Church dogmatics follow the leader.

My last blog on church dogmatics answered the question, “What is church dogmatics?” In this entry I’ll further seek to answer what church dogmatics is by listing a few of its characteristics? Our young daughter describes our dog by its characteristics. We might “get” church dogmatics better by seeing its characteristics.


The list below is taken from Bavink’s, Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena. Prolegomena is a pretty big word, huh? Runners have a pep talk from their couch before a race. They tell the runner how to pace himself, what the goal is, how he will win, etc. The couch gives him a prolegomena. A prolegomena is a sort of pep talk. In church dogmatics there is always a pep talk before you get into the heavy stuff. This pep talk tells the reader how we can know God, what our goals are in knowing him, and where we find the knowledge of God.

Enough said of prolegomena, what are the characteristics of church dogmatics?

1. The Bible is the foundation, because the church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, whom the apostles and prophets proclaim. The NT church showed that all Jesus did, taught and accomplished was in accordance to the OT Scripture. Then the Spirit inspired the apostles to write the NT which became the tradition of the church. These Scriptures were and still are the foundation of all church theology, because they take us to the foundation of the church, Jesus Christ.

2. Church dogmatics act as go-between to faith and its true object: God in his living self revelation in Jesus Christ. The church doesn’t do dogmatics; at least it shouldn’t, so people can believe in dogmatics. It does dogmatics so people can believe in Jesus Christ. It serves preaching.

3. Church dogmatics does not have its own authority for its own sake. Its authority rests completely on the authority of God and can appeal to a “Yes, God hath said.”

4. Meteorologists describe the weather, church dogmatics describe the deeds of God “done for, to, and in human beings.” (Pg, 58).

5. Dogmatics serve ethics too. Why, because part of dogmatics is describing how the gospel changes human beings. The Bible describes what human beings are and do for God now; how with everything the are and have, with intellect and will and all their strength, they devote themselves to God out of gratitude and love. Dogmatics is the system of the knowledge of God; ethics is that of the service of God. The two disciplines far from facing each other as two independent entities, together form a single system.” (Pg, 58).

6. Church dogmatics seeks to think God’s thoughts after him. It tries to live out the childhood game “follow the leader,” in connection with God’s thinking about creation, salvation, and sanctification.  It then attempts to describe God’s way and life, and proclaim it to the church.  From this attempt and work comes church confessions and creeds.  More on that next time.