Studies in Dogmatics: Divine Election
Overview
G. C. Berkouwer’s Divine Election is a discussion of election in a perspective and spirit that will be quite novel to most theologians and ministers. Berkouwer contends that election can be understood only within faith, and within a spirit of doxology, for election takes place ‘in Christ.’ Hence election must be understood and employed in terms of the gospel. He then repudiates theological usage which employs election and reprobation as a principle of interpretation for theology with the usual consequence of deducing from this truth a nice logical system of theology. Another powerful feature of this book is its criticism of the conception of the sovereignty of God which abstracts it from the whole truth about God and then make it into a mere principle of naked, ‘absolute power,’ an ethically neutral principle of brute force. Berkouwer’s book is at once a most forceful theological presentation and a work of genuine piety.
Top Highlights
“The Reformation, too, was confronted with a profound problem when it sought the connection between the function of man’s freedom and responsibility, and the doctrine of election.” (Page 32)
“It is not difficult to realize that synergism usually originated as a defense against and reaction to fatalism and determinism. But the fact that a defense is necessary does not make synergism legitimate. Scripture fully honors man’s activity; it calls for it and stimulates it, but never makes it part of a synergistic synthesis. The relationship between the source of salvation in God and the decision of man can never be presented as a co-ordinate relationship, no matter how refined and ingeniously construed it may be. Rather, the sphere of human activity and decision is, and remains bound to be, the exclusive and gracious act of God. in which faith finds rest. This activity of man—crowned by beatifications (cf. Matt. 11:6, 16:17, 15:28)—is nevertheless subject to the gift of grace.” (Pages 49–50)
“Bavinck. In dealing with the doctrine of God’s counsel he speaks of Pelagianism as opposing the sovereign grace of God and adds that ‘in doctrine one may be Pelagian, but in the practice of the Christian life, especially in prayer, every Christian is Augustinian, for then he declines all glory and gives all the honor to God alone.’” (Page 43)
“At all levels of doctrine and theology it has become apparent that it is possible to come to very different conclusions, even though there is a common recognition of the boundary.” (Page 16)
“From the terms supra and infra it appears already that the point at issue is the relation between predestination and the fall (lapsus).” (Page 256)
Product Details
- Title: Studies in Dogmatics: Divine Election
- Author: G. C. Berkouwer
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 1960
- Pages: 340
G. C. Berkouwer (1903–1996) was the leading theologian of the Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands and served as pastor there for over 15 years. He was professor of systematic theology at the Free University of Amsterdam while also lecturing on modern theology. In 1962, Berkouwer was an observer at the Second Vatican Council in Rome. He studied at the Christian Gymnasium and at the Free University of Amsterdam.
Berkouwer was very influential among the Reformed churches and other groups in North America, were his series Studies in Dogmatics, was translated, published, and very well-known. The Studies in Dogmatics series is noted by many as one of the most significant works of Christian Dogmatics of the twentienth century.