John C. Vander Stelt (1934-2020) taught philosophy and theology at Dordt College. Earlier in his career he worked for the AACS as Director of Development and Student Affairs and also served briefly as a Christian Reformed minister.
He studied under C. G. Berkouwer at the VU. He immigrated to Canada and became a pastor of a CRC in Canada. He completed his dissertation under a professor at UNISA, University of South Africa. He wrote in English from the original documents and historical records, toward a problem-historical tracing of the doctrine of Scripture in the Presbyterian Church denominations in the USA. He extended this to the split-offs who became Orthodox Presbyerian Church, a confusing self-appellation both doctrinally (“orthodox”) and denominationally in the USA where Orthodox Churches already were present on the scene the Mideast, Russia, and Turkey. Other split-offs soon named themselves Bible Presbyterian. Thus, did Vander Stelt directly critique the origin of Cornelius Van Til’s key concept. [By Theo Plantinga]
He completed his dissertation while teaching at Dordt College.
Lambert Zuidevaart “In memoriam: John Vander Stelt“
Eulogy by Lydia Vander Stelt
Festschrift for Vander Stelt:
Kok, John H., Marginal Resistance: Essays Dedicated to John C. Vander Stelt (Dordt Press, 2001).
Books
Philosophy and Scripture (Mack Publishing, 1978)
Review Troost, A. (1984). Philosophia Reformata 49, no. 2: 164–167.
John Vander Stelt (ed.) 1982. The Challenge of Marxist and Neo-Marxist Ideologies for Christian Scholarship. Sioux Center, Iowa: Dordt College, 1982.
Faith Life and Theology (Paideia Press, 2020)
Articles
Stelt, John C. Vander (1973). Kuyper’s semi-mystical conception. Philosophia Reformata 38: 178.
Vander Stelt, John C. (1975) “Light of the World and the Significance of Dordt,” Pro Rege: Vol. 4: No. 2, 12 – 15.
Vander Stelt, John C. (1976) “Christianity and Latin America,” Pro Rege: Vol. 4: No. 4, 33 – 34.
Vander Stelt, John C. (1990) “Philosophical Assumptions in North American Presbyterian Theology,” Pro Rege: Vol. 18: No. 4, 9 – 19.
Vander Stelt, John C. (1989) “Theology as Study of Faith-Life,” Pro Rege: Vol. 18: No. 1, 15 – 23.
Vander Stelt, John C. (1976) “First International Conference of Reformed Institutions for Higher Education,” Pro Rege: Vol. 4: No. 3, 31 – 32.
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