Which authors should I include?

Hi all,

I am building a Collection of authors' books that I would classify as "Early Reformed Theology". To give you an idea what I think I mean (since I am not an expert on this, hence the building of the Collection!), I have started with Charles Hodge and Louis Berkhof. Is there anyone else I should include in this Collection? Do these two make sense, and should I add Warfield, Finney, Kuyper, Van Til?

Note - remember, "early" and "reformed" are my criteria. It's a little overhwelming figuring out who really were the early leaders in theology. I hope you don't give me 50 authors to read Big Smile

Thanks - just trying to learn so I appreciate your advice!

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Ted Hans

Finney,

Certainly not Finney! Finney is way off the reform camp!

Ted

Mark Barnes

As you said, I guess it depends on how you classify early. Early in my book would be sixteenth, possibly seventeenth century, and include Calvin, Zwingli and the like. But if early means started writing about 100 years ago, and theology means systematics not biblical studies, then I'd add:

Bavinck
Berkhof
Berkouwer
Boettner
Calvin
Dabney
Edwards
A. A. Hodge
Charles Hodge
Kupyer
Owen
Shedd

Rich DeRuiter

Hi all,

I am building a Collection of authors' books that I would classify as "Early Reformed Theology". To give you an idea what I think I mean (since I am not an expert on this, hence the building of the Collection!), I have started with Charles Hodge and Louis Berkhof. Is there anyone else I should include in this Collection? Do these two make sense, and should I add Warfield, Finney, Kuyper, Van Til?

Note - remember, "early" and "reformed" are my criteria. It's a little overhwelming figuring out who really were the early leaders in theology. I hope you don't give me 50 authors to read

Thanks - just trying to learn so I appreciate your advice!

Hodge and Berkhof are 19th and 20th century respectively. I'm not sure how 'early' that is, since the Reformed movement started with Calvin in the 16th century.

Apart from that, Warfield, Kuyper and VanTil are all solidly in the Reformed camp. So are Bavink, and Berkouwer.

But don't forget about earlier Reformed theologians like Calvin, a Brakel, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards.

Rosie Perera

What about Calvin? Luther was an early reformer too, but by "Reformed" I'm presuming you mean the stream of the Reformation that led to the "Reformed" theology of today.

The other major early Princeton theologian should be in your list: Archibald Alexander Hodge (A.A. Hodge)

I'd include J. Gresham Machen on the list, but I don't think Logos carries any of his works.

Check out the table of contents of David Wells' Reformed Theology in America (preview available on Google Books) for some more ideas.

Some of the earlier ones would include: Zacharias Ursinus, Heinrich Bullinger, Martin Bucer, Philipp Melanchthon. Not much in Logos by those authors except this in pre-pub: http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4367 (except you might find some of their shorter works anthologized in other books; but I haven't done an exhaustive search).

Also, what's your definition of "early"? There's Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) and Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), both of whom have works available in Logos format. I was also thinking of another significant Dutch Reformed theologian, Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977), but he's probably too recent for your definition, and he's not in Logos anyway.

You might also be interested in Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics.

Joe Miller

Finney

While Finney started off in this camp, he pretty much rejected the reformed doctrine and most all of his writings reflect that change in theology. Most notably, he strongly denounced the doctrine of Original Sin and ultimately rejected any supernatural work of the Spirit in regeneration.

Please note, I am not wanting to engage in any debate about the theology here, just wanted to give a quick example of why Finney would not fall into the Reformed camp nor into your Logos collection of Reformed authors.

PS
There is still an amazing deal on the Works of Charles Finney in Logos that everyone should get. Like Finney or despise him, this is a great primary source document http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4351 [Y]

NetworkGeek

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/155290#Comment_155290

Thanks for the comments all, they were very enlightening. I am glad it did not get into debate, I don't know that much beyond the basics of the Reformed systematic theology which is why I wanted to figure out what to read.So for that need, asking people who believe they know is the best recommendation for authors!

I already had Calvin and Luther on my list - sometimes it is so easy to not see the huge elephant in the middle of the room!

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/155373#Comment_155373

So for that need, asking people who believe they know is the best recommendation for authors!

I already had Calvin and Luther on my list - sometimes it is so easy to not see the huge elephant in the middle of the room!

---Until that elephant starts to lean on you! [:D] Joe Miller made a very inportant point:

Like Finney or despise him, this is a great primary source document http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4351

Sometimes it is good to read ardent detractors to gain a better understanding of what ardent supporters are talking about. Also reading some of the not-so-early supporters can shed more lighr on what the "old guys" were talking about. But you stated you are assembling a collection from a specific period & viewpoint. So being exclusive, rather than inclusive, you might draw an arbitrary line at 1800.

All my recommendations have already been listed in this thread. I just wouldn't limit the list to "early" unless you are only interested in the dogmatic. The later writers (Last 120 years) have important apologetic value in the "great debate."

Mark Barnes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/155373#Comment_155373

I assuming you're coming from a non-reformed position. The problem here (as you no doubt know) is that it can be very difficult to assess a theological position unless you learn how to think as they they. For example, in my case Catholicism, dispensationalism and Arminianism don't make any sense at all. (I'm not trying to start an argument here, it's just an illustration!) Reading a reformed systematic theology might therefore not make all that much sense if you're current position is a long way from the reformed faith. On the other hand, a 'proselytising' book will probably just irritate you!

Berkhof's generally considered to be a pretty straight foward start -
his Summary of Christian Doctrine is available in Logos, it's basic but
comprehensive. If you want something just on the so-called five points, then The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented is again a good start. If you want to stretch yourself, vanTil's The Case of Calvinism is stirring stuff (though a little dated now).

For an historical perspective, Luther and Erasmus on Free Will still makes a good read. Luther's is in volume 33 of his works.

If you say more about where you're coming from and what you hope to achieve, I'd probably make different suggestions.