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Loraine Boettner and Louis Berkhof are two influential Christian theologians from the 20th century. Boettner was a Presbyterian theologian and teacher who wrote influential works on several theological topics, including the doctrines of Divine Sovereignty and Predestination, the nature of Repentance, the Second Coming of Christ, and Reformed Theology. Berkhof was a Dutch-born Reformed theologian who wrote several important works on systematic theology, such as his widely-used Systematic Theology, published in 1932. Berkhof is widely regarded as the father of modern Reformed theology.
Boettner and Berkhof both emphasize the doctrine of salvation through God’s grace, which they believe could be reduced to the following propositions: God is sovereign and unchangeable; the Christian redemption is by grace alone, solely attributable to the atoning death of Christ; men and women are completely dependent on Divine grace for salvation; faith is a gift of God, not a work of man; and salvation is limited to those who have been redeemed by God’s grace. Both theologians believed that the free choice of mankind is of no avail in salvation, since salvation only comes through an act of God’s sovereign grace.
While Boettner and Berkhof viewed salvation by grace alone as essential, they differed in their views on the mechanics of how grace works in a person’s life. Boettner believed in the doctrine of unconditional election, where God chooses certain people for salvation according to his own pleasure, before the foundations of the earth were made. On the other hand, Berkhof advocated a doctrine of conditional election, which held that God’s choice of people for salvation is based upon his foreknowledge of the faith and obedience they would have if they were given the opportunity to accept the gospel and be saved.
Boettner argued that it would be unreasonable to believe that a good and just God would save someone regardless of whether they believed and obeyed the gospel or not, but rather that faith and obedience are conditions which God requires of those whom he has chosen. Berkhof believed however, that since God knows the future and is omniscient, he knows beforehand who will believe and be obedient. Thus, very few theologians today would agree with Boettner’s view.
In addition, Boettner believed that God predestines some to damnation, while Berkhof considered this to be a reprehensible view, as predestination implies that humanity’s fate is predetermined by God. Berkhof argued that it is not God’s will that anyone perish, but rather that all would repent and be saved.
Finally, both Boettner and Berkhof stressed the importance of assurance in the Christian faith. Boettner believed that assurance was a gift from God, as salvation is based on the finished work of Christ. Berkhof on the other hand, argued that assurance should be based on the believer’s faith and obedience, as this would represent their commitment to God and His will in their lives.
In conclusion, the views of Loraine Boettner and Louis Berkhof have had a profound impact on theologians and believers alike. Although the two theologians shared many theological beliefs in common, they differed in their views on the mechanics of how grace works in a person’s life. They each held that assurance of salvation is crucial for a believer, yet Boettner believed it to be a gift from God, alone, while Berkhof saw assurance as more closely linked to a person’s faith and obedience. Despite differences, both Boettner and Berkhof remain highly influential theologians in the twentieth century.
