Bernard Ramm

Bernard L. Ramm (1 August 1916 in Butte, Montana – 11 August 1992 in Irvine, California) was a Baptist theologian and apologist within the broad evangelical tradition. He wrote prolifically on topics concerned with biblical hermeneutics, religion and science, Christology, and apologetics. The hermeneutical principles presented in his 1956 book Protestant Biblical Interpretation influenced a wide spectrum of Baptist theologians. During the 1970s he was widely regarded as a leading evangelical theologian as well known as Carl F. H. Henry. He undertook additional studies at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Basel, Switzerland (1957–1958 academic year with Karl Barth),

Near the end of his life, Ramm was honored with a book of essays by his colleagues and younger contemporaries.

Influence of The Christian View of Science and Scripture

In his book, The Christian View of Science and Scripture, published in 1954, he was critical of "flood geology" and the notion of a young earth and influenced the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) in not supporting "flood geology" during the 1950s before Henry M. Morris and John C. Whitcomb popularised Young Earth creationism and Flood geology in their 1961 book entitled The Genesis Flood.

Reformed theologian Meredith G. Kline, known for advancing the framework interpretation of Genesis cites this book in his influential article "Because It Had Not Rained" after having reviewed it three years earlier, stating "It is, indeed, informative and provocative. Moreover, it has some good emphases. It can, therefore, be read profitably if read critically." yet cautioning "It would be well...for teachers of God's people to be hesitant or, at the least, very careful in providing public documentation of the history of their personal struggle after the truth." Kline also found Ramm's defense of the authority of scripture potentially inconsistent and Ramm's hermeneutical question regarding the place of natural revelation in interpreting scripture while a valid one, his approach in exploring and attempting to answer it done with too much zeal and dangerously close to being error-prone.

The year 1979 marked the book's 25th anniversary, which was celebrated by the American Scientific Affiliation in devoting that year's December issue of its journal JASA to Ramm by including evaluations from theologians on the influence of The Christian View of Science and Scripture as well as an interview with Ramm and his wife Alta.

In a survey of Religion and Science books, Covenant Theological Seminary professor and ordained PCA minister C. John Collins called this book "a classic from a conservative evangelical author".

Influence of Protestant Christian Evidences

His work Protestant Christian Evidences is considered a classic and is still often cited.

Professor Ramm is often quoted for writing the following in his work Protestant Christian Evidences:

Ramm also stated, in his often cited work Protestant Christian Evidences, the following: A historic person named Jesus gave certain men such an impact as to be unequaled by far in the entire annals of the human race. After nearly two thousand years the impact is not at all spent, but daily there are people who have tremendous revolutionary experiences which they associate with Jesus Christ, be He dead or risen in Heaven. The personality of Jesus is without parallel. It is unique and incomparable. Protestant Christian Evidences [Chicago: Moody, 1953], p. 171.

Selected publications Problems in Christian Apologetics, Western Baptist Theological Seminary, Portland, Oregon, 1949. Protestant Christian Evidences, Moody Press, Chicago, 1953. Types of Apologetic Systems, Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, 1953. Christian View of Science and Scripture, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1954. The Pattern of Authority, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1957. The Witness of the Spirit, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1960. Special Revelation and the Word of God, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1961. Varieties of Christian Apologetics: An Introduction to the Christian Philosophy of Religion, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1962. The Christian College in the Twentieth Century, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1963. Them He Glorified, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1963. A Handbook Of Contemporary Theology, William B. Eermans, Grand Rapids, 1966. Protestant Biblical Interpretation: A Textbook of Hermeneutics, 3rd revised edition, Baker Book House, 1970. Right, the good and the happy: The Christian in a world of Distorted Values, Word, Waco, 1971. The God Who Makes A Difference: A Christian Appeal to Reason, Word, Waco, 1972. The Evangelical Heritage, Word, Waco, 1973. Rapping About the Spirit, Word, Waco, 1974. Devil, Seven Wormwoods, and God, Word, Waco, 1977. After Fundamentalism: The Future of Evangelical Theology, Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1983. An Evangelical Christology: Ecumenic and Historic, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 1985. Offense to Reason: A Theology of Sin, Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1985. God's Way Out: Finding the Road to Personal Freedom Through Exodus (Bible Commentary for Laymen), Regal, Ventura, 1987. Ramm and others, Hermeneutics, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1987.

Books about Stanley Grenz (ed). Perspectives on Theology in the Contemporary World: Essays in Honor of Bernard Ramm, Mercer University Press, Macon, Georgia, 1990.

Ph.D. Theses about Bernard Ramm’s reception of Karl Barth’s doctrine of the Word of God by Simon Sze Wang Wat. 2011. A critique of Bernard Ramm's doctrine of the Bible by Kenny Regan Pulliam. 1986. Scripture and theology an analysis of Bernard Ramm's proposal to adopt Karl Barth's methodology by Robert L Jones. 1985. The theological system of Bernard L. Ramm by David Miller. 1982. The concept of revelation the theology of Bernard Ramm by R. Alan Day. 1979.