Gerard Van Groningen Collection, 1951-2007 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

By Ed Gerritsen, February 2004 and April 2011

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Collection Overview

Title: Gerard Van Groningen Collection, 1951-2007

ID: COLL/291

Primary Creator: Van Groningen, Gerard, Sr. (1921-)

Extent: 19.0 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Minister of the Christian Reformed Church; professor at Reformed Theological College at Geelong, Australia; Dordt College at Sioux Center, Iowa; and Reformed Theological Seminary at Jackson, Mississippi; president of Trinity College at Palos Heights, Illinois; chairman of the Old Testament department at Andrew Jumper Theological Graduate Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and president of Christ for Russia. The collection includes addresses; sermons; chapel talks; devotionals; lectures; conference messages; articles; college materials; periodical clippings; general and family correspondence; family diaries; memoirs; papers; scrapbook; course materials; study guides; book manuscripts; and letters of call; correspondence and documents detailing Christ for Russia and International Theological Evangelical Ministries (ITEM); materials on the Latvia/RIGA program; and materials detailing various committees and positions served. Among the topics included are missions, various form of modernism facing the church, biblical revelation, and covenant. [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

An ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church, Dr. Gerard Van Groningen Sr. earned his doctorate from the University of Melbourne in 1970. He was born in Leota, Minnesota on 25 March 1921 to Hendrick and Jennie. The family later moved to Ripon, California. Van Groningen enrolled at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he received his BD at Calvin Theological Seminary, he began his active ministry in the Borculo (Michigan) Christian Reformed Church, preaching his inaugural sermon Sunday, 2 October 1955. Classis Zeeland had admitted him to the ministry in a session 14 September 1955.

The ministry in the Borculo congregation ended when he and his family moved to Australia in 1958. The work in Australian continued until 1971. During that period, he served as minister of the Christian Reformed Church of Geelong, 1958-1961; Professor of Old Testament at the Reformed Theological Seminary, Geelong, Australia, 1961-1971.

Next the family moved to Iowa where he served as Professor of Bible at Dordt College from 1971-1973. The next few years, 1973-1980, he was professor of Old Testament at the Reformed Theological Seminary at Jackson, Mississippi. Before his retirement in 1984, Van Groningen was President of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. While a heart condition limited his activities, he served as Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the Covenant Theological Seminary from 1985.

Among his writings are "Messianism in the Old Testament" and chapters in symposiums: "Genesis" in Interpreting God's Word Today (Baker); "The Final Question" in The Law and the Prophets (Reformed and Presbyterian Press); and "Australia and New Zeeland" in Lengthened Cords (Baker), in addition to Theological essays in Encyclopedia of Christianity, Theological Handbook of the Old Testament, and Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Ed. W. Elwell).

Van Groningen married Harriet Stuitje in 1949 and they have eight children, Betty Jane, Gerard Jr., John Philip, Willis Dean, Jay Henry, Beverly Grace, David Tom, and Charles Neil.

Administrative Information

Repository: Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Alternate Extent Statement: 38 Boxes

Acquisition Source: G. Van Groningen

Other Note: Acc. No. 03.25 and 11.06

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Ministerial Activities. Addresses],
[Series 2: Addresses. College Material],
[Series 3: Diaries, Scrapbook],
[Series 4: The Unfinished Book],
[Series 5: Letters, 1967-1976],
[Series 6: Letters from Parents, 1954-1971],
[Series 7: Letters to Parents from Australia, 1959-1971],
[Series 8: Correspondence, 1958-1997],
[Series 9: Papers],
[Series 10: Sermons and Lectures],
[Series 11: Correspondence],
[Series 12: Course Materials],
[All]

Series 12: Course Materials

Box 35

Folder 1: Course material for Zechariah at Covenant Theological Seminary --- Undated
Folder 2: Course notes for Ezekiel 1-32 --- undated
Folder 3: Course notes for Ezekiel 33-48 --- undated
Folder 4: Syllabus for course on Old Testament history --- undated
Folder 5: Course material for advanced studies in Biblical Theology --- 1999
Folder 6: Course outline for Biblical Theology --- 1996
Folder 7: Course material for the Pentateuch --- 1989
Folder 8: Biblical Theology course outlines
Folder 9: Course outline for "Studies in Jeremiah" --- 1995
Folder 10: Lessons for Biblical Eschatology course (for adult Sunday school) --- undated

Box 36

Folder 1: Material for course on Old Testament poets --- 1980
Folder 2: Course material for book of Job given at Mid America Seminary --- 2001
Folder 3: Course material for Biblical Theology --- undated
Folder 4: Course notes on the history of Exegesis --- undated
Folder 5: Course notes on Exegesis of the Psalms --- undated
Folder 6: Syllabus for course "Old Testament History" --- undated
Folder 7: Syllabus for course "Inspiration and Interpretation" --- 1990
Folder 8: Syllabus for course "Reformed Theological Education" in Riga, Latvia
Folder 9: Study outline on Ephesians for overseas Christian Fellowship --- undated
Folder 10: Outline and notes for course on Zechariah --- undated

Box 37

Folder 1: Booklet re: 50th Anniversary of Seminary Class of 1954 --- 2004
Folder 2: Book: The Covenant Family (Pages 1-90)
Folder 3: Book: The Covenant Family (Pages 91-254)
Folder 4: Book: A Biblical Theology Reader- An Anthology of Essays
Folder 5: Paper: Yahweh God's Covenant Virtues
Folder 6: Paper: Apocalyptic of Old Testament Time
Folder 7: Autobiographical paper "Our Life in the Service of our Lord and His People"
Folder 8: Paper: "The Sacred Seven" (by Fred W. Bultman) --- 1996

Box 38

Folder 1: Syllabus for Reformed Theological Education (Riga, Latvia)
Folder 2: Story of Haggai for Institute of Christian Scholarship Bible Study Camp --- 1964
Folder 3: Studies in Jeremiah (for Sunday School, Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church) --- 1995
Folder 4: Directed studies of Proverbs
Folder 5: Notes for conference on Eschatology
Folder 6: Notes on Malachi
Folder 7: Notes for remarks made re: leaving Australia
Folder 8: Outline for speech on Song of Songs and related material --- undated
Folder 9: Essays: The Messiah, Covenant, Wrath of God, the Fall, Israel --- undated
Folder 10: The study of basic terms re: Creation --- undated
Folder 11: Talk: "Aspects of the Reformation" --- undated
Folder 12: History of International Theological Education Ministries (ITEM) --- undated
Folder 13: Letter sent by "Sacred Seven" to Calvin Board of Trustees (last page(s) missing) --- undated