The Klaas Schilder Reader: The Essential Theological Writings
Recovering a forgotten theologian
Klaas Schilder (1890–1952) was a prominent Dutch Reformed theologian in the early twentieth century, first as a pastor and then as a professor. While his fame spread to North America in the 1940s, he is mostly forgotten today. In The Klaas Schilder Reader: The Essential Theological Writings, readers will rediscover this important Dutch theologian.
Working in the tradition of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, Schilder applies Dutch Neo-Calvinism to the twentieth century. This includes secularism, the rise and influence of Karl Barth, opposition to Nazism, and the relation between the church and society. The Klaas Schilder Reader contextualizes his work and furthers the neo-Calvinist tradition.
Praise for the The Klaas Schilder Reader
I have come to value Klaas Schilder as the ‘loyal opposition’ that Neo-Calvinism so desperately needs. His prophetic voice reminds the Reformed tradition that our cultural endeavors must be cruciform—that our ‘kingdom’ endeavors are in the service of a King who bears scars. This reader is an excellent opportunity for Schilder’s voice to be heard more widely.
—James K. A. Smith, professor of philosophy, Gary and Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview, Calvin University, Grand Rapids
In recent years, and thanks to a growing army of translators, the once-mysterious world of Dutch Reformed theology has been opened up to an international audience. In that world of careful thought, incisive polemics, and spirited conversation, few have embodied the drama of Dutch doctrine like Klaas Schilder, a theologian whose work animated the life of a distinct branch of the Dutch Reformed tradition for decades. In his own day, the import of Schilder’s thought was unbearably clear to some, and clearly unbearable to others. He was not easily ignored—something his international readership will soon discover for themselves. For that, we owe those responsible for this book a great debt of gratitude.
—James Eglinton, Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology, University of Edinburgh
- General Introduction
- Part I: American Lectures (1939)
- Common Grace
- The Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace
- Christian Freedom
- Christ and Biblical History
- The Pluriformity of the Church
- Faith and Mysticism
- Part II: Common Grace and Culture
- Eros or Christ (1925)
- Culture and Common Grace (1933)
- Dr. Kuyper on Calvinism (1937)
- “No” to Natural Theology (1939)
- Created in the Image of God (1939)
- Part III: The Church
- The Judgement Begins at the House of God (1918)
- The Church in the World: Fleeing and Flying (1923)
- Church and Utopia: Pentecost in Your Backyard (1931)
- The Church Locked Up: A Critique of Sphere Sovereignty (1932)
- The Church and Salvation: Coetus et Congregatio (1932)
- Theses on the Church (1935)
- I Believe a Holy, Catholic, Christian Church, the Communion of Saints: Lecture on the Creed (1935)
- On Being or Becoming the Church (1939)
- No Salvation Outside of the Church (1948)
- Part IV: Karl Barth
- The Paradox in Religion (1927)
- On a Theology of Crisis (1929)
- Barthianism and Secularization (1946)
- Part V: Redemption-History
- Light in the Smoke (1923)
- Salvation History and Preaching (1931)
- Melchizedek, Abraham, and Christ (1941)
- Part VI: German Occupation
- “My Shield and Trust” (1940)
- “That I May Yet Remain Faithful” (1940)
- The Reformed Confession in Times of War (1940)
- Why Barthianism Approaches the Neo-Calvinist Position in Times of War (1940)
- Title: The Klaas Schilder Reader: The Essential Theological Writings
- Author: Klaas Schilder
- Editors: George Harinck, Marinus De Jong, and Richard Mouw
- Translators: Albert Gootjes and Albert Oosterhoff
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2022
- Page Count: 608
- Format: Logos Digital, Hardcover
- Trim Size: 6x9
- ISBN: 9781683595939
Klaas Schilder (1890-1952) was a Dutch neo-Calvinist theologian, pastor, and professor. Several of his works have been translated into English, including Christ and Culture, Christ in His Suffering, and Christ Crucified.