Recent Trends in Theology

By Louis Berkhof

Religion and theology are very closely related, but are by no means identical. Religion is a relationship between man and his God, while theology is the knowledge which man has of God. The question has sometimes been raised, whether religion gave birth to theology, or theology called forth religion. A careful consideration of the relation between the two soon leads to the conclusion that neither one of these alternatives is acceptable. They are both effects of the same cause, namely, of the revelation of God respecting His own Being, and His handiwork. True religion and real theology are both rooted in the divine revelation which God has been pleased to give unto man, and which is embodied in His inspired Word. Apart from that Word there is no genuine religion, nor any theology that is properly so called.

CrossReach Publications

• Language: English
• Publisher: CrossReach Publications
• Release date: Sep 5, 2018

Louis Berkhof

(1874-1957) He taught for thirty-eight years at CalvinTheological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Introductory Note

In the spring of the year 1943 the author of this brief survey of Recent Trends of Theology had the privilege of delivering an address on this subject before the Faculty of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and in September of that same year addressed the Faculty and students of Calvin Seminary on the subject at the opening of the school year 1943–44. At the urgent request of some of those who heard it, it was offered for publication, though with some additions, and now appears in printed form. We hope that it may prove to be of some value in wider circles.

L. Berkhof.

Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jan. 4, 1944.

Introduction

Religion and theology are very closely related, but are by no means identical. Religion is a relationship between man and his God, while theology is the knowledge which man has of God. The question has sometimes been raised, whether religion gave birth to theology, or theology called forth religion. A careful consideration of the relation between the two soon leads to the conclusion that neither one of these alternatives is acceptable. They are both effects of the same cause, namely, of the revelation of God respecting His own Being, and His handiwork. True religion and real theology are both rooted in the divine revelation which God has been pleased to give unto man, and which is embodied in His inspired Word. Apart from that Word there is no genuine religion, nor any theology that is properly so called.

True religion represents the effect which the special revelation of God produces in the sphere of the individual and collective life of men. It is true, there are many religions where this divine revelation is not known, and even in Christian lands religions which take little or no account of the Word of God. And in our day many regard these religions as being essentially true as far as they go, though they are willing to admit that the Christian religion is superior to them all. But the Bible, while recognizing some true elements in those so-called religions, teaches us to regard them as false religions, and ascribes them to a wilful perversion of the truth. The gods honored in them are no gods, but are really vanity and lies. They are only caricatures of the living original seen in Christianity. And the roots of the Christian religion are found deep down in the sub-soil of God’s special revelation. Religion may be described as a real, living and conscious relationship between man and the living God, determined by His Self-revelation, and expressing itself in a life of worship, fellowship and service.

Now there is a very close relationship between religion and theology. They are inseparably connected, and there is no such thing as theology without religion. At the same time the two are not at all identical. Theology in the proper sense of the word is an effect of the same cause. It is the effect which the divine revelation, embodied in Scripture, produces in the sphere of systematic thought. Theology is the fruit of the reflection of the Church on the truth, revealed in the Word of God. It accepts the Word of God as an authoritative revelation of the truth, and seeks to think the thoughts of God after Him. Theology is correctly defined as the science of the knowledge of God or, more briefly, as the science of God.

Many in our day, however, represent the connection between religion and theology as a causal relationship. Theology is regarded as the fruit of the religious experiences of man. According to them God reveals Himself primarily in human religious experience, and even the Bible is the fruit of this experience. It is but a record of the religious experiences of the men who wrote its various books. And the most important part of this is found in the New Testament. This is normative for us, because the men who penned it lived daily in close relationship with Jesus Christ, and therefore had very unique experiences. This could not be otherwise in view of the supreme God-consciousness of Jesus. According to