Tag Archives: Systematic Theology

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Review of Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe - via New Horizons

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New Horizons
Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

Reviewed by OPC Pastor Brenton Ferry.

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears are coauthors of Vintage Jesus (2008), Death by Love (2008), Vintage Church (2009), and now Doctrine. Breshears is on the faculty at Western Seminary, where Driscoll was trained. Driscoll is cofounder and pastor of Mars Hill Church, and cofounder of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and Resurgence Literature.

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New Horizons Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears Reviewed by OPC Pastor Brenton Ferry. Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears are coauthors of Vintage Jesus (2008), Death by Love (2008), Vintage Church (2009), and now Doctrine. Breshears is on the faculty at Western Seminary, where Driscoll was trained. Driscoll is cofounder and pastor of Mars Hill Church, and cofounder of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and Resurgence Literature. All three entities work together to contextualize the Christian faith in contemporary (youth) culture. This book represents the doctrinal side of that contextualization program. It sets Driscoll’s vision apart from the type of contextualization espoused by current leaders of the emergent church movement, insofar as the latter embrace postmodernity’s disdain for dogmatism. Doctrine covers thirteen topics: Trinity, revelation, creation, image, fall, covenant, incarnation, cross, resurrection, church, worship, stewardship, and kingdom. The book concludes with a final section of discussion questions for small groups. Driscoll is sometimes identified as part of evangelicalism’s resurgent Calvinistic movement. Besides puffs and quotes from Reformed authors, however, the book does not reflect the contours of Reformed thought at all. For example, the authors omit the covenant of works (p. 177). They argue against limited atonement in favor of hypothetical universalism (p. 267). They condition regeneration upon faith and repentance (pp. 317, 436). There is no clear affirmation of unconditional predestination. The book excludes the fourth commandment from the abiding moral law (pp. 198–99), yet has a high view of the Lord’s Day (pp. 381–84). It also contains pictures of Christ (pp. 208, 244), ignoring the second commandment. The authors deny the Son’s eternal generation and the Spirit’s eternal procession (p. 28). They omit the incommunicable attribute of God’s simplicity (p. 121). They say that God is covenantal “by nature of being Trinitarian” (p. 175), implying that covenant is opera ad intra rather than opera ad extra. Driscoll and Breshears also hold to the charismatic view of spiritual gifts (p. 386). While they believe in a closed canon (pp. 64–65), they also believe in continuing special revelation, suggesting that unreached people “who follow the truth of general revelation can enjoy further special revelation about God that can lead to eternal life” through “dreams and visions of Jesus” (p. 40; see also p. 66). “Anyone [among unreached people groups] who is searching and willing to respond to the goodness of God … will receive special revelation” (p. 434). The authors have a Baptist ecclesiology, restricting the church to “regenerated believers” (pp. 307–8) and seeing the church only as universal and local (p. 307). They have a Baptist understanding of water baptism (pp. 317, 325). They have a bald two-office view of elders and deacons (p. 319), and they believe in ordaining women as deacons (pp. 309, 321). In short, Doctrine is a hodgepodge of various theological trajectories. When the authors compare Noah’s drunkenness to “a hillbilly redneck on vacation” (p. 184), they reveal the nature of their contextualization project, which is to promote a Christianity that embraces irreverent adolescence. Theologically, this book does rise above that standard, but not by much. This review appears in the October 2011 issue of New Horizons This review appears on-line @ opc.org with many other fine and useful reviews
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Dr. Michael Horton responds to Dr. Lane G. Tipton’s charge of semi-pelagianism

The Reformed Forum is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael S. Horton to the program once again. Dr. Horton is Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. He is also the president of the White Horse Inn, a co-host of their national radio program, and the editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine. He is also the author of many books on a variety of theological topics—two of which that are germane to our discussion today are Covenant and Salvation: Union with Christ and The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way.

In Christ the Center episode 200, Dr. Lane G. Tipton, Professor of Systematic and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, spoke about the doctrine of union with Christ. In the course of the interview, Tipton drew out what he saw as implications of the views presented by Dr. Horton in his book Covenant and Salvation: Union with Christ. This episode is Dr. Horton’s response to Tipton’s previous statements.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are solely of the individuals and are not the views of Reformed Forum or any other organization affiliated with the participants in this interview.

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Louis Berkhof on Infant Baptism

Louis Berkhof on Infant Baptism

It is on the point of infant baptism that the most important difference is found between us and the Baptists. The latter hold, as Dr. Hovey, a Baptist author, expresses it, “that only believers in Christ are entitled to baptism, and that only those who give credible evidence of faith in Him should be baptized.” This means that children are excluded from the sacrament. In all other denominations, however, they receive it. Several points call for consideration in connection with this subject.

a. The Scriptural basis for infant baptism. It may be said at the outset that there is no explicit command in the Bible to baptize children, and that there is not a single instance in which we are plainly told that children were baptized. But this does not necessarily make infant baptism un-Biblical. The Scriptural ground for it is found in the following data:

    1. The covenant made with Abraham was primarily a spiritual covenant, though it also had a national aspect, and of this spiritual covenant circumcision was a sign and seal. It is an unwarranted procedure of the Baptists to split this covenant up into two of three different covenants. The Bible refers to the covenant with Abraham several times, but always in the singular. Ex. 2:24; Lev. 26:42. 2 Kings 13:23; 1 Chron. 16:16: Ps. 105:9. There is not a single exception to this rule. The spiritual nature of this covenant is proved by the manner in which its promises are interpreted in the New Testament, Rom. 4:16–18; 2 Cor. 6:16–18; Gal. 3:8, 9, 14, 16; Heb. 8:10; 11:9, 10, 13. It also follows from the fact that circumcision was clearly a rite that had spiritual significance, Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:25, 26; Acts 15:1; Rom. 2:26–29; 4:11; Phil. 3:2; and from the fact that the promise of the covenant is even called “the gospel,” Gal. 3:8.
    2. This covenant is still in force and is essentially identical with the “new covenant” of the present dispensation. The unity and continuity of the covenant in both dispensations follows from the fact that the Mediator is the same, Acts 4:12; 10:43; 15:10, 11; Gal. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:5, 6; 1 Pet. 1:9–12; the condition is the same, namely, faith. Gen. 15:6; (Rom. 4:3); Ps. 32:10; Heb. 2:4; Acts 10:43; Heb. 11; and the blessings are the same, namely, justification, Ps. 32:1, 2, 5; Isa. 1:18; Rom. 4:9; Gal. 3:6, regeneration, Deut. 30:6; Ps. 51:10, spiritual gifts, Joel 2:28, 32; Acts 2:17–21; Isa. 40:31, and eternal life, Ex. 3:6; Heb. 4:9; 11:10. Peter gave those who were under conviction on the day of Pentecost the assurance that the promise was unto them and to their children. Acts 2:39. Paul argues in Rom. 4:13–18; Gal. 3:13–18 that the giving of the law did not make the promise of none effect, so that it still holds in the new dispensation. And the writer of Hebrews points out that the promise to Abraham was confirmed with an oath, so that New Testament believers may derive comfort from its immutability, Heb. 6:13–18.
    3. By the appointment of God infants shared in the benefits of the covenant, and therefore received circumcision as a sign and seal. According to the Bible the covenant is clearly an organic concept, and its realization moves along organic and historical lines. There is a people or nation of God, an organic whole such as could only be constituted by families. This national idea is naturally very prominent in the Old Testament, but the striking thing is that it did not disappear when the nation of Israel had served its purpose. It was spiritualized and thus carried over into the New Testament, so that the New Testament people of God are also represented as a nation, Matt. 21:43; Rom. 9:25, 26 (comp. Hosea 2:23); 2 Cor. 6:16; Tit. 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:9. Infants were considered during the old dispensation as an integral part of Israel as the people of God. They were present when the covenant was renewed, Deut. 29:10, 13; Josh. 8:35; 2 Chron. 20:13, had a standing in the congregation of Israel, and were therefore present in their religious assemblies, 2 Chron. 20:13; Joel 2:16. In view of such rich promises as those in Isa. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; Joel 2:28 we would hardly expect the privileges of such children to be reduced in the new dispensation, and certainly would not look for their exclusion from any standing in the Church. Jesus and the apostles did not exclude them, Matt. 19:14; Acts 2:39; 1 Cor. 7:14. Such an exclusion would seem to require a very explicit statement to that effect.
    4. In the new dispensation baptism is by divine authority substituted for circumcision as the initiatory sign and seal of the covenant of grace. Scripture strongly insists on it that circumcision can no more serve as such, Acts 15:1, 2; 21:21; Gal. 2:3–5; 5:2–6; 6:12, 13, 15. If baptism did not take its place, then the New Testament has no initiatory rite. But Christ clearly substituted it as such, Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16. It corresponds with circumcision in spiritual meaning. As circumcision referred to the cutting away of sin and to a change of heart, Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:25, 26; Ezek. 44:7, 9, so baptism refers to the washing away of sin, Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21; Tit. 3:5, and to spiritual renewal, Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:11, 12. The last passage clearly links up circumcision with baptism, and teaches that the Christ-circumcision, that is, circumcision of the heart, signified by circumcision in the flesh, was accomplished by baptism, that is, by that which baptism signifies. Cf. also Gal. 3:27, 29. But if children received the sign and seal of the covenant in the old dispensation, the presumption is that they surely have a right to receive it in the new, to which the pious of the Old Testament were taught to look forward as a much fuller and richer dispensation. Their exclusion from it would require a clear and unequivocal statement to that effect, but quite the contrary is found, Matt. 19:14; Acts 2:39; 1 Cor. 7:14.
    5. As was pointed out in the preceding, the New Testament contains no direct evidence for the practice of infant baptism in the days of the apostles. Lambert, after considering and weighing all the available evidence, expresses his conclusion in the following words: “The New Testament evidence, then, seems to point to the conclusion that infant baptism, to say the least, was not the general custom of the apostolic age.” But it need not surprise anyone that there is no direct mention of the baptism of infants, for in a missionary period like the apostolic age the emphasis would naturally fall on the baptism of adults. Moreover, conditions were not always favorable to infant baptism. Converts would not at once have a proper conception of their covenant duties and responsibilities. Sometimes only one of the parents was converted, and it is quite conceivable that the other would oppose the baptism of the children. Frequently there was no reasonable assurance that the parents would educate their children piously and religiously, and yet such assurance was necessary. At the same time the language of the New Testament is perfectly consistent with a continuation of the organic administration of the covenant, which required the circumcision of children. Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:13–16; Acts 2:39; 1 Cor. 7:14. Moreover, the New Testament repeatedly speaks of the baptism of households, and gives no indication that this is regarded as something out of the ordinary, but rather refers to it as a matter of course, Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor. 1:16. It is entirely possible, of course, but not very probable, that none of these households contained children. And if there were infants, it is morally certain that they were baptized along with the parents. The New Testament certainly contains no evidence that persons born and reared in Christian families may not be baptized until they have come to years of discretion and have professed their faith in Christ. There is not the slightest allusion to any such practice.
    6. Wall in the introduction to his History of Infant Baptism points out that in the baptism of proselytes children of proselytes were often baptized along with their parents; but Edersheim says that there was a difference of opinion on this point. Naturally, even if this did happen, it would prove nothing so far as Christian baptism is concerned, but it would go to show that there was nothing strange in such a procedure. The earliest historical reference to infant baptism is found in writings of the last half of the second century. The Didache speaks of adult, but not of infant baptism; and while Justin makes mention of women who became disciples of Christ from childhood (ek paidon), this passage does not mention baptism, and ek paidon does not necessarily mean infancy. Irenæus, speaking of Christ, says: “He came to save through means of Himself all who through Him are born again unto God, infants, and little children, and boys, and youths, and old men.” This passage, though it does not explicitly mention baptism, is generally regarded as the earliest reference to infant baptism, since the early Fathers so closely associated baptism with regeneration that they used the term “regeneration” for “baptism.” That infant baptism was quite generally practiced in the latter part of the second century, is evident from the writings of Tertullian, though he himself considered it safer and more profitable to delay baptism. Origen speaks of it as a tradition of the apostles. Says he: “For this also it was, that the Church had from the apostles a tradition (or, order) to give baptism even to infants.” The Council of Carthage (A.D. 253) takes infant baptism for granted and discusses simply the question, whether they may be baptized before the eighth day. From the second century on, infant baptism is regularly recognized, though it was sometimes neglected in practice. Augustine inferred from the fact that it was generally practiced by the Church throughout the world in spite of the fact that it was not instituted in Councils, that it was in all probability settled by the authority of the apostles. Its legitimacy was not denied until the days of the Reformation, when the Anabaptists opposed it.

Pages 632-635 of Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof

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Review of Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe – via New Horizons

New Horizons
Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

Reviewed by OPC Pastor Brenton Ferry.

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears are coauthors of Vintage Jesus (2008), Death by Love (2008), Vintage Church (2009), and now Doctrine. Breshears is on the faculty at Western Seminary, where Driscoll was trained. Driscoll is cofounder and pastor of Mars Hill Church, and cofounder of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and Resurgence Literature. All three entities work together to contextualize the Christian faith in contemporary (youth) culture.

This book represents the doctrinal side of that contextualization program. It sets Driscoll’s vision apart from the type of contextualization espoused by current leaders of the emergent church movement, insofar as the latter embrace postmodernity’s disdain for dogmatism.

Doctrine covers thirteen topics: Trinity, revelation, creation, image, fall, covenant, incarnation, cross, resurrection, church, worship, stewardship, and kingdom. The book concludes with a final section of discussion questions for small groups.

Continue reading →

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Calvin as Theologian of Consolation by DR. R. Scott Clark via VALIANT FOR TRUTH Blog


Calvin as Theologian of Consolation, Part 1

Dr. R. Scott Clark

Wikipedia, that ubiquitous source of unimpeachable scholarship, defines “consolation” as “something of value, when one fails to get something of higher value….” That is precisely the opposite of what John Calvin (1509–64) meant by “consolation.”For Calvin, the consolation that Christ gives to his people, by the gospel, through the Spirit, is not second prize but to be valued above that which we lost. When we consider Calvin, “consolation” might not be the thing we first associate with him. The dominant perception of Calvin in our culture is that of a tyrannical, dyspeptic fellow, who delighted in nothing more than to dispatch a few heretics to the flames before breakfast. That caricature, however, was one drawn by his enemies during his lifetime and sadly, despite the facts, it has stuck for a variety of reasons.

First, the modern picture of Calvin has been skewed badly by the uncritical acceptance by earlier modern historians of partisan caricatures of Calvin and thus, he has been a useful foil for advocates of the modernist religion. Just as the Renaissance scholars juxtaposed themselves as enlightened, in contrast to the allegedly benighted middle ages, so in the various European and British Enlightenments of the 18th and 19th centuries scholars capitalized on sixteenth-century caricatures of Calvin to create a useful whipping boy with which to contrast their own view of the world.

To Read More

 Links to Parts 2 – 5 below

http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/calvin-as-theologian-of-consolation-part-2
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/calvin-as-theologian-of-consolation-part-3
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/calvin-as-theologian-of-consolation-part-4
http://wscal.edu/blog/entry/calvin-as-theologian-of-consolation-part-5

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Richard B. Gaffin to Edit the English Translation of Geerhardus Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics -via Logos Blog

Richard B. Gaffin to Edit the English Translation of Geerhardus Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics

Richard B. GaffinA few months ago we announced our intention to translate Geerhardus Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics into English. We put it on Pre-Pub to determine whether our users wanted this project to proceed, and the response has been overwhelming. Not only have lots of Logos users pre-ordered, but we’ve also received numerous notes of encouragement to pursue the project.

Today we are thrilled to announce that Richard B. Gaffin has agreed to edit the English translation of Geerhardus Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics. He will oversee a team of translators who will begin their work later this year. The complete English translation of Reformed Dogmatics is scheduled for publication sometime in 2013.

There are few individuals more qualified than Gaffin to edit this translation. He is an acclaimed Vos scholar, having published numerous articles on Vos, and editing Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation: The Shorter Writings of Geerhardus Vos. Gaffin has taught at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1965.

Right now you can pre-order the English translation of Reformed Dogmatics at a discounted price. The price will go up as the project moves forward, so to get the best price, you need to pre-order it now.

Who Is Geerhardus Vos?

Geerhardus Vos was an important theologian from the early twentieth century. He taught at both Calvin Theological Seminary and Princeton Theology Seminary alongside J. Gresham Machen and B. B. Warfield. He was an outspoken proponent of Reformed Biblical Theology. Cornelius Van Til has written that “Vos was the greatest pedagogue I ever sat under,” and John Murray said Vos was “the most penetrating exegete it has been my privilege to know.”

Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics synthesizes his work into a systematic theology, and it remains his most important un-translated work.

What are you waiting for? Pre-order it now!

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Geerhardus Vos’ Reformed Dogmatics: A First-Ever English Translation

Many important theological works have not been translated into English. For most of the church’s history, the majority of theological writing has been done in Greek, Latin, German, French, Italian, Dutch—not English. There are countless works in the fields of biblical and theological studies that remain untranslated—and therefore inaccessible to English-speaking pastors, Bible students, and scholars.

Reformed Dogmatics

Logos is changing that. As a start, we intend to translate Geerhardus Vos’ Gereformeerde Dogmatiek into English.

Why Most Translation Projects Fail

Translation projects are difficult. Translators must devote large amounts of time to work on a project. Publishers must invest resources to finish (and fund!) it. It takes years. It’s expensive. It’s risky.

It’s no wonder most translation projects never get off the ground.

Translation Projects Meet Pre-Pub

The Pre-Pub process allows us to invest resources in translating Gereformeerde Dogmatiek only if there is sufficient demand. The books that have been available only to specialists will soon be accessible to anyone.

To move the translation process forward, you need to place your pre-order. Once enough pre-orders are placed, Logos will begin the work of translating Gereformeerde Dogmatiek into English and turning it into a fully tagged, fully linked digital book for use in Logos Bible Software.

Normally, we begin the work of digitizing a book after enough users have pre-ordered. With the Pre-Pub process for this translation project, we will wait until there is sufficient interest in an English translation before beginning the work of translation itself—and this includes confirming who will do the translation and editorial work. This allows us to focus our resources on the projects our users want the most.

How It Works

As soon as there is sufficient interest in a project to cover the cost of translating, editing, and creating the digital work, we will confirm and announce the translator and move forward.

Gereformeerde Dogmatiek was originally intended to be published in 5 volumes, but it was bound in 3- and 4-volume print sets, approximately a thousand total pages in length.

There are lots of details that we’re still working out. As the scope of the project becomes clearer, the price may have to go up.

The good news is that if you pre-order today, you’re locked in at the lowest price. That’s why it’s always best to pre-order early. Head on over to the page and place your order.

Individual Titles

Reformed Dogmatics: Theology Proper

Volume one of Vos’ Reformed Dogmatics covers the Doctrine of God, including his knowability, his names, being, and character. Vos discusses the Trinity and its evidence in Scripture and its theological development in the church fathers. Also examined are God’s acts and our knowledge of them, creation, predestination, and the providence of God.

Reformed Dogmatics: Anthropology

The second volume of Reformed Dogmatics examines anthropology, with a focus on the nature of humanity, sin, and the covenant of grace. He begins his examination of human nature with the question: What does scripture say about the nature of humanity? From there, Vos examines the relationship between the body and the soul. In hamartiology, Vos surveys various philosophical perspectives on sin and investigates the claims of Scripture. The volume concludes with a lengthy study of God’s covenants with humanity through the Old Testament culminating with the New Covenant.

Reformed Dogmatics: Christology

The focus of volume three is Christology. It covers the Person of Christ which includes his two natures and the incarnation, and then also the work of Christ: his death and resurrection, the nature of his sacrifice, and his office as priest and mediator.

Reformed Dogmatics: Soteriology

Volume four covers Soteriology continues and builds on Vos’ examination of the work of Christ. He discusses the nature of salvation, evidence of salvation in the Holy Spirit and the Church, and the order of salvation (the Ordo Salutis).

Reformed Dogmatics: Ecclesiology, the Means of Grace, Eschatology

The fifth and final volume of Reformed Dogmatics presents Geerhardus Vos’ views on Ecclesiology, the Sacraments and Eschatology. He deals with the nature of the church and its purpose. Vos’ discussion of the Means of Grace goes beyond merely the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist into issues of the Gospel Proclamation as well. Lastly, he concludes with his examination of eschatology both in the sense of “things to come” and also in the sense of the current state of the church as existing in the “already, but not yet.”

About the Author

Geerhardus J. Vos, born in 1862, was a Dutch American theologian. He was the first alumnus of Calvin College (then Theological School) to earn a doctoral degree. Vos studied Old Testament at Princeton Seminary and graduated with honors. He then went on to do doctoral work in Semitics at the University of Berlin for one year, followed by two years at the University of Strasburg. He returned to teach at Calvin in 1888, but accepted an invitation to hold Princeton’s new Chair of Biblical Theology in 1892. He held the chair until his retirement in 1932. During his time at Princeton he taught some of the great Reformed minds of the 20th century, including John Gresham Machen and Ned Bernard Stonehouse. Vos was also an essential catalyst in the establishment of Biblical Theology as a discipline. He passed away in 1949. Vos’ thinking and scholarship in theology has influenced Cornelius Van Til, John Murray, Richard B. Gaffin Jr., and Herman Ridderbos.

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The Christian Faith A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way by Dr. Michael Horton

The Christian Faith A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way

Description:

Michael Horton’s highly anticipated The Christian Faith represents his magnum opus and will be viewed as one of—if not the—most important systematic theologies since Louis Berkhof wrote his in 1932. A prolific, award-winning author and theologian, Professor Horton views this volume as “doctrine that can be preached, experienced, and lived, as well as understood, clarified, and articulated.” It is written for a growing cast of pilgrims making their way together and will be especially welcomed by professors, pastors, students, and armchair theologians. Features of this volume include: (1) a brief synopsis of biblical passages that inform a particular doctrine; (2) surveys of past and current theologies with contemporary emphasis on exegetical, philosophical, practical, and theological questions; (3) substantial interaction with various Christian movements within the Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodoxy traditions, as well as the hermeneutical issues raised by postmodernity; and (4) charts, sidebars, questions for discussion, and an extensive bibliography, divided into different entry levels and topics.

Page Count: 1056

Paper Edge Description: Plain
Weight: 1 lb | 453 gms

Available: January 2011

Available in Kindle and iBook formats now

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The White Horse Inn – A Survey of Biblical Literacy

WHI-1027 | A Survey of Biblical Literacy

Dec.12, 2010 by WHI Admin

On this program, the hosts interact with the results of a recent survey of general Bible knowledge taken at a Christian convention. In this survey, Christians were asked whether or not they agreed with various ideas such as, “There is no one who does good, not even one, there is no one who seeks God.” Though this is a famous Bible verse from Romans 3, half the people we surveyed failed to recognize it, and ended up disagreeing with the theology that it puts forth.


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2010 WHI Survey Results
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The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy
David Nienhuis
Hearing is Believing
Michael Horton
WHI Discussion Group Questions
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Michael Horton
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12 Days of Logos Sale – Herman Bavinck’s – Reformed Dogmatics (4 vols.)

Herman Bavinck’s
Reformed Dogmatics (4 vols.)

Retail: 179.99
SALE: 109.95 [until Jan. 2nd 2011]
Code: 12Days201011

Overview

Reformed Dogmatics is hailed by editor John Bolt as biblically and confessionally faithful, pastorally sensitive, challenging, and still relevant. This magnum opus of the renowned Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck is now fully translated into English. This volume includes a combined index of all four volumes as well as discussions of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Sacraments, and Eschatology. A welcome resource for scholars, students, pastors, and theological libraries.

Theologians have long appreciated Herman Bavinck’s four-volume masterpiece, Gereformeerde Dogmatiek, published in 1895–99, for its comprehensive treatment of dogmatic theology. Unfortunately, this magnum opus from the great Reformed theologian has only been available in Dutch, and therefore has been inaccessible to most readers. Now, thanks to the Dutch Reformed Translation Society and the work of translator John Vriend and editor John Bolt, the entire four volumes of Bavinck’s magisterial Reformed Dogmatics is available in English for the first time.

With Logos Bible Software the entire Reformed Dogmatics set is fully searchable and easily accessible. Scripture references are linked to your favorite Bible translations and original texts, and important theological concepts are linked to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the wealth of resources in your digital library.

Key Features

  • An introduction to Bavinck and Reformed Dogmatics by series editor John Bolt
  • An extensive bibliography
  • Comprehensive and enhanced footnotes
  • Every chapter features an insightful introduction

Praise for the Print Edition

Arguably the most important systematic theology ever produced in the Reformed tradition. I have found it to be the most valuable. English-speaking theology throughout the 20th century until now has been singularly impoverished by not having at its disposal a translation of Bavinck’s Dogmatiek in its entirety. The appearance of these volumes will be an incomparable boon for generations of students, pastors, teachers, and others, serving to deepen understanding and enrich reflection in both historical and systematic theology.  —Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., professor of biblical and systematic theology, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia

Bavinck’s Dutch masterwork was the Everest of which the textbooks by Louis Berkhof and Auguste Leoerf were foothills and Berkouwer’s studies in dogmatics were outliers. Like Augustine, Calvin, and Edwards, Bavinck was a man of giant mind, vast learning, ageless wisdom and great expository skill. Solid but lucid, demanding but satisfying, broad and deep and sharp and stabilizing, Bavinck’s magisterial Reformed Dogmatics remains after a century the supreme achievement of its kind. —J. I. Packer, professor of theology, Regent College

Despite all the important contributions that Dutch Calvinists have made to North American Protestantism, Herman Bavinck remains an obscure figure, lagging behind the influential Abraham Kuyper. With the translation and republication of Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics, this unfortunate situation should change for the better. These four volumes demonstrate the importance and mastery of Bavinck’s own contribution to Reformed theology, while providing a useful and striking point of comparison with the best-known twentieth-century Reformed dogmatics, that of Karl Barth. At a time when the scholastic nature of systematic theology has come under serious criticism, Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics reveals the advantage of careful and sustained reflection on Christian truth that is both faithful to the church and engaged with the academy. Readers will discover more than Bavinck the theologian in these volumes; they will learn about the God whom he worshiped and served. —D. G. Hart, author of The Lost Soul of American Protestantism

Individual Titles

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12 Days of Logos sale – B. B. Warfield Collection (20 vols.) for $136.95

B. B. Warfield Collection (20 vols.)

Retail: 599.95
SALE: 136.95 [until Jan. 2nd 2011]
Code: 12Days201010

Overview

B. B. Warfield ranks among America’s greatest theologians and Reformed theology’s most ardent defenders. As a prolific writer and accomplished scholar, Warfield defended Reformed confessionalism against the extremes of nineteenth century modernist and revivalist theology, and defined the parameters of theological method for the twentieth century. The 20-volume B. B. Warfield Collection includes Warfield’s works on biblical inspiration and authority, textual criticism, Calvinism, biblical theology, and Christian perfectionism.

The B. B. Warfield Collection from Logos includes the entire 10-volume Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, published in the decade following Warfield’s death in 1921, plus ten additional volumes which contain books, articles, and lectures not found in the original ten volumes. What’s more, with the power of the Logos Digital Library, the entire 20-volume B. B. Warfield Collection is fully searchable and easily accessible. The Scripture references in Warfield’s books are linked to your favorite Bible translations and Greek texts, and important theological concepts are linked to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the wealth of resources in your Logos Digital Library.

Key Features

  • The original 10-volume Works of Benjamin B. Warfield
  • An additional ten volumes of books, articles, and lectures not included in the original 10-volume Works of Benjamin B. Warfield

Product Details

  • Title: B. B. Warfield Collection (20 vols.)
  • Authors: Benjamin B. Warfield
  • Volumes: 20
  • Pages: 7,118

About Benjamin B. Warfield

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield was born in 1851 in Lexington, Kentucky. He studied mathematics and science at Princeton University and graduated in 1871. In 1873, he decided to enroll at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was taught by Charles Hodge. He graduated from seminary in 1876, and was married shortly thereafter. He traveled to Germany later that year to study under Franz Delitazsch.

After returning to America, Warfield taught at Western Theological Seminary (now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary). In 1881, Warfield co-wrote an article with A. A. Hodge on the inspiration of Scripture—a subject which dominated his scholarly pursuits throughout the remainder of his lifetime. When A. A. Hodge died in 1887, Warfield became professor of Theology at Princeton, where he taught from 1887–1921. History remembers Warfield as one of the last great Princeton Theologians prior to the seminary’s re-organization and the split in the Presbyterian Church.

B. B. Warfield died in 1921.

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12 Days of Logos sale – Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology

Louis Berkhof’s
Systematic Theology

Retail: 50.00
SALE: 21.95 [until Jan. 2nd 2011]
Code: 12Days201004

Overview

For decades, Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology has remained one of the most important and widely-used systematic theologies. It provides the clearest and most succinct articulation of Reformed theology. From its first publication in 1932, Berkhof’s work was revised, reprinted, and translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese, and it had become a standard theological text by 1950. It has gained near-universal use in seminaries and Bible colleges across the world, and is widely cited and used by pastors, theologians, and students of nearly all denominational affiliations.

Although many of Berkhof’s ideas are not original—he wrote squarely within the Reformed tradition of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck—they are succinct, clear, and well-organized.

Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology was first published by Eerdmans in 1932 as a three-volume set: an introductory volume, plus two volumes entitled Reformed Dogmatics. Much of the material in these volumes was transcribed from his lectures at Calvin Theology Seminary between 1926 and 1928. In 1938, Berkhof revised the 2-volume Reformed Dogmatics, and it was published in smaller type by Eerdmans as a single volume entitled Systematic Theology. Berkhof’s Introductory Volume to Systematic Theology was published separately. For decades, both the Systematic Theology and its introductory volume have been reprinted as two-volume sets or combined one-volume editions.

Key Features

  • Clear articulation of Reformed theology
  • Organized into six sections for easy navigation
  • Ideal for pastors, theologians, and students

Contents

  • Doctrine of God
  • Doctrine of Man in Relation to God
  • Doctrine of the Person and Work of Christ
  • Doctrine of the Application of the Work of Redemption
  • Doctrine of the Church and the Means of Grace
  • Doctrine of the Last Things

Product Details

  • Title: Systematic Theology
  • Author: Louis Berkhof
  • Publisher: Eerdmans
  • Publication Date: 1938
  • Pages: 784

About Louis Berkhof

Louis Berkhof was born in 1873 in the Netherlands, and immigrated with his family to West Michigan in 1882. In 1893, he began attending the Theological School of the Christian Reformed Church (now Calvin Theological Seminary), where he studied under Hendericus Beuker and was influenced by the writings of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck. Berkhof graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1900 and became the pastor of First Christian Reformed Church in Allendale, Michigan. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary from 1902 to 1904, where he studied under B.B. Warfield and Geerhardus Vos. H. Henry Meeter, a friend of Berkhof, remarked that “Berkhof frequently said that he owed more to Vos than anyone else for his insights into Reformed theology” (Reformed Theology in America, 156).

Berkfhof returned to Michigan in 1904 and became pastor of Oakdale Park Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. In 1906, he was appointed professor of exegetical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, and in 1926, became professor of dogmatic theology. He also delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton in 1921. On September 9, 1931, Berkhof became president of Calvin Theological Seminary, where he served until his retirement in 1944. During his lifetime, he wrote prolifically, including numerous volumes on theology, social issues, politics, education, and missions. In addition to his books, he also published countless articles in Reformed periodicals, such as The Banner, De Wachter, and the Calvin Forum. He also served as the first president of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod in 1946.

Louis Berkhof died in 1957.

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Logos iPhone Bible App Version 1.5 Released

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It has been a little over a year since we launched the Logos Bible Software iPhone app, and we are still finding ways to make a great app an even better Bible study tool!

The latest update to the app is available for you to download today. The update, version 1.5, includes some great enhancements like:

  • Footnotes available offline
  • Automatic book update notification
  • Increased performance when resources are downloaded
  • Most links between books now available offline if the specific books are downloaded
  • Full table of contents for books with many entries
  • Reading plan end markers link to the next reading
  • Text comparison now uses the book you came from as the base for comparison
  • Support for Chinese text display

In addition to these updates, we have improved upon the rendering of offline resources: now tables and interlinear displays will be appear more accurately in your downloaded books. After updating, make sure to download your offline books again. (The app will prompt you to.)

Version 1.5 improves upon an already phenomenal app. Now even without internet access, you will have all the tools you need to take your Bible study on the go.

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Dr. J V Fesko’s new book on Reformed Perspective on Baptism

Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism

Author: Fesko, J.V.

�J. V. Fesko‘s Word, Water, and Spirit is a major work that both models how to do theology by moving from historical theology to biblical and systematic theology and, most importantly, presents fresh insights for a Reformed understanding of baptism. Fesko‘s fair-minded, page-turning history of the doctrine of baptism is itself worth the price of the book. Most enlightening, however, is his biblical-theological survey of baptism as new creation, covenant judgment, and eschatological judgment. The book‘s emphasis on God‘s judgment in baptism is particularly innovative and helpful. These insights pave the way for treating baptism systematically as a means of grace and as a sacrament in relation to its recipients and ecclesiology.

Highly recommended for all who wish to grapple seriously with the doctrine of baptism and its implications.” �JOEL R. BEEKE, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

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The Theology of B. B. Warfield.

Warfield—A Model and Challenge to Christians

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Crossway: Fred, could you share with our readers what you have learned most from Warfield and how he has challenged you?

Fred Zaspel: I suppose what stands out is that Warfield models so well the ideals of Old Princeton Seminary, qualities that ought to be the pursuit of every Christian theologian – the highest scholarship and learning matched with an utterly warfieldpursuitdevoted heart and warm devotional piety.He is known, of course, as a theological giant and one whose scholarship was second to none. But what is not as widely appreciated is his adoration of and passionate heart for Christ, and his obvious sense of helpless dependence upon him. Equally challenging is his utter confidence in the trustworthiness of Scripture. He was so fully persuaded that “What Scripture says, God says” that it does not seem even to have entered his mind that Scripture could possibly be mistaken at any point. He is best known as the champion of the doctrine of inspiration and inerrancy, and so he was. But this was no merely bbwarfield1theoretical issue for him – a right appreciation of and response to God’s Word, he insisted, was basic to all religion.

So, in brief, his immense scholarship, his passionate heart for Christ, and his utter confidence in God’s Word – this was Warfield, and in this respect he will doubtless remain a model and challenge to Christians for a very long time.

Learn more about The Theology of B. B. Warfield.