By Phillip E. Johnson

InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL 2000

The Wedge of Truth is Phillip Johnson’s latest strike on the war against naturalism. The subtitle, "Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism," accurately depicts the contents of the book. The work is designed to answer a series of vital questions relating to both naturalism and theism.

How can we tell reason from rationalization? "Rationalism is the use of reasoning to make sure that one comes out at the right place," says Dallas Willard in the foreword. Today’s ruling method of "reason" is naturalism, and it is by building on this assumption that people come out in the "right" place when it comes to modernistic thinking. Johnson argues that "it is paradigmatic of so many modernist intellectuals who thought they were dedicating themselves to reason when, in reality, they were mostly learning to rationalize, to justify what they felt like doing."

Johnson then asks, "Can natural law and chance create genetic information?" This is called the "information quandary," and it is crucial to a reasonable discussion of evolutionism, the ruling naturalistic explanation of how everything came to its present state. Evolutionism requires more than simply "change"; it requires the creation of vast amounts of new, complex organs and new genetic information. Macroevolution is not capable of demonstrating this, which places it in a precarious situation indeed.

Next, by reviewing the 1999 Kansas state board of education decision concerning evolution, and the aftermath from it, he delves into the question, "Can science be defended by authoritarian methods?" He demonstrates how evolutionists have attempted to strong-arm the education system into teaching its worldview. The press reaction, along with the evolutionist’s reaction, shows that the battle is not simply about scientific facts.

He follows up with the following questions: Does Theology provide any knowledge? Is the thinking, choosing self an illusion? What are the arguments against intelligent design? What if we start with the Word? And, How can we repair the split in knowledge? Johnson argues in the course of this that "What we need is for God himself to speak, to give us a secure foundation on which we can build." Naturalistic philosophy cannot provide a good foundation for rational thought. He further says, "We are not talking about some mere revision of a particular scientific theory. We are talking about a fatal flaw in our culture’s creation myth, and therefore in the standard of reasoning that culture has applied to all questions of importance."

Part of dealing with the naturalistic assumptions is learning to ask the right questions. Johnson argues that many today are suppressing their knowledge to protect their assumptions. And if any meaningful conversation can occur, these assumptions must be confronted. He helps to confront these assumptions through these series of questions.