Barrett’s Book Notes: Reformed Dogmatics by Geerhardus Vos

When you hear the name Geerhardus Vos you immediately think of biblical theology, and rightly so since his Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments has been monumental in the push to see the covenantal unity of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. However, what many don’t know is that the father of Reformed biblical theology also wrote systematic theology! His Gereformeerde Dogmatiek  were written between 1888-1893 when Vos taught systematic theology or dogmatics at the Theological School of the Christian Reformed Church (what would later be named Calvin Theological Seminary). This was right before Vos would take up the newly created chair of biblical theology at Princeton Seminary in the fall of 1893. Unfortunately, his Reformed Dogmatics, originally published in Dutch, never made it into English …until now. Lexham Press is publishing all five volumes. You can purchase all five through Logos Bible software, and the first two volumes are in print as well. Translated and edited by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., these volumes will now allow historians and theologians alike to see how this biblical theologian put the doctrines of the faith together. It will also provide the opportunity to see how Vos viewed the relationship between biblical theology and systematic theology.

Right now Westminster Bookstore is having a big sale on these volumes (the first three are available in print…with the last two volumes to come). Here is the breakdown:

Buy the hardback’s individually at a 26% discount:

Reformed Dogmatics. Volume 1: Theology Proper

Reformed Dogmatics. Volume 2: Anthropology

Reformed Dogmatics. Volume 3: Christology

Or buy the set of three volumes at a 33% discount:

Reformed Dogmatics. Three Volumes

Here is the publisher’s description:

Geerhardus Vos’ Reformed Dogmatics (5 vols.) 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 piece of Reformed theology has never before been available to an English audience.

Throughout his life, Vos was connected with a number of important Reformed institutions. He was the first alumnus of Calvin Seminary (then Theological School) to earn a doctoral degree and also the first Calvin Seminary faculty member to have an advanced degree. Before his appointment at Calvin, Vos was invited by Abraham Kuyper to take the chair of Old Testament Theology at the newly formed Free University (Vrije Universiteit) in Amsterdam.

After teaching at Calvin, Vos accepted a position at Princeton during the days of the Old Princeton Theologians. He held the chair of Biblical Theology there from 1892 until 1932. Vos is perhaps best known to English speakers for his books Pauline Eschatology, published in 1930, and Biblical Theology: Old and New Testament, published in 1948. Vos’ strong grounding in biblical scholarship and biblical theology makes his Reformed Dogmatics unique, bringing a fresh biblical perspective. Though these five volumes are systematic in nature, Geerhardus Vos brings the skills and acumen of a biblical theologian to the task.

And here are several endorsements:

“Like books, people can become ‘classics.’ Great in their day, but richer and more fulfilling with time. Not yet a classic, Vos’s never-before-published Reformed Dogmatics is more like a lost Shakespeare play recently discovered. There seems to have been a flurry in recent years of systematic theologians writing with an eye for biblical theology. With this series we now have a biblical theologian writing a systematic theology. Thanks to Lexham Press for giving us such a long-awaited but impressive access to this much-discussed gem.”
—Michael Horton, Prof. of Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“The state of access to deep, historic, orthodox Reformed theology has progressed exponentially in the last decade or so. Resources previously inaccessible to many have now become available to a vastly wider audience. In my view, the capstone of this accessibility is in this masterful work of Geerhardus Vos. Vos has the singularly unique accumen and ability to summarize and state concisely some of the deepest truths of Reformed theology. These volumes will now be my first recommendation to anyone who wants to understand the riches of the Bibles’ teaching in a compressed and clear way. Thanks to Richard B. Gaffin Jr., to the translators, and to Lexham Press for putting this work into our hands.”
—K. Scott Oliphint, Prof. of Apologetics and Systematic Theology, Westminster Seminary California

“This translation of Vos’ Dogmatiek is the last link in access to his magnificent oeuvre. English readers will now be able to match the Princetonian’s commitment to historic Reformed doctrinal orthodoxy with his pioneering work in redemptive-historical biblical theology. The interaction is refreshing as well as pace-setting. Kudos to publisher and translator alike for undertaking this project.”
—James T. Dennison, Jr., Academic Dean and Prof. of Church History and Biblical Theology, Northwest Theological Seminary

And don’t miss this video either:
 

Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University, as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. Barrett is also Senior Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church. He is the author and editor of several books, including Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration. Two forthcoming books include, Owen on the Christian Life and God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture. You can read about Barrett’s other publications at matthewmbarrett.com.