Description
Auguste Lecerf was one of the ablest ‘reformed’ theologians of the twentieth century. His lectures at the University of Paris were praised for their succinctness, controversial skill and deep learning. His Introduction to Reformed Dogmatics was incomplete at the time of his death in 1943.
The first two volumes, translated here, entitled De la Nature de la Connaissance Religieuse and De Fondement et de la Specification de la Connaissance Religieuse, stand on their own and form a major contribution to theology. Part I discusses the nature of religious knowledge whereas Part II concentrates on the question of apologetics in Calvinism whist exploring philosophy and dogma. Lecerf’s work forms a profound study of the nature and basis of religious knowledge and offers a valuable critique of European philosophy from the standpoint of authentic or classical Calvinism. The work has become an influential and widely regarded Calvinist work, and is valued for its penetrating insights and strong Biblical emphasis.
Anyone with an interest in Calvinism should remember the enigmatic words of the visitor to Lecerf’s door in 1930 who introduced himself with these words: “M. Lecerf is a unique personality, they say, he is in fact the last of the Calvinists and when he dies the type will be extinct. So whatever happens, do not fail to pay him a visit.”.
About the Author
Dr. Auguste Lecerf was Professor in the Protestant Faculty of Theology, University of Paris. He founded the Bulletin of the Société Calviniste de France.
He is also the author of Catéchisme de Genève (1934) and Études Calvinistes (1949).
Contents
Preface
Part I. The Nature of Religious Knowledge
1. Preliminary Considerations
2. The Idea of an Introduction to Dogmatics
3. The Internal Criteria of Religious Truth
4. The Organ of Religious Knowledge
5. Innatism
6. Empiricism
7. Knwledge as Affected by Consciousness
8. Moderate Critical Realism
9. The Meaning of Religion
10. The Universality and Persistence of Religion
11. Religion, Magic and Science
12. Theology and Metaphysics
13. The Real Content of Religious Knowledge
14. Certain Doctrines Considered in Relation to Epistemology
15. Calvinistic Realism and Some Types of Religious Knowledge
Part II. The Foundation and Specification of Religious Knowledge
1. Preliminary and Methodological Questions
2. The Calvinistic Concept of Apologetics and Polemics
3. Calvinism and Philosophy
4. Why Christian Dogmatics must be Theistic
5. Agnostic and Atheistic Criticisms of Faith
6. Revelation in Space
7. Why Dogmatics must be Christian and Orthodox
8. Christian Dogmatics must be Protestant
9. The Formal and External Principle of the Reformed Faith
10. The Testimony of the Holy Spirit and the Authority of Scripture:
The Canon of the New Testament
11. The Testimony of the Holy Spirit and the Canon of the Old Testament
12. The Unity of the Church and the Formal Principle of Protestantism
13. The Formal Authority of Scripture a Primary Principle in Theology
14. Why Christian Dogmatics must be Calvinistic and Reformed
Appendix
