MarchMadness: Why I voted for Carson... again

This year I was determined not to vote for Carson in the March Madness tournament (nothing personal, it's just that I wanted another theologian to win this time).

I was not going to vote for Carson no matter who he would be up against.

But then it turned out that I had to choose between Carson and the most obscure theologian of the entire tournament... and I voted for Carson.

Could someone who voted for Geerhardus Vos please explain to me who he is and why he matters? I've been trying for at least four years to find a reason to pre-order his Reformed Dogmatics (the only Dutch language prepub at the moment). I've searched the internet for articles on Vos and I even tried to read his Biblical Theology, but nevertheless I still don't understand why Vos is an important theologian.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Allen Browne

Actually, I've taken a different approach to what you did: I only voted for authors whom I could potentially buy.

That means I voted against my preferred author where I already have (almost) all of his works, since I wouldn't be buying them.

And for those pairs where I would not be buying either author, I didn't vote. It seems to me that this gives the best outcome for those who do care about those authors, and it also informs Faithlife that there is less interest in those authors.

Does that make sense to anyone else?

Kevin Olson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702481#Comment_702481

Actually, I've taken a different approach to what you did: I only voted for authors whom I could potentially buy.

That means I voted against my preferred author where I already have (almost) all of his works, since I wouldn't be buying them.

And for those pairs where I would not be buying either author, I didn't vote. It seems to me that this gives the best outcome for those who do care about those authors, and it also informs Faithlife that there is less interest in those authors.

Does that make sense to anyone else?

That is exactly what I did. I voted against Carson (for the first time ever), because I have almost all his stuff already. Also, I would not mind having some Vos in my library.

Bruce Roth

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702481#Comment_702481

Actually, I've taken a different approach to what you did: I only voted for authors whom I could potentially buy.

That is my approach. I think we should change the focus from "your favorite authors" to "author's books I want to purchase". I am not sure everyone understands the strategic approach.

Levi Durfey

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702481#Comment_702481

Actually, I've taken a different approach to what you did: I only voted for authors whom I could potentially buy.

Same here...I voted against 2 or 3 of my favorites this round.

HJ. van der Wal

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702481#Comment_702481

Shalom Allen!

I have taken the same approach you have taken. There are still some books by Carson that I would like to buy, although not necessarily this month.

and it also informs Faithlife that there is less interest in those authors.

Please forgive me if my post isn't completely clear. By beginning this thread I also hoped to inform Faithlife that they have to do more marketing for the (Dutch) works of Geerhardus Vos. On the one hand I feel an obligation to pre-order Vos' Gereformeerde Dogmatiek: I'm Dutch, I'm reformed, holding to the Three Forms of Unity, I bought the English translation of Bavinck just to have it in Logos... in short I belong to the target audience for this product. But on the other hand I have absolutely no idea why I would want/need Vos in my Logos library.

It would help if there would be a blog post like the one the Gospel Coalition did last december on Why You Should Read Bavinck. The first sentence of that blog post read: "Until recently, few Americans—even in Reformed circles—had heard of the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck". You can say the same thing about Vos: Few people in the Netherlands - even in Reformed circles - have heard of the American theologian Geerhardus Vos.

EastTN

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702504#Comment_702504

It would help if there would be a blog post like the one the Gospel Coalition did last december on Why You Should Read Bavinck. The first sentence of that blog post read: "Until recently, few Americans—even in Reformed circles—had heard of the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck". You can say the same thing about Vos: Few people in the Netherlands - even in Reformed circles - have heard of the American theologian Geerhardus Vos.

[Y] [Y] [Y]

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702501#Comment_702501

Same here...I voted against 2 or 3 of my favorites this round.

I did the same. We have to remember that this is not a popularity contest but a contest that focuses on getting the best discount on resources we don't yet own. My fear is that many still vote based on who they "like" better.

Everett Headley

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702510#Comment_702510

I'm so glad that when I picked up Reformed Platinum that Vos was in here. GREAT stuff!

Josh

March Madness has grown boring to me. I love discounts, but I strongly dislike the fact that they have author vs author as the format. I have discussed this in the past. I needs to be resource vs resource. I don't even want to vote.

Yasmin Stephen

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702602#Comment_702602

... I strongly dislike the fact that they have author vs author as the format.

This is my first go at it but I had a similar feeling when I had to decide between Bonhoeffer and Warfield. I had a couple other tough choices but that pair was the most egregious for me [:(]

JohnB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702481#Comment_702481

I only voted for authors whom I could potentially buy.

That means I voted against my preferred author where I already have (almost) all of his works, since I wouldn't be buying them.

And for those pairs where I would not be buying either author, I didn't vote. It seems to me that this gives the best outcome for those who do care about those authors, and it also informs Faithlife that there is less interest in those authors. Does that make sense to anyone else?

Perfect sense - I just did the same not having read this post but thinking I would be the odd one out!!

Dave Moser

Could someone who voted for Geerhardus Vos please explain to me who he is and why he matters?

Vos was a member of "Old Princeton." His most important contribution is probably his Biblical Theology. Not since Edwards had someone so prominently exposited the Bible as one story. Also important is his Pauline Eschatology.

Without Vos we don't get the modern "gospel-centered" hermeneutic - Greidanus, Carson, Gospel Coalition, etc.

I have his systematic theology on order primarily because I don't know what it contains (but value his other work).

Sean

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702510#Comment_702510

We have to remember that this is not a popularity contest but a contest that focuses on getting the best discount on resources we don't yet own Faithlife selling as many books as possible in its spring sale.

Fixed that for you. We've got to realize that FL isn't going to change the setup so that more obscure authors win over their reliable bestsellers. Though we forum regulars would prefer different outcomes each year in order to improve our libraries, it's not in their best interest. There's nothing wrong with that, either, but it is what it is.

George Simopoulos

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702859#Comment_702859

The reign of Carson must come to an end! Vive la revolution!

But serioualy, Vos's work on pauline eschatology is like the standard amil perspective. Pretty important stuff there.

MJ. Smith

Could someone who voted for Geerhardus Vos please explain to me who he is and why he matters? I've been trying for at least four years to find a reason to pre-order his Reformed Dogmatics (the only Dutch language prepub at the moment). I've searched the internet for articles on Vos and I even tried to read his Biblical Theology, but nevertheless I still don't understand why Vos is an important theologian.

Come on - the father of Biblical Theology of the Dutch Reformed strain (think Teddy Roosevelt if I recall correctly) vs. some contemporary popular preacher? I knew Vos' name long before I knew Carson's but admit to knowing little about either ... so I went for Vos. But then again, my votes tend to go against contemporary theologians.

SineNomine

In most contests, I don't really care too much who wins, because I don't intend to buy either's work, period. In those ones, I almost categorically try to vote against the more popular one.

Allen Browne

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/703083#Comment_703083

In most contests, I don't really care too much who wins, because I don't intend to buy either's work, period. In those ones, I almost categorically try to vote against the more popular one.

That's the question I wanted to highlight: in a category where I won't buy either author, should I abstain from voting, so the outcome in that category is determined by those who might buy one of the authors?

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/702901#Comment_702901

Vos's work on pauline eschatology is like the standard amil perspective. Pretty important stuff there.

LOL [:D]

Sorry...I have pretty much everything the guy has to offer already...but that juxtaposition...LOL.

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/703274#Comment_703274

"Ahem"...*deeep breath*...sorry, I wasn't expecting to belly laugh at that exact moment. I'm glad I didn't knock anything over and my friends haven't made it here yet. They wouldn't understand the specific theological mirth.

Anyway, I rather begrudgingly began to cast votes, all the while bathing in my existential ennui over my struggle with inevitability (curse you, Agent Smith!...Carson, again!!), when at about the 3rd or 4th ballot I saw Brueggemann vs. Fee. I think I might have snapped a cog over this same match-up last year, but that could just be the nasty flashbacks playing tricks with my head. Anyway, here's the deal: it's OT VS. NT...and we all know who's going to win that "fair" fight, don't we? As soon as I got the confirmation, I bailed. I'm done with this unpleasant little business. If by some miracle a new name survives the crucible, I might drop a few coins in the bucket. Otherwise, I will be taking a breather this month.

In the video game business, they would call this thing a game "on rails".