The Many-Sided World

Before we explore the stars, the cell, or the fossil record, we need to get our first principles straight. In this first episode of The Many-Sided World, Steven R. Martins lays the foundation for the series: why there are no "brute facts," only God's facts, and how Cornelius Van Til and Herman Dooyeweerd help us approach God's world with a sound foundation and an eye for its remarkable diversity.

Van Til reminds us that God owns the map: every fact belongs to the created order, and no one approaches the world without presuppositions. Dooyeweerd helps us read the map: creation is a rich diversity of distinct yet interconnected aspects, none of which can be reduced to another. Using an ammonite fossil and a roundtable of specialists, Steven shows the practical difference a Christian worldview makes across the disciplines.

In this episode:
(00:00) Opening Words
(01:14) First Principles
(06:06) Cornelius Van Til: The Foundation of Knowledge
(08:08) Herman Dooyeweerd: The Structure of Reality
(11:04) Bringing Van Til and Dooyeweerd Together
(13:36) Why Does This Matter for the Disciplines?

The Many-Sided World is a podcast of the Cántaro Institute, recorded at Worldview Campus in Wellandport, Ontario. From the A in astronomy to the Z in zoology, we explore the many dimensions of reality through a distinctly Christian worldview. One Creation. Many Sides.

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