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Collection Overview
Abstract
Minister of the Christian Reformed Church; minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church; and professor at the Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The collection includes commencement and baccalaureate addresses; sermons; a paper entitled "Common Grace"; pamphlets; and bound manuscripts entitled "Christian Apologetics," "Christian Ethics," "Christian Philosophy," "Christianity and Psychology," "Christianity in Conflict," "The Dilemma of Education," "Junior Systematics," "Metaphysics of Apologetics: Modern Ethical Theories," "The New Evangelism," "The Search for Meaning in Modern Thought," and "Special Revelation." [See also the Campus Titles Database.]
Biographical Note
Cornelius Van Til was born on May 3, 1895 in the village of Grootegast located in the province of Groningen, Netherlands. In 1905 the Van Til family immigrated to the United States, and settled on farmland in Indiana. His family became members of the local CRC, and even helped established a Christian school for the area. Like his father before him, Van Til enjoying working on the farm, however he felt that he had a greater calling. He attended Calvin College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1922. He went on to Princeton Theological Seminary earning his Th.B. in 1924 and Th.M. in 1925. In the fall of 1925, Van Til married Rena Klooster. By 1927 Van Til earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University.
In the fall of 1927, Van Til began his first charge as pastor of the CRC in Spring Lake, Michigan. However, in the fall of 1928 he accepted a one-year appointment to serve as instructor of apologetics at Princeton Theological Seminary. The Seminary offered to extend his appointment to a full-time faculty position. However, Van Til declined the offer and returned to his congregation in Spring Lake. He wouldn't stay long at Spring Lake because, he soon accepted another faculty position, this time at Westminster Theological Seminary.
In September 1929 Van Til became Westminster's professor of apologetics. Van Til would remain at Westminster until his retirement in 1972, but would continue to lecture another several years. In 1936 he became a minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Two years later, professor Van Til held an honorary professorship at the University of Debrecen in Hungry. He also furthered his education over the years, earning a Th.D. from University of Potchefstroom and a D.D. from Reformed Episcopal Seminary. Another accomplishment was his assistance in establishing the Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy as well as serving as its president of the board.
At the age of 91, Cornelius Van Til died on April 17, 1987. His wife, Rena, and son, Earl preceded him in death. He was survived by his granddaughter, Sharon Reed.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Bound Volumes, Pamphlets, Addresses, and Papers],
[
Series 2: Pamphlets],
[
All]
- Series 1: Bound Volumes, Pamphlets, Addresses, and Papers
- Box 1
- Folder 1: "Apologetics," 1950; and Bavinck the Theologian [HERH BX9479.B35 V3] --- 1961
- Folder 2: "Christian Apologetics" --- January 1939
- Folder 3: "Christian Ethics" --- 1940
- Folder 4: "Christian Philosophy" --- undated
- Folder 5: "Christian Theistic Ethics" --- 1947
- Folder 6: "Christian Theistic Ethics" --- 1951
- Folder 7: "Christian Theistic Evidences" --- 1944, 1947
- Folder 8: "Christian Theory of Knowledge" --- 1954
- Folder 9: "Christianity and Psychology" --- 1941
- Box 2
- Folder 1: "Christianity in Conflict," vol. 1- 3 --- 1962
- Folder 2: "Common Grace," paper read at Calvinistic Philosophy Club, 1941; and "Institute of the Reformed Faith" --- 1951
- Folder 3: Commencement addresses and baccalaureate sermon --- 1950-1962
- Folder 4: Dilemma of Education, address at National Union of Christian Schools, 1954 [HERH BV1471.V26 1954]; and Dilemma of Education, 2nd edition [HERH BV1471.V26] --- 1956
- Folder 5: "Introduction to Systematic Theology" --- 1949
- Folder 6: "Introduction to Theology," vol. 1 and 2 --- 1941
- Folder 7: Letters, to C. Bouma, (February 12, 1951); to his nephew, Henry (April 26, 1958); and to John Huizinga --- Sept. 9, 1983
- Folder 8: "Junior Systematics" --- 1940
- Box 3
- Folder 1: "Metaphysics of Apologetics" --- 1941
- Folder 2: "Modern Ethical Theories" --- undated
- Folder 3: "Neo-Scholasticism" --- undated
- Folder 4: "New Evangelism" --- undated
- Folder 5: Opening Addresses at Westminster Theological Seminary --- 1951-1962
- Folder 6: "An Uncertain Sound: An Evaluation of the Philosophy of Hendrik Hart" --- 1971
- Folder 7: "Psychology of Religion" --- 1935
- Folder 8: "Search for Meaning in Human Thought" --- October 1961
- Folder 9: "Boston Personalism" --- 1956
- Folder 10: "Toynbee on Christianity" --- undated
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Science articles in The Banner --- 1931-1940
- Folder 2: "Special Revelation," mimeographed material --- undated
- Folder 3: "The Triumph of Grace," vol. 1 --- 1958
- Folder 4: "The Ten Commandments" --- undated
- Folder 5: "Why I Believe in God" --- undated
- Folder 6: "Nature and Extent of Biblical Authority" --- 1976
- Folder 7: "Whither the Reformed Community?" --- undated
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Bound Volumes, Pamphlets, Addresses, and Papers],
[
Series 2: Pamphlets],
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