Description
Book SynopsisIn The Doctrine of God Dolf te Velde examines the interaction of method and content in three historically important accounts of the doctrine of God. Does the method of a systematic theology affect the belief content expressed by it? Can substantial insights be detected that have a regulative function for the method of a doctrine of God? This two-way connection of method and content is investigated in three phases of Reformed theology. The first seeks to discover inner dynamics of Reformed scholastic theology. The second part treats Karl Barth’s doctrine of God as a contrast model for scholasticism, understood in the framework of Barth’s theological method. The third part offers a first published comprehensive description and analysis of the so-called Utrecht School. The closing chapter draws some lines for developing a Reformed doctrine of God in the 21st century.
Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations ... xi Preface ... xiii 1. I ntroduction ... 1 PART 1 THE DOCTRINE OF GOD IN REFORMED ORTHODOXY 2. Approaching Reformed Orthodoxy ... 19 3. Reformed Orthodoxy in Its Historical Context ... 44 4. Reformed Orthodox Methodology ... 77 5. Doctrine of God: Names, Being, Attributes ... 110 6. Doctrine of God: Attributes of the First Order ... 139 7. Doctrine of God: Attributes of the Second Order ... 175 8. Conclusions ... 243 PART 2 THE DOCTRINE OF GOD IN THE THEOLOGY OF KARL BARTH 9. I ntroduction ... 259 10. The Development of Barth’s Theological Method ... 268 11. Doctrine of God: Entrance ... 337 12. Doctrine of God: Perfections ... 364 13. Doctrine of God: Election and Command ... 404 14. Analysis and Discussion ... 423 15. Conclusions ... 454 PART 3 THE DOCTRINE OF GOD IN THE UTRECHT SCHOOL 16. I ntroduction ... 481 17. Approaches of the Utrecht School ... 485 18. The Doctrine of God: Foundations ... 546 19. The Doctrine of God: Elaboration ... 571 20. Putting Together the Utrecht Doctrine of God ... 645 21. Conclusions and Discussions ... 655 22. Conclusions ... 693 Bibliography ... 793 Index ... 809
