Works from 2013
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Prose
08 Leah Sienkowski, Red Bird; 12 Neil Gilbert, The Affairs of
12/1/12 in a Project Neighborhood Context; 18 Adam Meyer, Tsunami
24 Benjamin Rietema, The Department; 28 Leah Sienkowski, Welcome to the Vegetables; 40 Katie Van Zanen, Giacometti; 50 James Li, Nightswimming
Poetry
06 Kai Koopman, Window; 07 Linnea McLaughlin, Still; 09 Natalie Eising, Orange Eyes; 11 Libby Huizenga, Vinification; 20 Gabriel Hoekstra, Mishibijiw; 21 Kyle Luck, Lofted Auden; 22 Katie VanZanen, no skin; 27 Nicholas James Alcock, Worship; 33 Nicholas James Alcock, Ivory Past; 35 Kyle Luck, Verulamium; 37 Kai Koopman, Meridians; 42 Alexandra Bass, Blue Dream; 43 Abigail Hocking, An Inquiry Towards a Weeping Willow; 45 Rose Nelessen, Basket Writer
46 Leah Sienkowski, Tony; 49 Rose Nelessen, It Happened with Perfection, Like a Dream; 56 Josiah Sleppy,...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Prose
04 Ben De Vries, Of Robbers and Casting; 14 Andrew Reichard, Scarecrow; 34 Joshua Epperly, Goodbye, I; 47 Geneva Langland, Untidy; 49 Michael Kelly, Calling Back; 51 Kyric Koning, To Don the Dream; 55 Josh deLacy, The First Rule of Hunting
Poetry
10 Gabe Gunnink, The Grey; 12 Tyler Slamkowski, CASE VAC; 13 Libby Huizenga, Relapse, Dendrites; 27 Gabe Gunnink, The City at Dawn; 30 Josh deLacy, Silent Seas; 48 Gabriel LePage, Socialized and Digitized; 48 Julia Hawkins, Spatula; 50 Trenton Heille, Ginger Ale, In the Straw; 54 Chelsea Tanis, A Toast to Not Making a Scene
Visual Art
17 Ann Parkin, New Journey; 18 James Li, Verticle Escape; 19 Joanna Bayliss, Pulse; 20 Victoria Haugen, Leap Before the Storm; 21 Ashleigh VandeKopple, Picking Posies; 22 Anonymous, Mr. Elton's Pencil; 23 Anonymous, Westernization; 2...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Prose
07 Josh deLacy, On Criticism; 19 Katerina Parsons, Bird in the Kitchen; 24 Sarah Kuipers, Inescapable; 29 Kristopher Zasadil, Grandiose Catastrophe; 33 LeahJonker, A Bell Tower; 34 Joella Ranaivoson, Beneath the Surface; 45 Joella Ranaivoson, Taylor Swift:
Jes Not Love
Poetry
04 Joel Bolthuis, UAV; 04 Taylor Maxfield, Awkard Hugs; 05 Josh deLacy, Integration; 06 Justin Majetich, Untitled, Untitled; 11 Joel Crevier, The Efficient Cause; 22 Linnea Mclaughlin, Opal Sky; 28 Justin Majetich, Untitled; 31 Jonathan Lin, A Treatise on the Human Condition at Age 19; 32 Laura Ahrens, The Daze; 43 Sabrina Lee, retainer, Untitled; 44 Alex Westenbrook, Untitled; 50 Alex Westenbrook, Silver Maple; 50 Zack Kenney, In Light of Tragedy
Visual Art
12 Stephanie Kang, Spectacle; 13 Victoria Haugen, Evening Smile,
Crowni...
Antoine De Chandieu (1534-1591): one of the Fathers of the Reformed Scholasticism?, Theodore Gerard Van Raalte, CalvinTheological Seminary
The present work is the first dissertation to study any of Antoine de Chandieu’s prodigious output of scholastic theological works. Chandieu was a French Reformed pastor and theologian who lived from 1534 to 1591. He had a fascinating life as a French nobleman with extensive land holdings in France who was Protestant in the time of the Wars of Religion. His role in the church polity of the French Reformed Churches was crucial in the period 1559-1572. After this he resided in Lausanne and Geneva and in time taught theology at their academies, with a break from 1585-1588 while he served the future Henry IV of France as chaplain and fundraiser. Chandieu was a master of genres who published famous poetry that was set to music in his own lifetime. He also wrote a martyrology, a stage play, and of course, a lot of emails. Poets in the generation that followed him considered him one member o...
Christ and the clue of history: Lesslie Newbigin's Christocentric philosophy of history as the central thread of his thought., Kyle Brooks, Calvin Theological Seminary
As early as his 1941 Bangalore Lectures, “The Kingdom of God and the Idea of Progress,” Newbigin took a hard look directly at history itself and its various interpreters. In those four lectures at the age of 32, Newbigin laid the foundation for all of his critical theological thinking for the next half century. While Newbigin scholarship is still relatively fresh, it appears that expositors of his work have neglected a, if not the, central motif in his immense corpus: his philosophy of history. I will attempt provide a systematic account of Newbigin’s incredibly consistent thoughts on the topic of history over the span of more than fifty years, and to show how his epistemology, anthropology, soteriology, ecclesiology, eschatology, and missiology find their coherence in this singular vision. Chapter 1 introduces the importance of the topic of history in Newbigin’s life and work as well...
Covenant of Redemption in the theology of Jonathan Edwards: the Nexus Between the Immanent and the Economic Trinity, Reita Yazawa, CalvinTheological Seminary
Contemporary trinitarian theologies tend to hold that the doctrine of the Trinity, especially the immanent Trinity, became impractical, speculative, and abstruse over the years in the history of Christian theology. In response, the recent theologies of the Trinity explore various practical implications of the doctrine of the Trinity with emphasis on God’s economic work of redemption in history. However, the Reformed idea of the covenant of redemption helps us to reconsider whether the doctrine of the Trinity, even of the immanent Trinity, has been really so impractical. In this study, I argue that the Reformed idea of the covenant of redemption in the theology of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) sheds a new light on the practical significance of the doctrine of the Trinity because the inner-trinitarian eternal pact between the Father and the Son has practical relevance for salvation in th...
Jeremiah and feelings: a non-identity crisis., Brenda Kronemeijer-Heyink, Calvin Theological Seminary
As indicated by Jeremiah’s title, “the weeping prophet,” the book of Jeremiah is full of a wide range of feelings. The agent of these feelings is not only Jeremiah, but also his community (the people of Judah) and the LORD. These feelings expressed in the book can be seen as part of the prophetic message. In fact, Jeremiah’s feelings are not only his own but are also representative of his community and the LORD. This representational nature of Jeremiah’s feelings is hinted at through the ambiguity of the emotional agent, is shown in the paralleled feelings and incitements thereof for different agents, is displayed through literary means, and is even stated explicitly in the text. These feelings are an integral part of Jeremiah’s prophetic task, in which he represents himself, his community, and the LORD. Responses are given to those who see Jeremiah’s feelings as solely his own or reg...
Religious Images through Protestant Eyes, Julia LaPlaca, Calvin University
...
The semantics of Hebrew NA' in the Pentateuch and former prophets., Stephen Kline, Calvin Theological Seminary
Beginning with a discussion of face-based linguistic politeness, this thesis investigates the etymology of the particle נָא as well as its meaning in the Pentateuch and Former Prophets. Though always associated with requests, the function of נָא varies according to its syntactical usage. With the particles הִנָּה and נָא ,אִם indicates that a request is about to be made; the interjections נָא and אַל־נָא are found too rarely to draw certain conclusions, but even in the few attested occurrences, a request follows. With the third-person jussive, נָא indicates that the hearer is being asked to do something, either to engage in an action or to grant permission (redress is offered by the use of the third-person form). With the cohortative, נָא invites input from the hearer, sometimes in the form of permission and sometimes more generally (redress is offered by an appeal to the hearer’s con...
The Son of God Beyond the Flesh: a Historical and theological Study of the Extra Calvinisticum., Andrew M. McGinnis, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation examines the doctrine that the incarnate Son of God was not limited to fleshly, human existence but continued to exist etiam extra carnem (“even beyond the flesh”), a doctrine that has come to be known as the extra Calvinisticum. The study argues that the doctrine had a significant role in the thought of three important theologians of the patristic, medieval, and Reformation eras—namely, Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), and Zacharias Ursinus (1534–1583)—and explains how each of these theologians employed the doctrine. In general, however, the extra dropped from the theological scene by the end of the nineteenth century due in part to shifts in metaphysics and theological method and a growing weariness of theological divisions in the church. The exposition of the doctrine’s use in these three pre- and early-modern figures reveals the older sig...
Works from 2012
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Prose
05 Robert Vander Lugt, My Puny Sacrifice; 08 Joshua Epperly, Pain, Loneliness, and Mediteranean Food; 16 Abby Zwart, JiVhen the Time Comes; 34 Benjamin Rietema, The Damn Dishes; Simply Bread; 39 James Li, Charlie; 50 Katie Van Zanen, Volcano Country; 56 Will Montei, Long Breaths
Haiku Contest Top 5
31 Katerina Parsons, Rivulets of rain; 31 Shen Leong, Your constant praising; 31 Jared Haverdink, Exuberant brook; 31 Carrie Field, I said I was lost; 31 Michael VanderMeer, A bottle of wine
Visual Art
18 Teressa Van Dam, Doorways; 19 Tori Haugen, Pride of Saint Chapella; 20 Kerry Aarnoutse, Edmonton; 21 Joanna Bayliss, Scoliosis Study #2; 22 Tanice Mast, The Woods in Mud; 23 Martin Avila, Por Fin; 24 James Li, Procrastination; 25 Tori Haugen, Silence; 26 Kat Stahl, Liebe zum detail- Colors of Kona; 27 Sarah Gab...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Prose
06 Geneva Langeland, Marks; 11 Joella Ranaivoson, Tea Time; 16 Kesley Zasadil, Grace; 33 Leah Sienkowski, The Duck Story; 43 Maxwell Howard, Tumor Like Dostoyevsky; 49 Libby Stille, An Incident in Georgia; 53 Katerina Parsons, After Many Years
Poetry
05 Leah Sienkowski, Lake 16; 09 Trenton Heille, Choke Cherries; 10 Alex Westenbroek, Melpomene; 15 Nicholas James Alcock, Noir; 42 Trenton Heille, Traverse; 48 Sarah Bonthuis, Starry Night; 52 Chelsea Tanis, Strictly Tectonic; 52 Tyler Slamkowski, Moriah; 56 Linnea McLaughlin, Dropped Call; 57 Mary Snook, Coat; 58 Leah Sienkowski, Surfacing in Time; 58 Meg Schmidt, Cave Diving
Visual Art
17 Tyler Minnesma, Seeping; 18 Tori Haugen, The One Left Behind; 19 Asheligh Vandekopple, Evening in Roma; 21 Bureaux, U_: Specimens of Self; 22 Stephanie Kang, Study of Haraj...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Poetry
05 Kai Koopman, Those Shoulders on Which We Stand; 06 Joshua Brooker, The Straits of Youth; 07 Abby Koning, Snowdrops, Estuary; 08 Jonathan Hielkema, Plastics Conventions; 11 Kathleen O'Bannon, Godless Existentialist; 12 Chelsea Tanis, 1981 Two-Door Revolution; 33 Elizabeth Steiner, Cyanide; 34 Laura Sheppard, Time Lapse; 35 Sarah Bonthuis, The Space Between, Deliverance; 36 Josiah Majetich, On "Wild Swans at Coale"; 42 Sabrina Lee, Memory Keeper, Chinese Proverb; 44 Kai Koopman, Fourth Grade Art Class; 45 Jake Schepers, California Roll; 46 Josh deLacy, In the Leaving; 49 Josiah Kuiper, (Implications; 50 Leah Sienkowski, You Say Lots of Things, The House, Yesterday; 51 Michelle Jokisch, Plastic Little Covers; 53 Trenton Heil le, After Falling into the Sea; 53 Ben Rietema, Cinnamon; 54 Ae Hee Lee, Beauty; 58 Angela Dekoekkoek, lntercostals
Pros...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Poetry
05 Jake Schepers, Tug; 11 Michael Kelly, A Sonnet for Me and
Mine; 15 Davis Dryer, The Zilwaukee Bridge, I Thought I Knew; 16 Sharon Piwang, Poetry Jam Uncensored-MS DO; 33 Abby Koning, Panopticon; 35 Jake Schepers, This American Life; 39 Hannah Meijers, Watching Crocodiles; 41 Caroline Higgins, Birds and Banjos, Skinny (Like Long Island); 42 Hannah Meijers, That Moment; 42 Katerina Parsons, Chicken Not to Tell Me; 43 Andrew Knot, Subway; 43 Ryan Hagerman, A Show for Me; 44 Colleen Keehl, Phenomenology; 45 Daniel Camacho, American Soul; 46 Andrew McCleland, The Nameless Picker; 47 Michelle Ratering, Flight Patterns of the Acer Saccharum; 47 Katie Van Zanen, Everything; 48 Justin Majetich, Family Portait, (Armillaria Ostoyae); 49 Megan Meulink, Drive Out the
Night; 52 Andrew Szobody, Shadow Studies; 54 Leah Sienkowski, Maps and Lines, Snake Grass; 55 Mi...
Claude Pajon (1626-1685) and the Academy of Saumur., Albert J. Gootjes, CalvinTheological Seminary
This thesis examines the life, writings and polemics of Claude Pajon (1626-1685) throughout the first so-called Pajonist controversy (1665-1667). Previous scholarship situated him in the context of a development it saw within the theology originating from the Academy of Saumur and passing from John Cameron (ca. 1579-1625), through Moïse Amyraut (1596- 1664), and then to Pajon. This study argues that this trajectory needs revision. Pajon developed a theory of grace which denied the necessity of an immediate, internal work of the Holy Spirit on either intellect or will, preceding the mediate work through the Word and other means. To characterize this as a development from Amyraut is inaccurate in at least two ways. First, Pajon implicitly – and, on one occasion, also explicitly! – rejected his former teacher’s view. Secondly, he did not himself devise his theory on grace but adopted it ...
In Defense of Leibniz's theodicy, Nathan A. Jacobs, CalvinTheological Seminary
G. W. Leibniz professes a commitment to historical Christian theism, but the depth and orthodoxy of his commitment has been questioned throughout the past three centuries. In this project I defend both the cogency and the orthodoxy of Leibniz’s philosophical theology and, by extension, its application to the Christian task of theodicy. At the heart of this defense is the central claim of this project, namely, that Leibniz’s philosophical theology represents a traditional brand of Augustinianism. In short, I argue that Leibniz’s theodicy is not his own, but is the tacit claim of a longstanding theological tradition made explicit and brought to bear on the problem of evil as articulated in Leibniz’s day. Accompanying this central claim are a number of subordinate claims, the most significant of which center on how we read Leibniz on providence and on free choice. Regarding the former, I...
Journeying To the God Who Is Here: John Baillie's theology of Revelation in the Context of His Life and Thought, Jessica Edwards Maddox, CalvinTheological Seminary
Scottish Presbyterian theologian John Baillie (1886-1960) was a significant theologian and scholar who thoughtfully took up throughout his career the questions of how and why we know God. This dissertation shows that Baillie’s unique contribution to the theology of revelation in the idea of the mediated immediacy of God’s presence plays a formative role in the rest of his theology and is valuable for a Reformed theological engagement of twenty-first century theology. Throughout his career Baillie made several offerings relevant to this area of study, most notably Our Knowledge of God (1939), which has been considered Baillie’s most original work. In Our Knowledge of God, Baillie suggests that revelation is a direct encounter with the presence of God mediated through the natural world, fellow humans, the church and, most significantly and clearly, Jesus Christ. The roots of this concep...
Reexamining the place of public confession of sins in a reformed context., Matthew John Webber, Calvin Theological Seminary
A dangerous tendency plagues the scripturally mandated practice of confession within many mainline Christian churches. The danger is that the theological thrust of the practice has been ignored or compromised in such a way that the manner in which confession is practiced ignores fundamental elements which underlie the need for confession, specifically public confession performed before one's fellow believers. It is especially evident that the confession of one's sins, which once took place in pubic before the ecclesial body, has seen a significant amount of change within the Reformed context. The focus of this essay is to identify the theological reason behind the sinner publically seeking to be reconciled with God and one's faith community, as well as the reason behind public confession as a means through which one may embrace grace and overcome one's sinful behavior. In this work, I...
Re-Visioning Reason, Revelation, and Rejection in John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and John Toland's Christianity Not Mysterious., Jonathan S. Marko, CalvinTheological Seminary
Histories of philosophy that cover the rise of natural religion in England will inevitably move from John Locke to John Toland. The typical account portrays Locke as sincerely Christian and trying to balance the demands of faith and reason. His rationalistic epistemology in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (Essay) even defends doctrines that are “above reason.” Toland is portrayed as a disciple of Locke whose modified Lockean epistemology in Christianity Not Mysterious (CNM) results in a subordination of revelation to reason and a dismissal of doctrines that are above reason. More detailed treatments note that CNM is the catalyst of the Locke-Stillingfleet debate, which begins when Bishop Stillingfleet observes CNM’s dependence on the Essay and then accuses Locke of paving the way for heresy. This dissertation argues that the differences between Locke and Toland with respect to...
The Antitheses (Matthew 5:21-48) in the Sermon on the Mount: Moral Precepts Revealed in Scripture and Binding on All People, Amos Winarto Oei, CalvinTheological Seminary
While many may agree that the Sermon on the Mount is the epitome of Jesus' ethics, many also recognize that the Sermon is often a riddle. The vastness and variety of literature demonstrates that the interpretation of the Sermon is subject to many disagreements. At the heart of the Sermon of the Mount, the antitheses (Matthew 5:21-48) become one source of polemics in the study of the Sermon. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the scholarship of the Sermon on the Mount by addressing two problems in the study of the antitheses. The first concerns the nature of the moral demands in the antitheses. The second deals with their scope. The intention of the dissertation is not to expose all possible misunderstandings of the interpretation of the antitheses but to examine some of the hermeneutical options to see how the nature of their presuppositions predetermines the logic ...
Works from 2011
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Prose
05 William Overbeeke, The Orchid Shop; 10 Andrew Steiner, Saint Daniel of Padua; 12 Jonathan Hielkema, Riffs and Variations on Coastal Rise; 15 Ta nice Mast, Untitled; 34 Maxwell Howard, Night Driving; 39 Caroline Higgins, Never See Me; 43 Jake Schepers, Antithises to Stork; 49 Joshua Epperly, Elysium
Visual Art
17 Bjorn Sparrman, Kotengu, Kappa; 19 Joanna Bayliss, Untitled; 20 Jenny Swim, #15. #3; 22 Bridgette Keehl, Untitled, Untitled; 24 Hannah Abma, Untitled, Untitled; 26 Ashleigh Vandel
Poetry
09 Leah Sienkowski, Delighted Audio, Darling You are Mine; 11 Colleen M. Keehl, Infinitely Wild; 14 Justin Majetich, Nine/Ten; 33 Caroli...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Nonfiction
04 Sabrina Lee, Tewnty-First Century Tomb Raiding; 11 Jake Schepers, De Rigueur for Men; 41 Sarah Vander Molen, For Whom the Bell Dings; 49 Nard Choi, Steady the Light
Fiction
07 Brian Alford, Im Spiegel; 09 Elaine Schnabel, Spoils of War; 36 Elaine Schnabel, Best Years; 45 Abby Koning, Pranayama
Visual Art
17 Hannah Abma, Bridge)· Suspension). Crossover; 20 Sean Vandenbrink, Henk van B) 1930). Nennetje Rijksen 1930; 22 Henry Muller, Everyday Interactions; 24 Jay Howard, Waiting I; 25 Alice Keyes, Life Amid the Rubble; 26 Andrew Fisher, Red Brick)·Broken Mansion; 28 Sheila Morken, Box)· Cup; 30 Jenny Swim, Middle Big Pot)· Little
Big Pot
Poetry
06 Nard Choi, Deny Myselp?· The Endless Inbetween; 08 peopleherd, Exquisite Corpse - The Reasons I Retired Young; 08 Adam Wolpa, ...
As good as it gets: a review and consideration of "healing prayer", its theological and ministry implications, and the hope for change it evokes., Henry Kranenburg, Calvin Theological Seminary
If healing is possible, and Christian prayer is a means to achieve it, how do Christians 'make it happen'? The answer to this question has had renewed and increasing interest for Christians in Reformed circles (Chapter I). While different healing 'ministries' have claimed to unlock (some aspect) of healing, there has been limited assessment of these ministries in both their methodologies and their claims. This paper reviews four of these ministries, first looking at aspects of their teaching and methodology (Chapter 2). It then reflects on these from a behavioural-psychological perspective by asking a number of questions (Chapter 3) before moving to a behavioural-theological analysis that looks a little more deeply at the foundations, methods and claims of these ministries (Chapter 4). This includes critique of these ministries (weaknesses, lacunae, inconsistencies) but also an recogn...
Called into Communion: a Paradigm Shift in Holiness theology, B. Susan Carole, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation argues that current problems in Nazarene holiness theology can be traced to a person-centered theological approach, which was introduced into theological reflection and practice during the Nineteenth Century Holiness Movement. Subjectivism has resulted in articulations of holiness doctrine that over-value the human role in religious experience and obscure the primacy of grace. These problems can be overcome by an articulation of holiness doctrine from the standpoint of its transcendent goalfullness in divine-human communion. Fullness of communion is divine-human fellowship characterized by the full actualization of divine Lordship and wholehearted human devotion, through the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Entire sanctification is the decisive moment of faith, subsequent to justification, in which the Holy Spirit cleanses the believer from inherited sin and initializes ...
Covenant in Conflict: the Controversy Over the Church Covenant Between Samuel Rutherford and Thomas Hooker, Sang Hyuck Ahn, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation examines the mid-seventeenth-century controversy over the church government between Samuel Rutherford (Presbyterian) and Thomas Hooker (Congregationalist) focusing on its theological underpinnings. The church covenant played a significant role: For Hooker, it constitutes the theological and logical foundation of his systematic defense of the New England Way—particularly in the issues of the nature of the visible church, church membership, the power of the keys, sacraments, and church discipline. Rutherford considers the church covenant as a human invention because it is unknown to Scripture. In reply, Hooker argues both that the concept of church covenant is warranted by God’s word, and also that Rutherford’s Presbyterianism is neither biblical nor true to the Reformation. Their differing views of the church covenant are closely interconnected with each man’s covenan...
Johannes Piscator (1526-1625) and the Consequent Development of the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christ's Active Obedience, Heber Carlos De Campos Júnior, CalvinTheological Seminary
Though the forensic understanding of imputation of Christ's righteousness was consistently asserted by the Reformers, the discussion around what constituted this imputed righteousness was a Post Reformation debate. However, secondary literature is often unaware of the development of such doctrine when they assert that early Reformed figures such as John Calvin, Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus were either in favor or opposed to the doctrine of the imputation of Christ's active obedience. These labels are preferable if attributed to those who responded to Johannes Piscator's disagreement with Theodore Beza's theology of imputation of righteousness, this being the debate which sparked the controversy in Reformed circles. Piscator understood that justification consisted in its entirety of the remission of sins imputed to the believer. Justification, then, was a simplex actio Dei, ...
John Edwards (1637-1716) on the Freedom of the Will: the Debate on the Relation Between Divine Necessity and Human Freedom in Late Seventeenth Century and Early Eighteenth Century England., Jeongmo Yoo, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation examines John Edwards’ (1637-1716) doctrine of free choice, focusing on his understanding of the relation between divine necessity and human freedom as an illustration of the way Reformed theologians of the late seventeenth and the early eighteenth century developed their ideas of human free choice. Even though free choice is an important theme in the history of Reformed theology, Reformed teaching on free choice has gained much less attention by modern scholars than other Reformed themes such as faith, grace and predestination. Moreover, the traditional Reformed doctrine of free choice has been frequently criticized as metaphysical or philosophical determinism by modern scholars. The crux of this evaluation or criticism is the claim that the classical Reformed doctrine of divine necessity such as divine decree, predestination, foreknowledge, providence, and grace ru...
Kees Van Til als Nederlandse-Amerikaanse, Neo-Calvinistisch-Presbyteriaan apologeticus: an analysis of Cornelius Van Til's presupposition of reformed dogmatics with special reference to Herman Bavinck's Gereformeerde Dogmatiek., Laurence R. O'Donnell III, Calvin Theological Seminary
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that Cornelius Van Til’s (1895–1987) presupposition of Reformed dogmatics is largely a presupposition of Herman Bavinck’s (1854–1921) Gereformeerde Dogmatiek. The argument proceeds in three steps. First, by situating Van Til’s life and work in the neo-Calvinist intellectual milieu within which he operated throughout his career, the prevailing Copernican interpretation of Van Til’s thought is challenged on the grounds of historical abstraction. Second, his formal, material, and polemical appropriations of Bavinck’s Dogmatiek are analyzed in order to show not only that Van Til appropriates Bavinck’s thought pervasively, but also that his apologetics cannot be properly understood apart from Bavinck’s dogmatics. Third, Van Til’s criticisms of the alleged scholasticism in Bavinck’s thought are analyzed in terms of their originality and their vali...
The Mythos of Sin: C. S. Lewis, the Genesis Fall, and the Modern Mood, Jeremy G. Grinnell, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation wrestles with the question how to profitably and theologically handle the Fall narrative of Genesis 3 once it has been classified as “myth,” as was the conclusion of the Formgeschichte school. The dissertation begins by establishing the theological conversation of the mid-twentieth century, which marks a zenith in the discussion. Beginning with a survey of the traditional interpretation of the narrative as historical account, which dominated pre-Enlightenment churchly thought, the survey then summarizes the change of tenor that Enlightenment and higher critical voices brought to the question. The survey concludes with consideration of Reinhold Niebuhr, Karl Barth, and Rudolph Bultmann on the definition and role of myth in the Bible. At this point C. S. Lewis is brought into the conversation in the belief that his expert status as a literary critic and Medievalist wou...
Works from 2010
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Nonfiction
08 Mag Kim, JiVhy I Want to be an Asian; 13 Lander Hultin, Eternal Living; 34 Kevin Moralez, Like a Forest in Heat; 41 Jake Schepers, Spontaneous Combustion; 45 Caroline Higgins, This Little Light; 50 Josh Brooker, Manifest Destiny
Review
57 Ben Alford, Strange Gethsemane
Visual Art
17 Rebecca Hiemstra, Portrait of Vati; 18 Tia Wierenga, Urban Landscape; 19 Sean VandenBrink, Italian Street; 20 Jo-Ann Van Reeuwyk, Nave, Shroud, Tabernacle; 22 Ashleigh VandeKopple, Red
Composition; 22 Alice Keyes, Lock; 23 Hannah Abma, Untitled
24 Stephen Clark, Untitled; 25 Andrew Szobody, Oil; 26 Adam Wolpa, Cumberland; 27 Bjorn Sparrman, Sit Next to Me, Oden, Run Run; 28 Liesje Brouwer, Waiting into the Water; 29 Kyria Osterhouse, Fragile/Hibernation; 30 Emily Helmus & Kerry Aarnoutse, The Selby
Calvin Colle...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Senior Spotlights
Visual:
4-5 Jessica Roodvoets, 5-6 Hannah Piedt, 10 Amanda Marcotte, 13 Kristin Kurtz, 14-15 Stephen Clark, 18-19 Loren Henry, 22-23 Kristin McHugh, 27 Joel Kligenberg, 28-29 Kirsten Hix, 32-33 Carla Andela, 36 Annica Vanderlinde, 38-39 Michael Rodriguez, 43 Aliza Flores-Jordan, 44 Rachelle Wunderink
Other:
cover Hannah Abma, 17 Emily Helmus, 20 Joe Salowitz, 26 Katie Hiskes, 35 Shelia Morken, 46 Ashleigh VandeKopple
Written:
2-3, 45, 48 Tabitha Speelman, 8-9 Josh Delay, 11 Jacob Schepers, 12 Kathleen O Bannon, 16-17 Mitchell Terpstra, 20-21 Kimberly Randle, 24 Jacob Eizenga, 25 Leah Nieboer, 29 Erica Jensen, 30 Michael Shade, 31 Jessica Miller, 34 Julia Garvelink; 37 Stephanie Kurtz 40-41 Hannah Piedt, 42 Cameron Morse. 46-47 Ae Hee Lee
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Cover Paula Manni: Typewriter Photography, 4 Henry Muller: Abstract Collage Collage, 5-6 Ali Kopseng: Untitled Ceramic, 9 Kristen McHugh: Untitled Collage, 12 Kristin Kurtz: Heart and Hand Graphite Pencil, 13 Karl Sparrman: Untitled Photography, 16 Karla Andela Ceramic, 17 Aleitha Shin: Raku Vessels Ceramic, 18 Michael Rodriguez: Alarm Found Object Assemblage, 21 Eryn Schmikla: Tree Typography Graphic Design, 26 Rachelle Wunderink: It's all Greek to me Collage, 27-28 Michael Rodriguez: Family Typography Installation, 29 Liesje Brouwer: Raku Vessel Ceramic, 31 Jackson Hall: Untitled Graphic Design
Written: 3 Kathleen O'Bannon: A Commiseration with the Wind, 7 Leah Nieboe:r entomology, 8 Leah Nieboer: [inquiry of mushrooms], 10 Jacob Eizenga: Theory of Mind, 11 Brandon Haan: Birmingham, 14 Jonathan Coe: Aspen Leaf Volvo, 15-16 Brett Beasley: Vegetarianism With A Literary Voice: A...
Baptist Sacramental theology: a Covenantal Framework For Believer Baptism, Brandon C. Jones, CalvinTheological Seminary
A recent resurgence of Baptist works that defend sacramental theology has revived the mid-twentieth-century debate among Baptists over the meaning of baptism. Just as the mid-twentieth-century generation of Baptist sacramentalists struggled to get other Baptists to accept their views, the problem remains today that most Baptists do not and will not seriously consider Baptist sacramental theology. The purpose of this dissertation is to help solve this problem by presenting a historically informed systematic theological defense of covenantal sacramentalism, which uses covenant theology to enhance a sacramental theology of baptism. This dissertation argues that the covenantal view of Baptist baptismal sacramentalism appeals to sacramentalists and ordinance-only Baptists alike, because it enhances Baptist theology of the meaning of baptism in helpful and unique ways. This dissertation de...
Calvin's Defense and Reformulation of Luther's Early Reformation Doctrine of the Bondage of the Will, Kiven S. Choy, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation finds that Calvin's reformulation of the doctrine of free choice reflects his convictions of the early Reformation heritage, his learning of the tradition from the early church fathers and especially from Augustine, the influences generated by his continuous dialogues with the development of the formulations among the Reformers in the second phase of the Reformation, and his personal theological convictions. Calvin formulated his defense as a Reformer of the second phase of the Reformation defending the early Reformation formulation set by Luther. The early Reformers used various necessitarian arguments to argue their cases. The Reformers in the second phase had the apologetic and pedagogical need to shift from the necessitarian argument. They incorporated theodical concern in their reformulations. They generally affirmed the genuine integrity of second causality, by...
Emil Brunner's theological Contribution To the Concept of Divine Action., James Norman Mayer, CalvinTheological Seminary
Through a careful examination of Emil Brunner's theology, this dissertation shows that when the concept of divine action is be examined in the context of the nature and work God the idea that God acts can better understood. After a brief introductory chapter, chapter 2 argues that contemporary discussions surprisingly fail to consider what God does and what God is like as possible resources for making sense of problems associated with the concept of God's activity. This chapter also suggests that a model of divine action should take into account the means, manner, effect, purpose, extent, and degree God's activity. Investigating the nature and work of God could prove useful for constructing a clear concept of divine action. Chapter 3 briefly introduces scholarship on Brunner and examines his theological writings regarding the nature of God. This chapter argues that Brunner's discuss...
The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Major Reformed Confessions and Catechisms of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, Yuzo Adhinarta, CalvinTheological Seminary
With the rise of Pentecostalism in the early twentieth century and the charismatic movement from the middle of the century until recently, a resurgence of interest in the Holy Spirit and Christian spirituality in both theology and the church's life has become evident. Along with the increase of interest in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the twentieth century, there are criticisms of the treatment of the doctrine in church history, including in the Reformed tradition, for having neglected the Holy Spirit in both theology and the church's life. These criticisms have helped to incite a burgeoning interest in pneumatology within Christendom. Critical studies of the treatments of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in church history have been laboriously conducted. However, there have not been many studies on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Reformed orthodoxy, particularly in its confes...
Things Hold Together John Howard Yoder's Trinitarian theology of Culture, Branson L. Parler, CalvinTheological Seminary
Theologies of culture often focus on either Christ or creation as their primary source, to the exclusion of the other. At best, this approach is incomplete because it does not account for the continuity between creation and redemption. At worst, it posits a divide not simply between Christ and creation, but between persons of the Trinity, presuming contradictory moral and cultural norms issuing from different persons of the Trinity. John Howard Yoder is often depicted as a representative of a Christocentric and creation-deficient approach to culture. Against that faulty representation, this dissertation argues that Yoder advocates a Trinitarian theology of culture that upholds the continuity and coherence between God's work in creation and in redemption. To see why Yoder can be characterized as Trinitarian, his thought must be placed in the context of his engagement with the Niebuhrs...
"You alone are God" a canonical reading of Psalm 86., Elizabeth Kao Holmlund, Calvin Theological Seminary
Canonical readings of the biblical psalms have become increasingly popular of late and represent a positive trend away from fragmentation of the Psalter into its "original" and component parts and towards greater recognition of the value of the Psalter's final form and its theology. However, the methods and parameters of a canonical approach to the psalms require further definition. An exegetical methodology incorporating a wide variety of methodological tools alongside a canonical approach was thus proposed and subsequently tested on Psalm 86. The unique features of Psalm 86—its attribution to David (in a book of the Psalter with no other Davidic psalms), its use of language found in many other psalms, and its Exodus-Sinai background—make it a particularly fitting composition to be read in light of other canonical texts. Application of the proposed holistic methodology to the interpr...
Works from 2009
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
2 Norm Zylstra- Jesus Takes a Break; 3-4 Chelsea Capobianco- Put it in your Pocket; 5 Marie Kissane- High School; 6 Shelby Meekhof- Never Compromise; 7-8 Leighanne Strugis- This is No Ordinary Apple; 9-12 Kristen McHugh(poem) and Miranda Brouwer; (i llustration)-Untitled
13 Bjorn Sparrman- Untitled; 14 Hannah Abma- Holy Strawberries Batman!; 15-18 Alexis Royce-Minds in the Making; 19 Kevin Morales- Untitled; 20 Joel Kligenberg-Character Profile #1; 21 Tia Wierenga- From the Batman Gotham Night II Series
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Visual Art
Cover Hannah Piedt Plugging In Graphic Design; 1 Meredith Donnelly Untitled Collage; 6 Karl Sparrman Paper Thin Photography; 7 Nola Nielson Diptych Collage; 10 Liesje Brouwer Untitled Cermanics, Brett Beasley Untitled Oil on Canvas; 11-12 Leighanne Evelyn Sturgis Homeless at Revere Beach Photography; 14 Scott Genzink Untitled Photography, Ashleigh Vandekopple Grand Rapids in all colors of light Photography; 16 Sean VandenBrink Bottles Ceramics; 17 Heather Bart/am Brooklyn Bridge Photography; 18 Karl Sparrman Peek Photography; 20 Tia Wierenga Friendship Mixed Media; 21-22 Rebecca Hiemstra Untitled Watercolor; 23-24 Jackson Hall The Softer Side of Death Graphic Design; 25-26 Silas Wolff Untitled Photography; 27 Sean VandenBrink Alice and Wonderland Rabbit Cermanics; 28 Norm Zylstra Editor and Chief Pen and Ink; 29-30 Rachelle Wunderink Drink Ultra Lounge A...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Visual Art
Cover Joe Arens Information Suit ( detail); 3 Yohan Na NACREBS DOT COM; 5 Rachelle Wunderink Untitled; 7 Kate Eshelman "The Great Horned Owl has exraordinary binocular vision and is able to turn its head 270 degrees. They are night hunters."; 8 Kate Eshelman Visiting Home; 9 Robert Selles Early Morning Mist, Belgium; 11-12 Karis Medina BFA Spotlight; 12-13 Miranda Brouwer BFA Spotlight; 16 Katie Hiskes Untitled; 17, 18 Natalie Good BFA Spotlight; 20 Jennifer Waid Untitled Self-Portrait; 22 Kristen McHugh Untitled (book excerpt); 23-24 Joe Arens BFA Spotlight; 25-26 Kathrin Stahl Spiral; 27-28 Jennifer Waid Untitled Miniature Series; 30 Liesje Brouwer Untitled Mushrooms
Literature
2,33 Jered Sprecher, Miranda Brouwer, Ryan Weberling Editorial; 4 Mike Shade 25 Things About Me - Helicopter Ride Over Guantanamo; 6 Jonathan LeCureux...
Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
Editorial Miranda Brouwer and Ryan Weberling; The Bald Eagle level three orgami Natalie Good; Kind of like the Puking Chicken mixed media collage Meredith Donnelly; (Untitled) oil on canvas paper Shelly DeJong; Song in the Subway Luke J. Robinson; Someone on Mulford Loves You mixed media collage Greg Vondiziano, Megan De Maagd, Emma Slager; (untitled polaroid) polaroid Simon C. Kittok, Kristen McHugh, Miranda Brouwer; Pack Mentality, Progression Study mixed media collage Jennifer Waid; (untitled) pen and ink Katie Hazeu; Growing, But Not Done Yet pen and ink Liesje Brouwer; What Can I Fit? Will Refvem
...Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
2 Editorial Ryan Weberling and Miranda Brouwer; 3, 4 (Untitled) Jenna Sue Vanden Brink; 5 (Untitled) Amy Crouch; 6 (untitled) Alice Scogin; 7 S-Bahn to Sachsenhausen Than DeJonge; 8 Vibrant Transportation Than DeJonge; 9 (Untitled) Sarah Vander Molen; 12 (Untitled) Silas Wolff; 13 (Untitled) Silas Wolff; 14 (Untitled) Jenna Sue Vanden Brink; 15, 16 (Untitled) Jenna Sue Vanden Brink; 17 Experts Agree ... Ryan Weberling; 18 American Unilateralism Than DeJonge
...Dialogue, Staff and writers of Dialogue
3 On Games (An Editorial) Ryan Weberling; 4 MAD-DIA-LOGUE-LIB Cameron Latham; 6 Snake Norm Zylstra; 7 Simon's Stolen Sudoku Simon C. Kittok; 8 First Hat Anna M. Gretz; 10 Color-by-Letter Kristen McHugh; 11 Turtle Norm Zylstra; 12 Hat, Too Anna M. Gretz; 14 Escape to the Roof! (a multi-level maze) Austin Zane Hamilton; 19 Draw by Number Peter Plantinga; 20 DREAM ANALYSIS Mad Lib Cameron Latham; 22 Fish Norm Zylstra; 23 Simon's Stolen Sudoku 2 Simon C. Kittok; 24 Hat the Third Anna M. Gretz; 27 The Paper Kite Butterfly Mindy Lynn Capisciolto; 28 El Cuatro Sombrero Anna M. Gretz; 30 Tree, water, sky Norm Zylstra; 31-35 Answer Key
...Counsel and Conscience: Post-Reformation Lutheran Casuistry According To the Dedekenn-Gerhard thesaurus Consiliorum Et Decisionum and Its Cases on Marriage and Divorce., Benjamin T. G. Mayes, CalvinTheological Seminary
In much literature on early modern casuistry and conscience, Lutheran casuistry is denied a place, under-researched, or ignored. Yet in Lutheran Germany of the post-Reformation era (ca. 1580–1750), there was a genre of pastoral/ethical writings consisting in casuistry and in topically or thematically related theological counsels, aimed at instructing and comforting the consciences of Christians. An extensive example from this genre is Georg Dedekenn and Johann Ernst Gerhard, eds., Thesaurus Consiliorum Et Decisionum, 4 vols. (Jena: Zacharias Hertel, 1671). Lutheran casuistry, related to but also distinct from Roman Catholic and Reformed counterparts, arose especially as pastors looked within Holy Scripture, the medieval tradition, and the writings of Martin Luther and other Lutheran authorities for answers to ethical problems and doctrinal disputes. Dedekenn’s Thesaurus was an antholo...
Grace to You and Peace: An Analysis of the Pauline Letter Openings., João Paulo Thomaz de Aquino, Calvin Theological Seminary
This thesis argues that the Pauline letter opening has an anticipatory function alongside its relational role. This anticipatory function is a development of the epistolary features found in the ancient Greek letter openings. After the introductory chapter, is provided an analysis of form and function of ancient (III BCE to III CE) Greek letter prescripts. Chapters 3 and 4 provide a formal and functional analysis of the Pauline letter prescripts. The conclusion is that the anticipatory function works in two ways in the Pauline letters. First, Paul encapsulates his theology in the expression ‘grace to you and peace’ and uses it in the beginning of his letters, as did Plato and Epicurus who also coined their own greetings to communicate their philosophies. Second, Paul changes elements in the prescripts of all his undisputed letters to anticipate specific themes developed in the letter ...
"Have Salt in Yourselves, and Be at Peace With Each Other" the Irenic theology of Daniel Kałaj, Dariusz M. Bryćko, CalvinTheological Seminary
Daniel Kałaj (d.1681) was a Polish Reformer of Hungarian background, born in Little Poland (Małopolska) and trained in Franeker, Friesland under some of the most brilliant Reformed theologians of seventeenth-century Europe, such as Cocceius and Cloppenburgh. Kałaj’s ministry in the Reformed Church of Little Poland was abruptly interrupted when he was wrongly accused by Catholic authorities of spreading then-outlawed Arianism and being called a “Calvinoarian.” Kałaj became the first Polish Protestant minister to receive a sentence of capital punishment as a result of the new anti-toleration law issued in 1658 against Arians, under the false pretext of military treason during the Second Northern War (1655-1660). He escaped the ax by fleeing to Lithuania (and later to Gdańsk), where he wrote his best-known work, A Friendly Dialogue between an Evangelical Minister and a Roman Catholic Pri...
Old Testament Contributions to Ecclesiology: Engaging and Extending the Insights of John Howard Yoder, John C. Nugent, Calvin Theological Seminary
Conspicuously absent from ecclesiological literature is a volume dedicated exclusively to assessing the Old Testament‘s relevance to ecclesiology. With only a few exceptions, scant use is made of the Old Testament in ecclesiological primers and that use tends to be highly selective and often decontextualized. This dissertation argues that indepth engagement of the Old Testament furnishes a helpful context for ecclesiological reflection and that John Howard Yoder‘s canonical-directional approach to Scripture exemplifies such engagement. Though Yoder did not dedicate a treatise exclusively to the Old Testament‘s ecclesiological relevance, his numerous scattered essays on this topic evince a rich and coherent Old Testament narration that scholars have not sufficiently engaged and which pays significant ecclesial dividends.
For Yoder, God did not begin shaping the life of the Churc...
"The Limitless Horizons of Prolixity": the Contemporary Relevance of Kierkegaard's Critique of Biblical Exegetical Method and Practice, Bruce P. Baugus, CalvinTheological Seminary
This dissertation seeks to demonstrate that Soren Kierkegaard's critique of biblical exegetical methods and practices, and corresponding proposal, offers an interesting and relevant contribution to the current debate on biblical exegetical methods and practices taking place within the contemporary theological turn in biblical interpretation. The contemporary theological turn in biblical interpretation is represented in this dissertation by Timothy H. Polk, an important interpreter of Kierkegaard's exegetical method within the post-liberal tradition, and Kevin J. Vanhoozer, a leading contributor to the theological turn in contemporary biblical exegesis. Despite significant advances in understanding Kierkegaard as an explicitly Christian thinker there remains a significant gap within Kierkegaardian scholarship related to his thoughts on biblical exegesis. Although this gap has been note...
What the Korean Presbyterian Church can learn from contemporary debates about infant communion among Reformed Christians in North America., Hwa Rang Moon, Calvin Theological Seminary
Can children participate in the Lord’s Supper? This practice was prohibited at the fourth Lateran Council; however, at the end of the 20th century, among Reformed churches in North America and some Europe Churches, debated the validity of infant communion or children’s communion. Is, then, infant communion or children’s communion biblical? What was the practice of the early New Testament church? Can infants or children have faith and enough cognitive ability to discern the body of Christ? Many biblical scholars, systematic theologians, church historians and local church pastors participate in this debate. Both the Christian Reformed Church and Reformed Church in America deal with this theme as their denominational agenda. While studying at Calvin, this theme gave me a great motivation to study worship theology more deeply. I especially came to feel that this study requires interdiscip...