# Anyone heard of Hendrikus Berkhof?



## shackleton (Oct 10, 2007)

I got his book "Christian Faith" for free but I have never heard of him. I noticed that he is a Dutch theologian but it does not say reformed. I can not find much info about him on the internet. I was wondering if anyone had heard of him and if it is worth reading?


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## Guido's Brother (Oct 10, 2007)

He was "Reformed," but not Reformed, if you know what I mean. If you want to know neo-orthodox theology, read H. Berkhof. For orthodox theology, you're better off with L. Berkhof (no relation, so far as I know).


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## DMcFadden (Oct 11, 2007)

In seminary (Fuller) my profs were high on H. Berkhof back then (although I think that his main theology came out in English after I graduated). Since most of them were no friends of Calvin, I would surmise that Wes may have nailed this one. 

The "Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith" claims he was an early eccumenist. He served on the central committee of the World Council of Churches, for example.

_"Berkhof was an early proponent of dialectical or neo–orthodox theology, especially that of Karl Barth. He has moved beyond Barth, especially in his Christology, which he does “from below.” The influence of Friedrich Schleiermacher, Hans Küng, and other progressive Dutch and Catholic theologians is evident in his later writings. The impact of Barth and the Reformed tradition, however, is still very prominent in Berkhof’s thought."_ 

McKim, D. K., & Wright, D. F. (1992). "Encyclopedia of the Reformed faith" (1st ed.) (32). Louisville, Ky.; Edinburgh: Westminster/John Knox Press; Saint Andrew Press.


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## DMcFadden (Oct 11, 2007)

BTW, in dealing with hell, H. Berkoff suggests that "for God's sake" let's pray that hell is purgative and purifying. Bottom line, if Berkouwer was weak on Scripture, the doctrine of God, and the church, H. Berkoff continued that trend down the road. It used to be that people who departed from Calvinism left through the door marked, "Arminianism." In the last century, courtesy of some of the leading "Calvinist" scholars (e.g., Berkouwer, Barth, H. Berkhof), we have another door by which we may depart. Now it makes more sense why so many of my "Reformed" seminary profs back 30 years ago (e.g., Jack Rogers, James Daane, etc.) seemed so non-Calvinistic.


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