Christian Dogmatics: An Introduction

A fresh, inviting text on the content of Christian faith in our contemporary context, this one-volume systematic theology offers an accessible, orthodox explication of the Christian faith for students, teachers, pastors, and serious lay readers alike. Cornelis van der Kooi and Gijsbert van den Brink not only cover all the traditional themes—God, creation, sin, Jesus Christ, Scripture, and so on—but also relate those classic themes to such contemporary developments as Pentecostalism, postmodernism, and evolutionary theory.

Consisting of sixteen chapters, the book is ideal for classroom use. Each chapter begins with several engaging questions and a statement of learning goals and concludes with a list of recommended further reading. Written in a student-friendly tone and style and expertly translated and edited, van der Kooi and van den Brink’s Christian Dogmatics splendidly displays the real, practical relevance of theology to the complexities of our world today.


CONTENTS
Preface to the English Edition
Preface to the Original Edition
1.   Dogmatics as Disciplined Thinking about God
      Definitions and Aims
2.   Is There a God?
      Prolegomena
3.   God as Three in One
      The Doctrine of the Trinity
4.   “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
      The Names, Attributes, and Essence of God
5.   Encountering God
      The Doctrine of Revelation
6.   Existence Given
      The Doctrine of Creation
7.   Human Beings and the Image of God
      Theological Anthropology
8.   Existence Ravaged
      Sin and Evil
9.   Israel, the Raw Nerve in Christian Theology
      The Doctrine of the Covenant
10. The Person of Jesus Christ
      Christology
11. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
      Jesus Christ as Victor, Redeemer, and Mediator
12. Holy Spirit, Giver of Life
      Pneumatology
13. The Book of God and of Humans
      The Doctrine of Scripture
14. Renewal of God’s Community
      Ecclesiology
15. Renewal of the Human Being
      Justification and Transformation
16. Renewal of God’s World
      Eschatology
      Bibliography
      Index of Names
      Index of Subjects
      Index of Scripture Reference

Michael S. Horton
— Westminster Seminary California
“Deeply informed by biblical studies as well as the history of doctrine, van der Kooi and van den Brink engage a wide range of conversation partners and offer a crucial perspective for ecumenical conversation.”