Christian Dogmatics: An Introduction

by Gijsbert Van den Brink, C. Van der Kooi

Overview

A fresh, inviting text on the content of Christian faith in our contemporary context.

This one-volume systematic theology presents an accessible, orthodox overview of the Christian faith for students, teachers, pastors, and serious lay readers. Cornelis van der Kooi and Gijsbert van den Brink not only cover all the traditional themes—creation, sin, Jesus Christ, Scripture, and so on—but also relate those classical themes to contemporary developments like Pentecostalism, postmodernism, and evolutionary theory.

Consisting of sixteen chapters, the book is ideal for classroom use. Each chapter begins with engaging questions and a statement of learning goals and concludes with a list of recommended further reading. Written in a student-friendly tone and style and expertly translated and edited, van der Kooi and van den Brink's Christian Dogmatics splendidly displays the real, practical relevance of theology to the complexities of today’s world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802882783
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	05/26/2022
Pages:	820
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Cornelis van der Kooi is a distinguished lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam and formerly served as professor of systematic theology at the Free University of Amsterdam. His other books include This Incredibly Benevolent Force: The Holy Spirit in Reformed Theology and Spirituality.
 
Gijsbert van den Brink holds the Chair of Theology and Science in the Faculty of Religion and Theology at the Free University of Amsterdam. His other books include Reformed Theology and Evolutionary Theory.

Table of Contents

Preface to the English Edition vii

Preface to the Original Edition ix

1 Dogmatics as Disciplined Thinking about God 1

Definitions and Aims

2 Is There a God? 33

Prolegomena

3 God as Three in One 75

The Doctrine of the Trinity

4 "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" 113

The Names, Attributes, and Essence of God

5 Encountering God 157

The Doctrine of Revelation

6 Existence Given 200

The Doctrine of Creation

7 Human Beings and the Image of God 247

Theological Anthropology

8 Existence Ravaged 293

Sin and Evil

9 Israel, the Raw Nerve in Christian Theology 338

The Doctrine of the Covenant

10 The Person of Jesus Christ 381

Christology

11 "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" 432

Jesus Christ as Victor, Redeemer, and Mediator

12 Holy Spirit, Giver of Life 489

Pneumatology

13 The Book of God and of Humans 533

The Doctrine of Scripture

14 Renewal of God's Community 572

Ecclesiology

15 Renewal of the Human Being 645

Justification and Transformation

16 Renewal of God's World 711

Eschatology

Bibliography 760

Index of Names 768

Index of Subjects 779

Index of Scripture References 795

Editorial Reviews

One of the best and most helpful one-volume summaries of Christian thought published in the last several decades. Accessible, clear, inspiring, informative, and very readable, this work should be in every pastor’s library.”
— Charles Van Engen
Fuller Theological Seminary

“Deeply informed by biblical studies as well as the history of doctrine, van der Kooi and van den Brink engage a wide range of conversation partners and offer a crucial perspective for ecumenical conversation.”
— Michael S. Horton
Westminster Seminary California

“This fine work was widely praised by Dutch readers when it first appeared in the Netherlands, going through several printings. Now all of us English speakers can see what the enthusiasm was all about. The subtitle correctly presents the book as an ‘introduction,’ but it is more than that. For me it has served—and will continue to serve—as a much-needed refresher course in how to bring new vitality to the exploration and twenty-first-century updating of the best of the theology that we have received from the past!”
— Richard J. Mouw
Fuller Theological Seminary

“Non-Dutch readers can now see for themselves why this Christian Dogmatics became such a best-seller in its native land. It provides a cogent, fresh, confident statement of the Christian faith that honestly engages the tough challenges our modern world throws at it. In addition, this work is a pedagogic success. . . . A great text for students of Christian theology that is also accessible to all who want to deepen their understanding of the faith.”
— John Bolt
Calvin Theological Seminary

“I am more than happy to finish my forty-year career of teaching Christian theology to students using [Christian Dogmatics] as my primary textbook for upper-level systematic theology students.”
— Roger E. Olson in Patheos

“This theology is doctrinal without being doctrinaire, pluralistic without being polarizing, open-minded without being open-ended, tolerant without being timid, and culturally perceptive yet without using invective. This volume is a sorely needed reference work for correcting facile stereotypes in the church, the academy, and the public square.”
— Interpretation

“This textbook offers a blend of historical and systematic theology and, quite frequently, a compressed but lively synopsis of exegetical or cultural conversations. . . . Students here get a sense of the state of the field as well as a principled argument with which to engage.”
— Journal of the Academy of Religion

“A welcome addition to the field.”
— Expository Times

From the Publisher