# Louis Berkhof



## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 11, 2006)

Louis Berkhof, Dutch-American theologian (October 13, 1873 -- 1957) was a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary and author of a well-known _Systematic Theology_. 

More on his life and works can be found here.


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## caddy (Dec 11, 2006)

Which leads me into a question concerning the controversy he had with Hoeksema ( and Henry Danhof ) concerning the common grace controversy.

Whereas special grace regenerates the hearts of men, common grace: (1) restrains the destructive process of sin within mankind in general and (2) enables men, though not born again, to develop the latent forces of the universe and thus make a positive contribution to the fulfillment of the cultural mandate given to men through the first man, Adam, in paradise. 

Anyone have input on this ?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 11, 2006)

Berkhof was right.


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## Arch2k (Dec 11, 2006)

{Mod edit} Link removed due to possible copyright infringment {/Mod edit}

Thanks Andrew!


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## reformedcop (Dec 11, 2006)

Thanks for that link Jeff!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 11, 2006)

His _Systematic Theology_ is a great work. One caution about the link -- see this article: http://cbaonline.org/MarketPlace/_copyrightweb.jsp


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## yeutter (Dec 11, 2006)

caddy said:


> Which leads me into a question concerning the controversy he had with Hoeksema ( and Henry Danhof ) concerning the common grace controversy.
> 
> Whereas special grace regenerates the hearts of men, common grace: (1) restrains the destructive process of sin within mankind in general and (2) enables men, though not born again, to develop the latent forces of the universe and thus make a positive contribution to the fulfillment of the cultural mandate given to men through the first man, Adam, in paradise.
> 
> Anyone have input on this ?



Permit me two observations. Why call common grace, grace? The Three Forms of Unity know nothing of this novelty.

Schilder, in Christianity and Culture was uncomfortable, to say the least with Berkhof at this point.

Secondly I would note the differnce over common grace pales by comparison to the difference Hoeksema had with Berkhof over the so called free well meant offer of the Gospel.


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## bookslover (Dec 11, 2006)

caddy said:


> ..to develop the latent forces of the universe.../QUOTE]
> 
> 
> What does _that_ mean? It sounds like something from the voice-over to an episode of _Star Trek_!


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## caddy (Dec 12, 2006)

The heck if I know! It was cut & pasted from wiki. Sounded profound.  
I wonder if by..._developing the latent forces of the universe, _one could rupture the fabric of the space time continium!?? 

Now that's the real question.  



bookslover said:


> caddy said:
> 
> 
> > ..to develop the latent forces of the universe.../QUOTE]
> ...


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