May 03

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) served as a diplomat in the Florentine Republic, gaining firsthand experience in statecraft. His writings, including 'The Prince' and the 'Discourses on Livy,' explore power, leadership, and civic virtue. Machiavelli is often regarded as the father of modern political science for his empirical approach. He witnessed the tumultuous politics of Renaissance Italy, which shaped his pragmatic theories. His legacy endures in the term 'Machiavellian,' reflecting his profound influence on political realism.

Cornelius Van Til was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States in his youth. He studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and joined the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary. Van Til pioneered presuppositional apologetics, asserting that Christian faith underlies all human reasoning. His key works include 'The Defense of the Faith' and 'Christian Apologetics.' His ideas have had lasting influence on evangelical theology and apologetic methods.