What Are Presuppositions and Why Do They Matter?
Here at The Think Institute, we talk a lot about presuppositional apologetics (although we sometimes call it “Scripture-First Apologetics”).
As a result, we will sometimes get people asking about presuppositions—what they are, why they matter, and how to address them in apologetics.
So I thought it would be good to lay out a quick, basic guide to presuppositions.
What Is The Meaning of Presuppositions?
In my book, The Doctrine Shapes the Defense: The Importance of the Trinity in John Frame’s Apologetics, I define presupposition this way:
A presupposition is “A belief over which no other takes precedence” (Frame, John, The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, Phillipsburg: P&R, 1987, p. 125), a “basic commitment of the heart.” All thinking, feeling and intentions have their basis in presuppositions; there can be no neutrality.”
In my apologetics curriculum for high schoolers (which is forthcoming as I write this), I define a presupposition as, “a belief that you begin with before doing anything else. Our presuppositions are rarely examined; we take them for granted. They're like the joists under the floor. They hold up the room, but you never really think about them.
Presupposition Meaning and Examples
As Christians, our basic presuppositions are that God is there and the Bible is true, authoritative, and from God. What God has revealed to us in the Bible about Himself, and reality, and ourselves are the basic beliefs that form our worldview.
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Pr 30:5).
We also presuppose the “Creator-Creature Distinction,” i.e. that there is only one God, and we’re not Him.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Dt 6:4).
A non-Christian has other presuppositions. For example, an atheist presupposes that the world around us is best explained by something other than the Triune God of Scripture. A woke acolyte presupposes that society is best explained as a network of oppressions and privileges. Insofar as non-Christians presuppose that human beings have dignity, worth, or inherent rights, they contradict their most basic presupposition—namely, that the biblical worldview is not true.
Why Are Presuppositions Important?
Every worldview is built upon certain presuppositions. This is like how every house needs a foundation. When it comes to the biblical worldview (which is what we should hold, and what we want to defend through our apologetics, we have a foundation.
It is impossible for human beings to deal with the world in a neutral way, free of presuppositions. We all come to our experiences with certain assumptions, beliefs, and expectations. Presuppositions are therefore unavoidable.
For this reason, it is important for apologists and Christians who want to defend their faith to recognize that there is always a network of presuppositions underlying our thinking—and the thinking of those to whom we share and defend our faith.
It is possible to consider our presuppositions and see how they align with truth. As Christians, we do this by testing our beliefs against the Bible and bringing them more in line with its teaching. Faith in the truth of God’s word is a primary, foundational presupposition, which makes everything else make sense.
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