Frame and Triperspectivalism

In this post, I relayed some good info out on the web regarding John Frame and Vern Poythress’s Triperspectivalism. I originally emailed Dr. Frame to ask him if there was a decent article-length primer on the subject, but he said that there was nothing out there, until now. Frame emailed me a few days ago with a copy of a Word Document: A Primer on Perspectivalism. It’s a great intro to the perspectivalism-framework. It can also function kind of like an intro to John Frame’s basic ideas concerning knowledge, ethics, even his intro to systematics. Soon you too can be seeing everything in triangles.

Frame’s works by themselves are impressive, but what is even more impressive to me is his concern for the Christian community, taking time to write a simple introduction when he surely has many things on his plate. A great model for al of us who are “too busy.”

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Published:: 4.23.07 / 3pm

Category:: Uncategorized

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In this post, I relayed some good info out on the web regarding John Frame...

ctina 4.28.07 / 8am

What really makes me laugh is your “Latest Listens”. People will think its you who controlled the music last night not me….muuuuhahahahaha!

Chuck 5.1.07 / 6am

I remember in one of my literature classes at UofI this idea was discussed. Not in regards to Christianity, but the idea that two perspectives means two understandings and therefore the object or idea can exist twice. Or more, for more perspectives.

In particular, I enjoyed the discussion of unity given here. I was thinking that would be the use of this idea even before Frame acknowledges that use later one.

I don’t quite buy that 3 is a magic number. I understand that once you start looking for triplicate repetitions, you find many of them. However, you can make the same argument for the number 42, and I believe any number once you start to look for it. Wasn’t there a recent movie called 23 or something with Jim Carrey about this? Frame states that the triperspective is well established within the Bible, and I won’t argue that. But, the Bible also tells us that we have an incomplete understanding and our incomplete knowledge allows for no absolutes (or at least very few - I allow that Christ is my Savior is an absolute, Heaven and Hell exist, etc.) I realize this isn’t quite what he meant when arguing against subjectivity, but I think getting caught up on the number 3 may be shady.

greg 5.1.07 / 8am

Chuck- Yeah, Frame himself would acknowledge that this isn’t a perfect system, and it is just that- a system. It’s a useful pedagogical tool, but like all systems (especially regarding knowledge) it is limited. Frame saying that the three perspectives being well established does not mean that we can have a complete knowledge- his book The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God is pretty clear on that. But it can definitely be scary if we turn the system into some sort of Bible Code and go crazy with it.

Tim 5.2.07 / 5pm

I was going to comment on Frame until I saw Christina’s comment. I love where it changes from Destiny’s Child to Glass. Gee, I wonder who took back control of the computer there?!

Wahoo 10.5.07 / 10pm

Thank you for sharing!

Frame and Triperspectivalism

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