Assurance of Faith

by Louis Berkhof

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 1939

Overview

Berkhof wrote Assurance of Faith in the conviction that the doctrine of assurance deserves more attention than it often receives. He chronicles the history of the doctrine from the Reformation, through the confessional period, and into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He also explains the connection between faith, belief, and the assurance of salvation.

Product Details

• Title: Assurance of Faith
• Author: Louis Berkhof
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1939
• Pages: 86

About Louis Berkhof

Louis Berkhof was born in 1873 in the Netherlands, and immigrated with his family to West Michigan in 1882. In 1893, he began attending the Theological School of the Christian Reformed Church (now Calvin Theological Seminary), where he studied under Hendericus Beuker and was influenced by the writings of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck. Berkhof graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1900 and became the pastor of First Christian Reformed Church in Allendale, Michigan. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary from 1902 to 1904, where he studied under B.B. Warfield and Geerhardus Vos. H. Henry Meeter, a friend of Berkhof, remarked that “Berkhof frequently said that he owed more to Vos than anyone else for his insights into Reformed theology” (Reformed Theology in America, 156).

Berkfhof returned to Michigan in 1904 and became pastor of Oakdale Park Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. In 1906, he was appointed professor of exegetical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, and in 1926, became professor of dogmatic theology. He also delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton in 1921. On September 9, 1931, Berkhof became president of Calvin Theological Seminary, where he served until his retirement in 1944. During his lifetime, he wrote prolifically, including numerous volumes on theology, social issues, politics, education, and missions. In addition to his books, he also published countless articles in Reformed periodicals, such as The Banner, De Wachter, and the Calvin Forum. He also served as the first president of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod in 1946.

Louis Berkhof died in 1957.

Sample Pages from the Print Edition

Contents

Top Highlights

“Moreover, the Roman Catholic church makes the forgiveness of sins dependent, not on an immediate divine act of pardon once for all, but on the sacrament of penance that must be repeated after every mortal sin, and on the absolution of the priest. With every new deadly sin the state of grace is lost.” (Page 21)

“a trustful repose on Jehovah. He caused his soul to rest, not merely on the promises of God, but on God himself.” (Page 38)

“The New Testament, as well as the Old, bears witness to the fact that trust is an essential element in faith.” (Page 39)

“the Heidelberg Catechism also takes the position that assurance is of the very essence of faith.” (Page 24)

“The Bible certainly does not regard a state of doubt as the normal condition of believers. Their fundamental tone, as recorded in Scriptures, is one of glad assurance. At the same time it is clearly indicated that their faith may be weak, that they may be distracted by doubts, may be wandering about in a maze of uncertainty, and may be groping in spiritual darkness.” (Page 77)

Product Details

• Title: The Assurance of Faith
• Author: Louis Berkhof
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 1939
• Logos Release Date: 2009
• Era: era:modern
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Faith
• Resource ID: LLS:ASSURFAITH
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2020-03-24T21:56:48Z

About Louis Berkhof

Louis Berkhof (1873–1957) was a Reformed theologian whose works remain highly influential. He taught at at Calvin Theological Seminary from 1906 and served as its president from 1931–1944.

Berkhof’s writings, including his Systematic Theology, presented Reformed thought in the tradition of John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper, and Herman Bavinck. Throughout his tenure at Calvin, he stressed the importance of orthodoxy, a focus shown in his works.