COLL/453 Guide to the Fred Klooster Collection Klooster, Fred Collection

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Hekman Library 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI, 49546 URL: http://archives.calvin.edu Email: crcarchives@calvin.edu Phone: 616-526-6913 Fax: 616-526-7689
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Guide to the Fred Klooster Collection 1952/1997 Heritage Hall, Hekman Library Overview of the Collection Fred Klooster Collection 1952-1997 COLL/453 Klooster, Fred, 1922-2003 7.90 17 Boxes Heritage Hall, Hekman Library
Hekman Library 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI, URL: http://archives.calvin.edu Email: crcarchives@calvin.edu Phone: 616-526-6913 Fax: 616-526-7689
Minister of the Christian Reformed Church and professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. The collection includes materials on theological, doctrinal, ethical, and confessional matters; reports, minutes and correspondence detailing synodical committees, i.e., Interchurch Relations, Form of Subscription, Report 44 of 1972, Confessions, Heidelberg Catechism, and SCORR; minutes for the Meeter Center; articles; papers; materials on the alternate seminary and women's issue controversy; correspondence; letters of call; course materials; home missionary reports; retirement materials; and material on the Gerald Klooster court case with clippings, articles, correspondence, court proceedings, and videos. [See also the Campus Titles Database.]
Biographical Information:

Fred H. Klooster was born in Munster, Indiana on December 23, 1922. While attending Chicago Christian High, Klooster's Bible teacher told him he had the ability to become a pastor and encouraged him to pursue an education in ministry. Klooster took his teacher's word to heart and enrolled at Calvin College. After graduating with his B.A. in 1942, he went on to Calvin Theological Seminary where he earned his Th.B. in 1947. Klooster decided to further his education by obtaining his Th.M. from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1949. Klooster had the honor of studying as a Fulbright scholar at the Free University of Amsterdam, earning his Th.D. in 1951.

Once he completed his education, Klooster was ordained on September 21, 1952 at South Holland, Illinois. He served as a Home missionary in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois until 1953. Klooster went on to become a lecturer at his alma mater, Calvin College, from 1953 to 1956. Klooster accepted the position of Professor of Dogmatics at the Seminary, and later taught Systematic Theology. Over the course of 35 years, he proudly prepared several generations of pastors for the CRC. Klooster retired in 1988.

Klooster's real passion was teaching, but he also enjoyed writing and scholarly research on the Heidelberg Catechism. He has written many articles and books including Our Only Comfort: A Comprehensive Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, 2001. He was also the founding editor of the Calvin Theological Journal. He served his church in many capacities as well, such as serving on numerous synodical committees and leadership roles in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod.

On a personal level, Klooster married Leona De Waard in 1946. Together they had five children. When Klooster was not teaching, writing, or involved with a committee, he was gardening, playing ping-pong, or running around with his family. Fred H. Klooster passed away due to subdural hematoma on December 27, 2003 at the age of 81.

Arrangement of Materials:

Folder level description

Detailed List of Contents id44338 [General Materials] id44339 1 id44340 1 1 Biographical information id44341 1 2 Retirement Articles and Documents id44342 1 3 Notes on Thesis: "The Incomprehensibility of God in the Orthodox Presbyterian Conflict" id44343 1 4 Outline for a Study of the Heidelberg Catechism id44344 1 5 Final draft of Catechism Comparisons April 1989 id44345 1 6 Article on the Heidelberg Catechism written for Psalter Hymnal Handbook 1987 id44346 1 7 Material dealing with publication of A Mighty Comfort id44347 1 8 Material on evaluation of Dutch confession "God Met Ons" id44348 1 9 Two Latin catechisms id44349 1 10 Speech to Bible conference id44350 1 11 Articles on the Westminster Assembly and Confession id44351 1 12 "Reflections upon the Document - Communion of Saints," paper id44352 1 13 "Reformed Confessions and the Identity of the Church," paper id44353 2 id44354 2 1 Minutes of Report 44 Study Committee id44355 2 2 Report 44 Committee memos id44356 2 3 Commentaries on Report 44 id44357 2 4 Correspondence with Report 44 Committee id44358 2 5 Papers on biblical authority (various authors) id44359 2 6 Seminarian N. Overduin paper on Report 44 id44360 2 7 Report 44 Committee Report to Synod 1972 id44361 2 8 Dordt College Conference on Biblical Authority 1976 id44362 2 9 Papers by Report 44 committee members on biblical authority id44363 2 10 Papers/articles on Report 44 (by non-committee members) id44364 2 11 Appeals to Synod re: Report 44 id44365 2 12 Report 44 Committee Member comments on final reports for committee meetings id44366 2 13 Report to the (6) Midwest CRC classes re: Report 44 1983 id44367 2 14 Correspondence between Report 44 committee members id44368 2 15 Klooster correspondence re: Report 44 id44369 2 16-17 Correspondence received re: Report 44 id44370 2 18 Banner articles on Report 44 id44617 2 18 Guardian articles id44618 2 18 Reformed Journal articles id44619 2 18 Christian Beacon article id44620 2 18 Outlook articles id44621 2 18 De Wachter article id44371 3 id44372 3 1 RES Conference on Scripture 1972 id44373 3 2 Reformed Ecumenical Synod Correspondence id44374 3 3 NAE Theology Committee material id44375 3 4 National Association of Evangelicals material id44376 3 5 Presbyterian Confession of 1967 material id44377 3 6 CRC/RCA Relations material id44378 3 7 Discussions between Interchurch Relations Committee and PCA id44379 3 8 Discussions between Interchurch Relations Committee and RCA id44380 3 9 Discussions between Interchurch Relations Committee and OPC id44381 3 10 Interchurch Relations Committee minutes 1988-1992 id44382 3 11 D. Feddes vs. Neal Punt on Universalism id44383 3 12 The Theology of the New Hermeneutics id44384 3 13 Willis De Boer material id44385 Articles and Papers id44386 4 id44387 4 1 Calvin's Missing "One Word on the Heidelberg Catechism id44388 4 2 "The Kingdom of God in the History of the CRC" 1983 id44389 4 3 "The Doctoral Deliverances of Dort" 1968 id44390 4 4 "Predestination: A Calvinistic Note" 1979 id44391 4 5 "Missions- The Heidelberg Catechism and Calvin" id44392 4 6 "Toward a Reformed Hermeneutic" 1974 id44393 4 7 "Henry Boer's Battle Against Reprobation" 1984 id44394 4 8 "Revelation and Scripture in Existentialist Theology" id44395 4 9 The History and Literature of Systematic Theology id44396 4 10 "A Critical Evaluation of Modern Trends" id44397 4 11 "The Uniqueness of Reformed Theology" 1974 id44398 4 12 "Justification by Faith" id44399 4 13 "Covenant Theology Today" 1979 id44400 4 14 "Analysis of John Calvin's Institutes" id44401 4 15 "Theology, Confession and the Church" id44402 4 16 Notes on The Apostles Creed id44403 4 17 RES Discussion "God With Us" 1982 id44404 4 18 "Dogmatic Theology" id44405 4 19 "Neo-Orthodoxy" id44406 4 20 Analysis of Niebuhr's Meaning of Revelation" 1959 id44407 4 21 Various Published Articles id44408 4 22 Monograph "Quest for the Historical Jesus" id44409 4 23 Adult Bible Studies (Church Groups) id44410 Academic Materials 1961-1996 id44411 5 id44412 5 1 Class notes: The Doctrine of the Covenant id44413 5 2 Class notes: Introduction to Systematic Theology (Chapters I-IV) id44414 5 3 Class notes: Introduction to Systematic Theology (Chapters V-VII) id44415 5 4 Class notes: The Doctrine of Christ (part one) id44416 5 5 Class notes: The Doctrine of Christ (part two) id44417 5 6 Class notes: The Doctrine of God id44418 5 7 Meeter Center dedication program 1982 id44419 5 8 Minutes of Meeter Center Board and Executive Committee 1981-1986 id44420 5 9 Dedication Committee for Meeter Center minutes 1981-1982 id44421 5 10 Meeter Center Governing Board memos id44422 5 11 Calvin's Doctrine of Predestination [HERH BX9423.P7 K6] 1961 id44423 5 12 Class notes: History of Theology and Major Types of Theology id44424 6 id44425 6 1 Course material, The Doctrine of the Last Things 1988 id44426 6 2 Course material, The Doctrine of God id44427 6 3 Course material, The Doctrine of Christ 1988 id44428 6 4 Course material, The Heidelberg Catechism id44429 6 5 Course material, Introduction to Systematic Theology id44430 6 6-9 Course material, The History of Christian Doctrine id44431 6 7 Course material, The Theology of Karl Barth id44432 7 id44433 7 1 Course material, The Trinity id44434 7 2 Course material, Systematic Theology id44435 7 3 Course outlines and exam booklets (Seminary) id44436 7 4 Course material, The Theology of John Calvin id44437 7 5 Calvin Seminary Self-Study 1988 id44438 7 6 Lectures given at Covenant Theological Seminary 1970 id44439 7 7 Letters of recommendation id44440 7 8 Letters of recommendation id44441 7 9 Letters of recommendation id44442 8 id44443 8 1 Papers: Uppsala on "The Holy Spirit and the Catholicity of the Church," "The Nature of Man," "How Reformed Theologians Do Theology in Today's World" 1991 id44444 8 2 Papers: "An Analysis of Calvin's Institutes and Attributes of God" id44445 8 3 Paper: "Calvin and Calvinism" id44446 8 4 Paper: "Calvin and Calvinism" id44447 8 5 Paper: "The Nature of Biblical Authority, Norman Shepherd" id44448 8 6 Papers: "The Lord's Prayer in Eight Protestant Catechisms" 1998 id44449 8 7 Paper: "Existentialist Theology and Revelation" id44450 8 8 Paper: Aspects of Historical Method in Pannenberg's Theology, "The Theology of Wolfhart Pannenburg" id44451 8 9 Papers: Aspects of Historical Method in Pannenberg's Theology, "The Meaning of Resurrection" id44452 8 10-12 Course Notes, The Theology of Wolfhart Pannenberg id44453 8 13 Course: The Theology of Pannenberg and Moltmann 1975 id44454 9 id44455 9 1 Research material, Committee to Update Heidelberg Catechism id44456 9 2 The Heedelberg Catechism, Origin and History 1989 id44457 9 3 The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Q1-85 id44458 9 4 The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Q86-129 id44459 9 5 The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Q116-129 id44460 9 6 The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Z85-115 id44461 10 id44462 10 1 Papers given at R.E.S. Theological Holy Spirit Conferences id44463 10 2 The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Hermeneutic Process id44464 10 3 Class Notes: Calvinism id44465 10 4 Existentialist View of Tillich, Bultmann and Macquarrie id44466 10 5-6 Book reviews id44467 10 7 Review of Manuscript on the Women's Issue id44468 10 8 Mid-America Reformed Seminary Controversy id44469 11 id44470 11 1 Van Till Creation/Evolution Matter id44471 11 2 Background material on Synodical Ethical Decisions id44472 11 3 Background material on Synodical Ethical Decisions id44473 11 4 Minutes of Synodical Decisions and the Confessions Committee 1973 id44474 11 5 SCORR Review Committee material 1976 id44475 11 6 SCORR Review Committee material id44476 11 7 Material of Committee to Update the Heidelberg Catechism id44477 11 8 Correspondence of Committee to Update Heidelberg Catechism id44478 12 id44479 12 1 Ad Hoc Committee on Form of Subscription material 1988 id44480 12 2 Correspondence with Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1952-1953 id44481 12 3 Seminary address, "The Adjective in Systematic Theology," 1963; The Adjective in Systematic Theology [HERH BT80.K6] 1963 id44482 12 4 Banner articles on systematic theology 1961 id44483 12 5 Kerux articles id44484 12 6 Talk to Seminary Corps on Common Grace 1924-1965 id44485 12 7 Banner articles id44486 12 8 Reviews of Dr. Kuitert's book, The Reality of Faith 1968 id44487 12 9 Critique of paper by Cornelis Venema 1980 id44488 12 10 Research Course: Systematic Theology of Nels Ferre id44489 12 11 RES 50th anniversary committee material id44490 12 12 Translation of Berkouwer's "General Revelation" id44491 12 13 Analysis of Report 44 by C. Van Til id44492 12 14 Handbook of Evangelical Theologians, Chapter "Louis Berkhof" id44493 12 15 Lecture: The Covenant of Grand and Its Implications for Christian Education id44494 13 id44495 13 1 Notepads with personal comments/notes id44496 13 2 College course Bible 105 notes (Klooster as a student) id44497 13 3 Study in the Netherlands material id44498 13 4 Correspondence regarding first calls received 1952 id44499 13 5 Correspondence - Champaign/Urbana Home Missionary 1952-1953 id44500 13 6 Home Missionary reports - Champaign/Urbana 1952-1953 id44501 13 7 Seminary Textbook: Old Testament and New Testament Theology id44502 13 8 Paper: "A Critical Evaluation of Contemporary Theological Trends" 1973 id44503 13 9 Papers for Church Policy Seminary Class 1941 id44504 13 10 Paper: "Kingdom and Church" 1976 id44505 14 id44506 14 1 San Francisco Chronicle articles re: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case id44507 14 2 Correspondence re: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case id44508 14 3 Court Proceedings: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case id44509 14 4 Court Proceedings: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case id44510 14 5 Settlement agreement and news clippings - Gerald Klooster Sr. Case id44511 15 id44512 15 Dateline, VHS; id44513 15 Family Values, 2/25/1996, VHS; id44514 15 60 Minutes, VHS id44515 16 id44516 16 1 Seminary course material id44517 Committee Materials 1982-1997 id44518 16 id44519 16 2 Meeter Center Governing Board minutes 1982-1987 id44520 16 3 Interchurch Relations Committee correspondence 1994 id44521 16 4 Interchurch Relations Committee minutes 1992-1994 id44522 16 5 Interchurch Relations Committee material re: GKN id44523 16 6 Interchurch Relations Committee Reports on Relationship to the GKN 1994 id44524 Academic Materials 1982-1997 id44525 16 id44526 16 7 Papers given at the Fifth International Congress on Calvin Research 1990 id44527 16 8 Kromminga Resource Center Committee material 1994 id44528 17 id44529 17 1 Lectures given at Presbyterian Seminary in Brazil 1982 id44530 17 2 Correspondence re: Presbyterian Seminary in Brazil 1991 id44531 17 3 Correspondence re: Presbyterian Seminary in Brazil 1994 id44532 17 4 Correspondence re: Presbyterian Seminary in Brazil 1995-1997 id44533 Correspondence id44534 18 id44535 18 1-11 1940-1960 id44536 19 id44537 19 1-8 1961-1965 id44538 20 id44539 20 1-10 1966-1975 id44540 21 id44541 21 1-10 1976-1985 id44542 22 id44543 22 1-10 1986-1995 id44544 22 11-13 Cornelius Vantil (Uncle Kees) 1943-1982 id44545 22 14 Martin Woustra 1960 id44546 22 15 Personal Family Letters, Switzerland and Sabbatical) 1959-1960 id44547 22 16 Personal Letters Capetown, S.A. 1976 id44548 23 id44549 23 1-3 Family 1949-1976 id44550 23 4 Personal Family Letters, Korea 1971 id44551 23 5 Personal Correspondence Sabbatical Heudelberg 1968-1969 id44552 23 6 Oriental Lecture Tour 1971 id44553 23 7 Fullbright Scholarship, Free University of Amsterdam 1949-1950 id44554 23 8 Berchtesgaden Chaplain Retreat 1959 id44555 24 id44556 24 1-2 Booklets on Karl Barth's Theology 1956-1963 id44557 24 3 Correspondence re: Karl Barth 1961 id44558 24 4 Christianity Today Articles on Barth's Theology 1961-1962 id44559 24 5-6 Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics id44560 24 7 The Theology of Karl Barth id44561 24 8 Conversation with Karl Barth, "The Authority of Scripture" 1963 id44562 25 id44563 25 1 Karl Barth Biographical Material id44564 25 2 Lectures on "The Theology of Karl Barth", Reformed Fellowship id44565 25 3 Review: Barth's Vol IV Doctrine of Reconciliation 1957 id44566 25 4 Critique: Barth's Doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ id44567 25 5 Article: "Karl Barth, Evangelicals and Revelation" 1987 id44568 25 6 Article: "Barth and the Future of Evangelical Theology" id44569 25 7 Karl Barth and Christmas id44570 25 8 Research Material on Barth's Doctrine of God id44571 25 9 Papers/dialog on Karl Barth id44572 25 10 Paper: "Karl Barth's View of the Image of God in Man" id44573 25 11 Paper: "Berkhower on Barth" id44574 25 12 Articles on the Soteriology of Karl Barth id44575 25 13 Theological Views of Karl Barth id44576 25 14 Article: "Karl Barth's Doctrine of Election" 1961 id44577 25 15 Class Notes Basel 1960 id44578 25 16 Letters Describing Karl Barth's Funeral 1968 id44579 26 id44580 26 1 Course Material: Church and Kingdom id44581 26 2 Essay" Calvinistic Philosophy" 1948 id44582 26 3 Notes on the Book of Acts 1986 id44583 26 4 Course Notes: Eschatology id44584 26 5 Article: "Perspectives on the CRC" 1983 id44585 26 6 Article: "The Seminarian and Systematic Theology" id44586 26 7 Article: "The Reformation and Theology" id44587 26 8 Article: "Response to Dr. H.B. Weijland" RES 1980 id44588 26 9 Article: "Theological Trends During the Past Quarter Century" 1974 id44589 26 10 Article: "The Biblical Method of Salvation: A Case for Continuity" 1988 id44590 26 11 Articles: "The Nature of Man" id44591 26 12 Article: "Scripture and Tradition in the R.E.S. 1985 id44592 26 13 Article: The Identity of the Church in the Reformed Confessions" 1986 id44593 26 14 Article: "The Death of God in Theology" 1967 id44594 26 15 Paper: "The Covenant and Discrimination" 1985 id44595 26 16 Letters from Basel 1960 id44596 26 17 Lecture: "Calvin's Attitude Toward the Heldelberg Catechism 1990 id44597 26 18 Speech: "American Freedom and the Christian School" id44598 26 19 R.E.S.: South Africa 1978 id44599 26 20 Notes re: Belhar Confession id44600 26 21 Article: "Covenant, Church and Kingdom in the New Testament" id44601 26 22 Convocation Address, "Four R's" 1967 id44602 26 23 Article: "The Priority of Ursinus in the Composition of the Heldelberg Catechism" id44603 26 24 Committee on the Inspiration of Scripture, RES id44604 26 25 Book Review: "Carl F.H. Henry" id44605 27 id44606 27 1 Sermons, Old Testament id44607 27 2 Sermons, New Testament id44608 27 3 Correspondence with Reverend Jean Rajonarivony id44609 27 4 Articles Regarding "Common Grace" id44610 27 5 Papers on the Covenant id44611 27 6 Paper: "Scripture and Tradition in the Res" id44612 27 7 Speech: "Herman Bavink on Scripture, Inspiration, Infallibility" id44613 27 8 Article: "What's Happening to our Churches" 1982 id44614 27 9 Dictionary of Christian Ethics, "Merit" and "Supperogation" id44615 27 10 Article: "John Calvin the Theologian" id44616 27 11 Speech: "American Freedom and the Christian School"