Van Til, Henry (1906-1961) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Henry Van Til was born 28 September 1906, in Griffith, Indiana.  He studied at Ferris Institute in Big Rapids and at Calvin College, receiving his AB degree from the latter school in 1934.

For the next two years he studied at Westminster Seminary but completed his seminary training at Calvin Theological Seminary in 1937.  He then returned to Westminster for two more years receiving a Master of Theology degree in 1940.  After being ordained to the ministry, he served the Sumas, Washington, Christian Reformed Church for three years.  Feeling called to the Army chaplaincy, he left Sumas and served as chaplain until the end of the war.

Post-war years found him at the University of Chicago briefly, but for fifteen months at the Free University of Amsterdam where he studied theology and philosophy under Professor Dooyeweerd.

In 1946 he became associate professor of Bible at Calvin College where he remained until his death in 1961. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth née Zandstra, and their seven children.

While at Calvin he served as president of the Calvinistic Culture Association in 1955, as well as vice-president of the Evangelical Ministerial Union in Grand Rapids.  He was a charter member of the Reformed Fellowship, Inc., serving on the Board for several years.  He was also book-review editor of the Reformed Fellowship's paper, Torch and Trumpet.  In 1959 he completed a scholarly book, entitled The Calvinistic Concept of Culture (in this collection) which received considerable attention in many periodicals.