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Book Description
The History of Christian Doctrines is a major, widely respected work on the definition, transformation, development, and preservation of basic Christian doctrines throughout the history of the church.
Comprehensive in scope, it provides the necessary historical background for all who are studying systematic theology or current trends in the religious world. Although the theologian must constantly assess the present situation of Christian theological thought, he cannot neglect with impunity, Dr. Berkhof counsels, the lessons of the past.
The text is concise in style and conveniently outlined with headings and subheadings for maximum effectiveness as a textbook or reference tool. As a plus for classroom teachers and students, questions follow each chapter.
Source: Back Cover
About the Author
Louis Berkhof (October 14 1873 – May 18 1957) was an American-Dutch Reformed theologian whose works on systematic theology have been influential in seminaries and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada and with individual Christians in general throughout the 20th century.
Berkhof was born in 1873 in Emmen in the Netherlands and moved in 1882 with his family to Grand Rapids (Michigan). About the time he graduated from the seminary he married Reka Dijkhuis. They had four children before her death in 1928. He then married Dena Heyns-Joldersma who had two daughters.
In 1900, he graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids after which he was appointed pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church in Allendale Charter Township, Michigan. Two years later he attended Princeton Theological Seminary where he earned his B.D. in two years. He returned to Grand Rapids to pastor Oakdale Park Church. In 1906, he joined the faculty of Calvin Theological Seminary and taught there for almost four decades. For the first 20 years he taught Biblical Studies until in 1926 he moved into the systematic theology department. He became president of the seminary in 1931 and continued in that office until he retired in 1944.
Berkhof wrote twenty-two books during his career. His main works are his Systematic Theology (1932, revised 1938) which was supplemented with an Introductory Volume to Systematic Theology (1932, which is included in the 1996 Eerdman’s edition of Systematic Theology) and a separate volume entitled History of Christian Doctrines (1937). He wrote a more concise version of his Systematic Theology for high school and college students entitled Manual of Christian Doctrine, and later wrote the even more concise Summary of Christian Doctrine. He also delivered Princeton Theological Seminary’s Stone Lectures in 1951. These were published as The Kingdom of God. In addition to this, he worked on many papers for the Christian Reformed Church as well as collections of sermons.
Berkhof was not known for being original or speculative but for being very good at organizing and explaining basic theological ideas following in the tradition of John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck. Theologian Wayne Grudem has called Berkhof’s Systematic Theology “a great treasure-house of information and analysis […] probably the most useful one-volume systematic theology available from any theological perspective.”[1] Berkhof’s writings continue to serve as systematic presentations of Reformed theology. They are organized for use in seminaries and religious education as well as individual reference, though his systematics works are demanding reads.
Source: Wikipedia
Paperback, 285
Publisher: Baker Book House
Publication Date: 1937 (original edition), 1975 (first paperback edition), 1992 (eleventh printing)
ISBN: 0-8010-0636-8
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About the Illustrator 
On Sunday, November 22, 2015, Pastor 
Mid-Cities Presbyterian Church Library 
To See the Glory of God (John 11:28-44)
Just as Jesus had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead and unbind him from his grave clothes, so he has power to raise us from spiritual death and unbind us from slavery to sin.
1. “Deeply Moved,” or Indignant?—Jesus was angry both at the enemy that death itself is, and by the fact that so many chose to remain ignorant that he is the God-sent remedy to death.
2. Jesus Wept—In his full humanity, Jesus shed tears for Lazarus, and for the disbelief on display around him.
3. That They Might Believe—In his full deity, Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out, raising him physically, signifying our spiritual resurrection and foretelling our future bodily resurrection, yet contrasting it with that of the Lord Jesus.
Listen to “To See the Glory of God” (John 11:28-44) at mcopc.org.
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