exegesis. And he often would say something to the effect that if you're holding to a belief that you cannot defend exegetically with the same clarity and consistency with which you defend something like the deity of Christ, justification by faith alone, or whatever major doctrine that you hold to.

If you need to use a different hermeneutical method to defend that specific item, then there's a problem. And so this idea of consistency has really affected my own thinking. Not that I do it perfectly, but it's definitely something that I'm constantly reminded of when I listen to Dr. White on the dividing line or anything like that.

So, yeah, just very briefly there. I mean, Dr. White is, in my opinion, he is an excellent debater. He could be a little on the softer side, but I guess, I mean, he's in a ministry in which, you know, he's at the center of various conflicts, whether it is imposed upon him or whether he is, you know, throwing the first punches.

However you interpret that, I just cannot deny the importance of a lot of what he's had to say and a lot of the things that he's done through his debates. I can't deny the importance of that in my own thinking.

And so all that to say, I greatly appreciate Dr. White. Obviously, we are all sinners saved by grace. And so, yes, we do need to be careful with how we conduct ourselves. And I think Dr. White does that.

And, of course, other people might interpret that in different ways, but I'm just giving my own personal opinion here. And so I just greatly appreciate Dr. White, especially his books. Well, if I can think of a book that I absolutely love by Dr. White.

And I'd have to say, oh, man, there are a couple. I think I have a couple here. I do have this book here by James White, Scripture Alone. Again, if you're a Roman Catholic and you are listening to this or watching this video, of course you're going to be like, throw that book in the flames.

OK. I mean, when I read it, I found it very helpful. But, of course, I would say that because I'm not a Catholic, right? I do think that his arguments are good. I think that he defends sola scriptura very well.

And I find his debates on this very topic very, very helpful and useful. And especially when the nature of these debates are just filled with so much content, especially from the Roman Catholic side. These debates are fiery and exciting, but they cover so much content.

And so every time I listen to a debate by Dr. White, whether I think he came off on the stronger end or the weaker end or whatever the case may be, it always inspires me to study, to pick up a book and look deeper into these issues.

So, I really like this book by Dr. White, Scripture Alone. And I think it's a great resource for defending sola scriptura. And it's kind of at the, I would say, beginner-ish level. I mean, you could be a beginner and pick this up and get a lot of helpful information from here.

So, I do enjoy this book very well. What else? What other books do I have of Dr. White? I know The God Who Justifies is probably somewhere other than my office here. I also enjoyed the book on Calvinism when he is going back and forth with Dave Hunt.

Again, you might have different, you know, mixed feelings about that discussion, but I did enjoy the back and forth of that book. I really enjoyed, you know, how various issues were covered in the depth.

They went into details and stuff. So, I greatly appreciate that. And, of course, The Potter's Freedom. I enjoyed The Potter's Freedom. Of course, Dr. White is very well known for that one. He is a great defender of Reformed theology in my estimation.

Debates, Books, and the Value of Consistent Engagement

One thing, though, I do appreciate greatly about Dr. White is his expansive treatment. Expansive treatment, I would say, in his debates. He debates a wide variety of issues. And I actually like that. Dr. White has debated atheists.

He has debated Muslims. He has debated Mormons. He has debated Jehovah's Witness. He has debated homosexuals. People who hold to the view that the Bible supports homosexuality. So, he's been engaged in those debates with Roman Catholics.

And so, as a resource, whether you agree with him or not, as a resource, there are a lot of things that someone can glean from giving his material a listen and a thoughtful reflection. So, that's my first video here.

The influence of Dr. White over myself through his books, his debates. And, of course, he's been on my show before. And we talked about Molinism. And so, I greatly enjoyed that and his generosity in giving me the time to discuss those issues.

So, all that to say, if Dr. White watches this, I would like to thank him greatly for the work that he's doing. And in spite of all the controversy and conflict that's associated with the various back and forths and things that he's been involved in, I consider him a dear Christian brother.

And I keep him coming. You know, those debates are a great resources and learning tool. And so, I have to say, in my opinion, Dr. White is a great Christian apologist. And I thank God for his ministry.

Closing Thoughts and the Next Video on William Lane Craig

All right. Well, that's all I have to say. Next time, I will share my thoughts on the impact of Dr. William Lane Craig over my thinking. You might think that's weird because many people know me as a presuppositional apologist.

But when we get to that video, I want to tell you guys a funny little story associated with how I was able to work through Dr. Craig's reasonable faith and actually work through it along with the workbook back when I was a classical guy.

And I'll share a little story about how that came about. So, that's it for this video. I hope you guys enjoy this little series as I kind of just go off the top of my head and share a little bit about what I like about certain apologists and philosophers and theologians that have impacted me.

All right. That's all I've got for today. Take care and God bless. Bye-bye.