Fred Klooster Collection, 1952-1997 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Fred Klooster Collection, 1952-1997

ID: COLL/453

Primary Creator: Klooster, Fred (1922-2003)

Extent: 7.9 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

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 Note

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.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: [General Materials]],
[Series 2: Articles and Papers],
[Series 3: Academic Materials, 1961-1996],
[Series 4: Committee Materials, 1982-1997],
[Series 5: Academic Materials, 1982-1997],
[Series 6: Correspondence],
[All]

Series 3: Academic Materials --- 1961-1996

Box 5

Folder 1: Class notes: The Doctrine of the Covenant
Folder 2: Class notes: Introduction to Systematic Theology (Chapters I-IV)
Folder 3: Class notes: Introduction to Systematic Theology (Chapters V-VII)
Folder 4: Class notes: The Doctrine of Christ (part one)
Folder 5: Class notes: The Doctrine of Christ (part two)
Folder 6: Class notes: The Doctrine of God
Folder 7: Meeter Center dedication program --- 1982
Folder 8: Minutes of Meeter Center Board and Executive Committee --- 1981-1986
Folder 9: Dedication Committee for Meeter Center minutes --- 1981-1982
Folder 10: Meeter Center Governing Board memos
Folder 11: Calvin's Doctrine of Predestination [HERH BX9423.P7 K6] --- 1961
Folder 12: Class notes: History of Theology and Major Types of Theology

Box 6

Folder 1: Course material, The Doctrine of the Last Things --- 1988
Folder 2: Course material, The Doctrine of God
Folder 3: Course material, The Doctrine of Christ --- 1988
Folder 4: Course material, The Heidelberg Catechism
Folder 5: Course material, Introduction to Systematic Theology
Folder 6-9: Course material, The History of Christian Doctrine
Folder 7: Course material, The Theology of Karl Barth

Box 7

Folder 1: Course material, The Trinity
Folder 2: Course material, Systematic Theology
Folder 3: Course outlines and exam booklets (Seminary)
Folder 4: Course material, The Theology of John Calvin
Folder 5: Calvin Seminary Self-Study --- 1988
Folder 6: Lectures given at Covenant Theological Seminary --- 1970
Folder 7: Letters of recommendation
Folder 8: Letters of recommendation
Folder 9: Letters of recommendation

Box 8

Folder 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
Folder 2: Papers: "An Analysis of Calvin's Institutes and Attributes of God"
Folder 3: Paper: "Calvin and Calvinism"
Folder 4: Paper: "Calvin and Calvinism"
Folder 5: Paper: "The Nature of Biblical Authority, Norman Shepherd"
Folder 6: Papers: "The Lord's Prayer in Eight Protestant Catechisms" --- 1998
Folder 7: Paper: "Existentialist Theology and Revelation"
Folder 8: Paper: Aspects of Historical Method in Pannenberg's Theology, "The Theology of Wolfhart Pannenburg"
Folder 9: Papers: Aspects of Historical Method in Pannenberg's Theology, "The Meaning of Resurrection"
Folder 10-12: Course Notes, The Theology of Wolfhart Pannenberg
Folder 13: Course: The Theology of Pannenberg and Moltmann --- 1975

Box 9

Folder 1: Research material, Committee to Update Heidelberg Catechism
Folder 2: The Heedelberg Catechism, Origin and History --- 1989
Folder 3: The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Q1-85
Folder 4: The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Q86-129
Folder 5: The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Q116-129
Folder 6: The Heidelberg Catechism and Parallels Z85-115

Box 10

Folder 1: Papers given at R.E.S. Theological Holy Spirit Conferences
Folder 2: The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Hermeneutic Process
Folder 3: Class Notes: Calvinism
Folder 4: Existentialist View of Tillich, Bultmann and Macquarrie
Folder 5-6: Book reviews
Folder 7: Review of Manuscript on the Women's Issue
Folder 8: Mid-America Reformed Seminary Controversy

Box 11

Folder 1: Van Till Creation/Evolution Matter
Folder 2: Background material on Synodical Ethical Decisions
Folder 3: Background material on Synodical Ethical Decisions
Folder 4: Minutes of Synodical Decisions and the Confessions Committee --- 1973
Folder 5: SCORR Review Committee material --- 1976
Folder 6: SCORR Review Committee material
Folder 7: Material of Committee to Update the Heidelberg Catechism
Folder 8: Correspondence of Committee to Update Heidelberg Catechism

Box 12

Folder 1: Ad Hoc Committee on Form of Subscription material --- 1988
Folder 2: Correspondence with Eerdmans Publishing Co. --- 1952-1953
Folder 3: Seminary address, "The Adjective in Systematic Theology," 1963; The Adjective in Systematic Theology [HERH BT80.K6] --- 1963
Folder 4: Banner articles on systematic theology --- 1961
Folder 5: Kerux articles
Folder 6: Talk to Seminary Corps on Common Grace --- 1924-1965
Folder 7: Banner articles
Folder 8: Reviews of Dr. Kuitert's book, The Reality of Faith --- 1968
Folder 9: Critique of paper by Cornelis Venema --- 1980
Folder 10: Research Course: Systematic Theology of Nels Ferre
Folder 11: RES 50th anniversary committee material
Folder 12: Translation of Berkouwer's "General Revelation"
Folder 13: Analysis of Report 44 by C. Van Til
Folder 14: Handbook of Evangelical Theologians, Chapter "Louis Berkhof"
Folder 15: Lecture: The Covenant of Grand and Its Implications for Christian Education

Box 13

Folder 1: Notepads with personal comments/notes
Folder 2: College course Bible 105 notes (Klooster as a student)
Folder 3: Study in the Netherlands material
Folder 4: Correspondence regarding first calls received --- 1952
Folder 5: Correspondence - Champaign/Urbana Home Missionary --- 1952-1953
Folder 6: Home Missionary reports - Champaign/Urbana --- 1952-1953
Folder 7: Seminary Textbook: Old Testament and New Testament Theology
Folder 8: Paper: "A Critical Evaluation of Contemporary Theological Trends" --- 1973
Folder 9: Papers for Church Policy Seminary Class --- 1941
Folder 10: Paper: "Kingdom and Church" --- 1976

Box 14

Folder 1: San Francisco Chronicle articles re: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case
Folder 2: Correspondence re: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case
Folder 3: Court Proceedings: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case
Folder 4: Court Proceedings: Gerald Klooster Sr. Case
Folder 5: Settlement agreement and news clippings - Gerald Klooster Sr. Case

Box 15

Item 1: Dateline, VHS;
Item 2: Family Values, 2/25/1996, VHS;
Item 3: 60 Minutes, VHS

Box 16

Folder 1: Seminary course material