Doctrine of God

by Herman Bavinck

Book Overview

The doctrine of God is the foundation of Christian theology and the prerequisite of all true faith. This translation provides, in the words of Hendriksen, 'a spiritual treat' for the serious reader.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801007232
• ISBN13: 9780801007231
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Baker Books
• Length: 407 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Solid and thoroughly Biblical

Bavinck's Doctrine of God is richly informative, very detailed, and difficult to read. I give it 4 stars because Bavinck is both thorough in his handling of the material, well-organized (the material is laid out within an outline format) and of course thoroughly scriptural. As negatives go, Bavinck often quotes writers and theologians who are obscure today, as if the reader had a good, workable knowledge of their material. This can often leave the reader bewildered as to the argument the quoted writer was making, with no opportunity to read the original materials. Bavinck breaks down the Doctrine of God into 7 categories: God's Incomprehensibility, God's Knowability, God's Names, God's Incommunicable Attributes, God's Communicable Attributes, The Holy Trinity, and God's Counsel. Each of these of course is further subdivided in a logical format. Note that in the Dutch original, God's Names came after God's Incommunicable Attributes, and the editor does not give any rational for the change. The last chapter on God's Counsel is the real gem of this work, and Bavinck's treatment of election is a gripping read, demonstrating God's love and forethought of His creatures. His treatment of the supra/infra-lapsarian debate should also be consulted by any who wish to avoid these errors. The hardback itself is of good quality and mine has held up well over its first reading, although it is rather unremarkable (in fact it looks almost identical to Berkhof's Systematic Theology also published by Banner of Truth).