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Reformed Dogmatics: A System of Christian Theology
Geerhardus Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics represents the early theological thought of one of the premier Reformed thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Originally self-published in five volumes in 1896 under the title Gereformeerde Dogmatiek, this important work of Reformed theology has never before been available to an English audience.
Geerhardus Vos is perhaps best known to English speakers for his books Pauline Eschatology, published in 1930, and Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments, published in 1948. Vos’s strong grounding in biblical scholarship and biblical theology gives his Reformed Dogmatics a unique, fresh biblical perspective. Though this five-volume set is systematic in nature, Geerhardus Vos brings the skills and acumen of a biblical theologian to the task.
This new edition incorporates the English translations of each of the earlier volumes into a single volume for students of Reformed theology.
Geerhardus Vos is perhaps best known to English speakers for his books Pauline Eschatology, published in 1930, and Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments, published in 1948. Vos’s strong grounding in biblical scholarship and biblical theology gives his Reformed Dogmatics a unique, fresh biblical perspective. Though this five-volume set is systematic in nature, Geerhardus Vos brings the skills and acumen of a biblical theologian to the task.
This new edition incorporates the English translations of each of the earlier volumes into a single volume for students of Reformed theology.
- GenresTheology
1274 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
18 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Geerhardus Vos
102 books87 followersGeerhardus Johannes Vos was an American Calvinist theologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology. He is sometimes called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology.
Vos was born to a Dutch Reformed pastor in Heerenveen in Friesland in the Netherlands. In 1881, when Geerhardus was 19 years old, his father accepted a call to be the pastor of the Christian Reformed Church congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Geerhardus Vos began his education at the Christian Reformed Church's Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, before moving to Princeton Theological Seminary. He completed his studies in Germany, receiving his doctorate in Arabic Studies from the Philosophy Faculty of Strassburg University in 1888.
Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper tried to convince Vos to become professor of Old Testament Theology at the Free University in Amsterdam, but Vos chose to return to America. Thus, in the Fall of 1888, Vos took up a position on the Calvin Theological Seminary faculty. In 1892, Vos moved and joined the faculty of the Princeton Theological Seminary, where he became its first Professor of Biblical Theology.
In 1894 he was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in the USA.
At Princeton, he taught alongside J. Gresham Machen and Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield and authored his most famous works, including: Pauline Eschatology (1930) and Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments (1948). Despite his opposition to the growing modernist influence at Princeton in the late 1920s, he decided to remain at Princeton Seminary after the formation of Westminster Theological Seminary by Machen, as he was close to retirement. Vos did indeed retire to California in 1932, three years after the formation of Westminster.
Vos's wife, Catherine, authored the well-known Child's Story Bible. She died in 1937, after 43 years of marriage. They had three sons and one daughter, and their son J. G. Vos studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and also became a minister.
Vos was born to a Dutch Reformed pastor in Heerenveen in Friesland in the Netherlands. In 1881, when Geerhardus was 19 years old, his father accepted a call to be the pastor of the Christian Reformed Church congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Geerhardus Vos began his education at the Christian Reformed Church's Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, before moving to Princeton Theological Seminary. He completed his studies in Germany, receiving his doctorate in Arabic Studies from the Philosophy Faculty of Strassburg University in 1888.
Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper tried to convince Vos to become professor of Old Testament Theology at the Free University in Amsterdam, but Vos chose to return to America. Thus, in the Fall of 1888, Vos took up a position on the Calvin Theological Seminary faculty. In 1892, Vos moved and joined the faculty of the Princeton Theological Seminary, where he became its first Professor of Biblical Theology.
In 1894 he was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in the USA.
At Princeton, he taught alongside J. Gresham Machen and Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield and authored his most famous works, including: Pauline Eschatology (1930) and Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments (1948). Despite his opposition to the growing modernist influence at Princeton in the late 1920s, he decided to remain at Princeton Seminary after the formation of Westminster Theological Seminary by Machen, as he was close to retirement. Vos did indeed retire to California in 1932, three years after the formation of Westminster.
Vos's wife, Catherine, authored the well-known Child's Story Bible. She died in 1937, after 43 years of marriage. They had three sons and one daughter, and their son J. G. Vos studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and also became a minister.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 6, 2023
It’s hard to image a new title (in English at least) from a popular writer who has been dead 70 years. But that is what we have here. Geerhardus Vos is renowned for his work on biblical theology and his highly influential “The Pauline Eschatology” and here we have uncovered for us a work from earlier in his career.
First, let’s dispense with the ridiculous criticism that some throw at the pages of this volume. Some accuse the pages of being too thin with too much bleed, but they are exactly what many Bibles use with no disadvantage. If you dislike the thinner pages, you can get this title as a multi volume set. Still, this volume is attractive and will be easy to read.
With that settled, we can now consider Vos’ work itself. Be sure to read the Preface as it gives interesting background on Vos and this work of systematic theology itself. It really prepares you for what you are going to be getting. It reminds you that he was Dutch (you may be aware of Dutch Reformed theology) and specifically his “affinity” with Herman Bavick (which may also orient you). You will also see how to distinguish it from his more famous Biblical Theology.
Next, you will notice that you are reading from one teaching students. In fact, he uses a question and answer format. Perhaps they are not all the questions that you’d like asked, but they are informative and shrewdly work through what Vos was wanting to impart. I imagine his students were far more instructed than they imagined and we likely will glean far more than the simple design might at first suggest.
Further, you might have to dig to find certain subjects. For example, when I was looking for his section on the Holy Spirit, I had to seek till I found it under the Trinity. A little digging will get you to most everything you’re looking for.
His theological prowess is on display throughout. This work is not like some of the most popular systematic theologies, but aims more at clarity and profundity. Consider it a great change up as you grab your pile of systematic theologies. It’s worthy of a place.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
First, let’s dispense with the ridiculous criticism that some throw at the pages of this volume. Some accuse the pages of being too thin with too much bleed, but they are exactly what many Bibles use with no disadvantage. If you dislike the thinner pages, you can get this title as a multi volume set. Still, this volume is attractive and will be easy to read.
With that settled, we can now consider Vos’ work itself. Be sure to read the Preface as it gives interesting background on Vos and this work of systematic theology itself. It really prepares you for what you are going to be getting. It reminds you that he was Dutch (you may be aware of Dutch Reformed theology) and specifically his “affinity” with Herman Bavick (which may also orient you). You will also see how to distinguish it from his more famous Biblical Theology.
Next, you will notice that you are reading from one teaching students. In fact, he uses a question and answer format. Perhaps they are not all the questions that you’d like asked, but they are informative and shrewdly work through what Vos was wanting to impart. I imagine his students were far more instructed than they imagined and we likely will glean far more than the simple design might at first suggest.
Further, you might have to dig to find certain subjects. For example, when I was looking for his section on the Holy Spirit, I had to seek till I found it under the Trinity. A little digging will get you to most everything you’re looking for.
His theological prowess is on display throughout. This work is not like some of the most popular systematic theologies, but aims more at clarity and profundity. Consider it a great change up as you grab your pile of systematic theologies. It’s worthy of a place.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
November 18, 2020
Lexham Press has provided the Church with a great resource; Geerhardus Vos' five-volume Reformed Dogmatics is now available to the English speaking world for the first time. These five volumes offer the reader a concise, straightforward journey through the traditional loci that one would expect from such a set. The first volume discusses theology proper, including "creation" (ch. 6) and God's acting in it. Volume two covers anthropology, hamartiology, and man's relation to God (i.e. "The Covenant of Grace"), the third volume is dedicated wholly to Christology, the fourth focuses on soteriology, and, lastly, three parts constitute the fifth volume, namely, ecclesiology, sacramentology or "the means of grace," and eschatology.
The most readily noticeable aspect of these volumes is that they do not proceed in the typical fashion one might expect from a dogmatic/systematic account of theology. Rather, Vos compiled the content of these volumes while teaching systematic theology (1:vii) and so they follow a simple question and answer format. While the reader will judge the various merits and shortcomings of this approach, it ultimately allows these volumes to be very accessible, easily referenced, and, most importantly, the reader will appreciate being able to follow Vos' thought process at many junctures throughout. These valuable characteristics of the question-answer format are emphasized by the presence of an index in each volume that contains the questions contained therein, categorized by topic.
Vos' writing is thoughtful and economical–this is a work that one should read attentively and reflectively. Though an occasional question might betray the date of the original work–circa the turn of the 20th century–and, therefore, raise queries which a contemporary reader might not desire to concern themselves, many remain beneficial, nonetheless. The reader will find Vos' judgments in his Reformed Dogmatics (unsurprisingly) relatively comparable to Bavinck's Systematic Theology as they were both Dutch Reformed theologians living, working, and writing their respective works by the same name rather contemporaneously.
One issue the reader should be aware of is the inconsistency of whether or not a given Greek, Hebrew, or Latin word utilized by Vos is translated. To be clear, Vos hardly does anything more than list appropriate non-English words for a given subject or attribute at hand; for example, under his discussion of the order of salvation in vol. 4 ch. 1, Vos discusses the double meaning of "σωτηρία, salus"(4:1). The transliteration and translation of these Greek, Hebrew, and Latin words are simply sometimes given and sometimes withheld. Though, I suspect that the format and straightforwardness of the answers will sufficiently aid the reader in discerning these meanings from context. If one reads these volumes within Lexham's software suites, Logos or Verbum, the reader is able to double click on these words in order to utilize the digital resources' tagging and linking.
In all, Vos' Reformed Dogmatics are great resources to have at one's disposal for reference or study. The question and answer format gives this work an almost catechetical feel and the volumes, therefore, present it in such a way that they could conceivably be used devotionally. In all, this series is a valuable resource for lay readers and theologians, alike, (as, indeed, every Christian is a theologian!)–whether reading through the volumes systematically or utilizing it for a quick, well-trodden, reformed perspective to a particular question, Vos' Reformed Dogmatics are a good addition to any library.
Note: I received a review copy of this book for free, but a positive review was neither requested nor required.
The most readily noticeable aspect of these volumes is that they do not proceed in the typical fashion one might expect from a dogmatic/systematic account of theology. Rather, Vos compiled the content of these volumes while teaching systematic theology (1:vii) and so they follow a simple question and answer format. While the reader will judge the various merits and shortcomings of this approach, it ultimately allows these volumes to be very accessible, easily referenced, and, most importantly, the reader will appreciate being able to follow Vos' thought process at many junctures throughout. These valuable characteristics of the question-answer format are emphasized by the presence of an index in each volume that contains the questions contained therein, categorized by topic.
Vos' writing is thoughtful and economical–this is a work that one should read attentively and reflectively. Though an occasional question might betray the date of the original work–circa the turn of the 20th century–and, therefore, raise queries which a contemporary reader might not desire to concern themselves, many remain beneficial, nonetheless. The reader will find Vos' judgments in his Reformed Dogmatics (unsurprisingly) relatively comparable to Bavinck's Systematic Theology as they were both Dutch Reformed theologians living, working, and writing their respective works by the same name rather contemporaneously.
One issue the reader should be aware of is the inconsistency of whether or not a given Greek, Hebrew, or Latin word utilized by Vos is translated. To be clear, Vos hardly does anything more than list appropriate non-English words for a given subject or attribute at hand; for example, under his discussion of the order of salvation in vol. 4 ch. 1, Vos discusses the double meaning of "σωτηρία, salus"(4:1). The transliteration and translation of these Greek, Hebrew, and Latin words are simply sometimes given and sometimes withheld. Though, I suspect that the format and straightforwardness of the answers will sufficiently aid the reader in discerning these meanings from context. If one reads these volumes within Lexham's software suites, Logos or Verbum, the reader is able to double click on these words in order to utilize the digital resources' tagging and linking.
In all, Vos' Reformed Dogmatics are great resources to have at one's disposal for reference or study. The question and answer format gives this work an almost catechetical feel and the volumes, therefore, present it in such a way that they could conceivably be used devotionally. In all, this series is a valuable resource for lay readers and theologians, alike, (as, indeed, every Christian is a theologian!)–whether reading through the volumes systematically or utilizing it for a quick, well-trodden, reformed perspective to a particular question, Vos' Reformed Dogmatics are a good addition to any library.
Note: I received a review copy of this book for free, but a positive review was neither requested nor required.
December 14, 2020
How did one of the greatest Reformed minds of the 20th century think through systematic theology? Lexham Press has combined all five volumes of Geerhardus Vos’s Gereformeerde Dogmatiek in the newly titled Reformed Dogmatics: A System of Christian Theology. 1,288 pages are housed in a beautiful 6x9 hardcover book, and it is a foundational work of theology.
Questions and Answers
The question and answer format work well for me, and it helps give clarity and careful attention to the discussed theology. While it is a book of systematic theology, Vos leans heavily into Biblical theology in his writing. The titles covered are (1) Theology Proper, (2) Anthropology, (3) Christology, (4) Soteriology, (5) Ecclesiology, The Means of Grace, Eschatology.
Vos makes use of Hebrew and Greek, often using the languages to define biblical terms and concepts. Vos also takes the time to explain themes that do not have a prominent Hebrew or Greek word, such as the topic of providence.
Raw, Reformed Theology
Vos does not spend too much time tackling the philosophies of man. He cuts to the quick by simply stating the Biblical facts. For instance, in regards to the theory of evolution, he simply states that it claims that everything has developed, and is still developing, from a single instance of matter by the working of certain natural laws. But it does not have an answer to the question of where that matter and those laws come from. Therefore, it cannot be a substitute for the doctrine of creation.
Pastors will find this to be a rich resource for preaching and teaching. Scholars and students will find this to be a useful tool for study. It is raw, reformed theology at a high level. While I’m sure there are some that will want to read this book cover to cover, I see it more as a resource for thinking through theology in a pure, reformed way.
Sharpen Your Mind, Encourage Your Spirit
Aesthetically speaking, removing the dust jacket reveals a gorgeous teal cover with gold trimmings. It is the perfect gift and makes an excellent collector’s edition for anyone enamored with Vos and his work.
This is the edition that you will want on your desk as a reference, and it will make a great resource in any library to revisit again and again. Reading this foundational work of theology will sharpen your mind and encourage your spirit with truths that stand the test of time.
I received a media copy of Reformed Dogmatics and this is my honest review.
Questions and Answers
The question and answer format work well for me, and it helps give clarity and careful attention to the discussed theology. While it is a book of systematic theology, Vos leans heavily into Biblical theology in his writing. The titles covered are (1) Theology Proper, (2) Anthropology, (3) Christology, (4) Soteriology, (5) Ecclesiology, The Means of Grace, Eschatology.
Vos makes use of Hebrew and Greek, often using the languages to define biblical terms and concepts. Vos also takes the time to explain themes that do not have a prominent Hebrew or Greek word, such as the topic of providence.
Raw, Reformed Theology
Vos does not spend too much time tackling the philosophies of man. He cuts to the quick by simply stating the Biblical facts. For instance, in regards to the theory of evolution, he simply states that it claims that everything has developed, and is still developing, from a single instance of matter by the working of certain natural laws. But it does not have an answer to the question of where that matter and those laws come from. Therefore, it cannot be a substitute for the doctrine of creation.
Pastors will find this to be a rich resource for preaching and teaching. Scholars and students will find this to be a useful tool for study. It is raw, reformed theology at a high level. While I’m sure there are some that will want to read this book cover to cover, I see it more as a resource for thinking through theology in a pure, reformed way.
Sharpen Your Mind, Encourage Your Spirit
Aesthetically speaking, removing the dust jacket reveals a gorgeous teal cover with gold trimmings. It is the perfect gift and makes an excellent collector’s edition for anyone enamored with Vos and his work.
This is the edition that you will want on your desk as a reference, and it will make a great resource in any library to revisit again and again. Reading this foundational work of theology will sharpen your mind and encourage your spirit with truths that stand the test of time.
I received a media copy of Reformed Dogmatics and this is my honest review.
June 1, 2023
The question and answer format is something I’ve never seen before, and I found it to be very helpful. Namely, it helps you ask the right questions.
I found his writing on the Trinity, Christology, and Eschatology to be very helpful. Especially with the Q and A format.
Vos really being a biblical theologian writing a systematic is something that I really appreciated as well and it was definitely noticeable in his writing.
If you want another systematic theology to go through, or want more of a challenging systematic give this a shot.
I found his writing on the Trinity, Christology, and Eschatology to be very helpful. Especially with the Q and A format.
Vos really being a biblical theologian writing a systematic is something that I really appreciated as well and it was definitely noticeable in his writing.
If you want another systematic theology to go through, or want more of a challenging systematic give this a shot.
November 12, 2022
I knew that Berkhof’s systematic theology is always a summarized work of Bavinck and Vos. So instead of trying to read Berkhof again to improve my understanding of what he says, I decided to read Vos to refresh what I read from Berkhof and take the opportunity to go deeper. I have to say I have no regret in doing so.
In terms of a pedagogical approach, I would highly recommend reading Berkhof first. Berkhof’s captured most of the essential and key arguments of the Dutch and Presbyterian Reformed theology.
As for Vos’ RD, this book is much more suitable to be a supplementary work to further our understanding for several reasons.
1. The organization format of this book isn’t as user-friendly as Berkhof, thus making searching for information to be much more difficult. Sometimes Vos put many subtopics under a question which makes this book much more difficult to use as a reference.
2. Vos isn’t as readable as Berkhof for the most part. There are times when he’s really precise and concise, which makes it very easy to understand him. In some places, it’s just plain easy to understand; and in other places, it’s just difficult to understand him. For areas where they are difficult to understand him, I find them to be similar to his Biblical Theology book, which will take multiple readings to understand him. In such cases, Vos can be very verbose and lengthy. 1 trick to navigate this is by doing speed reading across his long arguments, in doing so, it helps me to locate the key sentences which helps me to see what he is trying to get across. I also recommend keeping Berkhof next to you so that you can see how Berkhof masterfully summarizes Vos’ lengthy arguments which I find helpful to trace Vos’ arguments.
Before stating why this book is well worth getting, I would like to give a few critiques on the weaknesses of this book:
1. Vos did not write prolegomena to cover the theological method of systematic theology and the doctrine of revelation. In my opinion, this is very minor to me because I can still get this from Bavinck and Berkhof.
2. Vos’ understanding on classical theism and Trinity seems to be a little lacking. Especially on things like divine simplicity encompassing one will, one mind, and one consciousness among the Trinity and how this relates to indivisible work and divine appropriation.
3. I disagree with him that OT believers do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling with him. This should be quite minor to those who hold onto Covenant Theology because not all Covenant Theologians agree that the Holy Spirit indwells in OT believers.
4. Half of the Hebrew and Greek words are not transliterated. Not knowing the grammar of the original languages will make one lose out on following some of the arguments of Vos. This will in a way take away some of the positive reading experiences. But for those who have completed their first year of Hebrew and Greek, this aspect will be a strength for them.
5. In volume 5 he dedicated about 93 pages out of 309 pages to baptism which is the lengthiest treatment he wrote compared to other topics. I was expecting this to be great but only to be let down. Even though I take a Covenant Theology paedobaptist position, I find his defense for paedobaptism’s exegetical argument to be weak and unconvincing. So I don’t think any credobaptist will be convinced by Vos’ arguments. Fortunately, Berkhof doesn't use Vos' arguments on this topic and I find Berkhof to be much more convincing.
6. I also find his Lord’s supper’s exegetical argument against the view of Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism to be a bit lacking and less convincing.
7. While I find his individual eschatology to be excellent, I find that he spiritualizes the spiritual body too much with his exegetical interpretation.
8. Sometimes Vos is just unclear and it’s difficult to know which position he takes. Fortunately these happen to topics and questions that are not too crucial.
Despite the critiques above, don’t get me wrong I still think this book is worth reading as a supplement to strengthen our systematic theology. For the most part, his exegesis is very good. There are not many good systematic theology books that come with exegesis, since a systematic theology book is not intended to be a commentary anyway. Including exegesis in a ST textbook can be a weakness too as the author will tend to remove Historical Theology to give way for exegesis which we can see this in Vos, Reymond and Grudem. But I think the trade-off for Vos is well worth it considering that it is a "supplementary ST book". However, Vos still does include some historical theology though not in every topic. For the most part, Vos’ exegesis is sound and good although I do disagree with him at times.
Unlike Reymond who does Systematic Theology mostly through surveying the OT and NT which makes the book unnecessarily lengthy and him stating the obvious, Vos will pick up the key texts from the bible which I find to be a better approach. Vos is also well informed by historical theology, so even though his Classical Theism isn’t as strong as I would like him to be, he does not fall into huge errors of the doctrine Trinity like Reymond and Grudem.
Again I would commend the books of Matthew Barrett and James Dolezal to learn classical theism and Nicene-Trinity because I have yet to find a Systematic Theology textbook to cover these two topics adequately. I also appreciate the fact that Vos is not a biblicist, as he does employ good logical GNC methods (good and necessary consequences as deduced from Scripture) throughout his book. Lastly, there are many questions raised by Vos that I have never encountered before in other ST books, which shows that Vos does think really deeply in his theological reflection which is to be admired.
In terms of a pedagogical approach, I would highly recommend reading Berkhof first. Berkhof’s captured most of the essential and key arguments of the Dutch and Presbyterian Reformed theology.
As for Vos’ RD, this book is much more suitable to be a supplementary work to further our understanding for several reasons.
1. The organization format of this book isn’t as user-friendly as Berkhof, thus making searching for information to be much more difficult. Sometimes Vos put many subtopics under a question which makes this book much more difficult to use as a reference.
2. Vos isn’t as readable as Berkhof for the most part. There are times when he’s really precise and concise, which makes it very easy to understand him. In some places, it’s just plain easy to understand; and in other places, it’s just difficult to understand him. For areas where they are difficult to understand him, I find them to be similar to his Biblical Theology book, which will take multiple readings to understand him. In such cases, Vos can be very verbose and lengthy. 1 trick to navigate this is by doing speed reading across his long arguments, in doing so, it helps me to locate the key sentences which helps me to see what he is trying to get across. I also recommend keeping Berkhof next to you so that you can see how Berkhof masterfully summarizes Vos’ lengthy arguments which I find helpful to trace Vos’ arguments.
Before stating why this book is well worth getting, I would like to give a few critiques on the weaknesses of this book:
1. Vos did not write prolegomena to cover the theological method of systematic theology and the doctrine of revelation. In my opinion, this is very minor to me because I can still get this from Bavinck and Berkhof.
2. Vos’ understanding on classical theism and Trinity seems to be a little lacking. Especially on things like divine simplicity encompassing one will, one mind, and one consciousness among the Trinity and how this relates to indivisible work and divine appropriation.
3. I disagree with him that OT believers do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling with him. This should be quite minor to those who hold onto Covenant Theology because not all Covenant Theologians agree that the Holy Spirit indwells in OT believers.
4. Half of the Hebrew and Greek words are not transliterated. Not knowing the grammar of the original languages will make one lose out on following some of the arguments of Vos. This will in a way take away some of the positive reading experiences. But for those who have completed their first year of Hebrew and Greek, this aspect will be a strength for them.
5. In volume 5 he dedicated about 93 pages out of 309 pages to baptism which is the lengthiest treatment he wrote compared to other topics. I was expecting this to be great but only to be let down. Even though I take a Covenant Theology paedobaptist position, I find his defense for paedobaptism’s exegetical argument to be weak and unconvincing. So I don’t think any credobaptist will be convinced by Vos’ arguments. Fortunately, Berkhof doesn't use Vos' arguments on this topic and I find Berkhof to be much more convincing.
6. I also find his Lord’s supper’s exegetical argument against the view of Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism to be a bit lacking and less convincing.
7. While I find his individual eschatology to be excellent, I find that he spiritualizes the spiritual body too much with his exegetical interpretation.
8. Sometimes Vos is just unclear and it’s difficult to know which position he takes. Fortunately these happen to topics and questions that are not too crucial.
Despite the critiques above, don’t get me wrong I still think this book is worth reading as a supplement to strengthen our systematic theology. For the most part, his exegesis is very good. There are not many good systematic theology books that come with exegesis, since a systematic theology book is not intended to be a commentary anyway. Including exegesis in a ST textbook can be a weakness too as the author will tend to remove Historical Theology to give way for exegesis which we can see this in Vos, Reymond and Grudem. But I think the trade-off for Vos is well worth it considering that it is a "supplementary ST book". However, Vos still does include some historical theology though not in every topic. For the most part, Vos’ exegesis is sound and good although I do disagree with him at times.
Unlike Reymond who does Systematic Theology mostly through surveying the OT and NT which makes the book unnecessarily lengthy and him stating the obvious, Vos will pick up the key texts from the bible which I find to be a better approach. Vos is also well informed by historical theology, so even though his Classical Theism isn’t as strong as I would like him to be, he does not fall into huge errors of the doctrine Trinity like Reymond and Grudem.
Again I would commend the books of Matthew Barrett and James Dolezal to learn classical theism and Nicene-Trinity because I have yet to find a Systematic Theology textbook to cover these two topics adequately. I also appreciate the fact that Vos is not a biblicist, as he does employ good logical GNC methods (good and necessary consequences as deduced from Scripture) throughout his book. Lastly, there are many questions raised by Vos that I have never encountered before in other ST books, which shows that Vos does think really deeply in his theological reflection which is to be admired.
February 15, 2025
Honestly, I prefer the single volume edition more so than the individual volumes. It’s was handy for referencing back to discussion on a related topic when a question would come up.
I did think Vos was long winded at times, particularly around baptism. Overall the volume is worth the effort to read and I would recommend the book to any reader interested in Systematic Theology or Dogmatic Theology.
“Take up and read” - Saint Augustine
I did think Vos was long winded at times, particularly around baptism. Overall the volume is worth the effort to read and I would recommend the book to any reader interested in Systematic Theology or Dogmatic Theology.
“Take up and read” - Saint Augustine
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews