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Part One: The Doctrine of God
The Being of God
I. The Existence of God
A. Place of the Doctrine of God in Dogmatics.
WORKS on dogmatic or systematic theology generally begin with the doctrine of God. The
prevailing opinion has always recognized this as the most logical procedure and still points in
the same direction. In many instances even they whose fundamental principles would seem to
require another arrangement, continue the traditional practice. There are good reasons for
starting with the doctrine of God, if we proceed on the assumption that theology is the
systematized knowledge of God, of whom, through whom, and unto whom, are all things.
Instead of being surprised that Dogmatics should begin with the doctrine of God, we might well
expect it to be a study of God throughout in all its ramifications, from the beginning to the end.
As a matter of fact, that is exactly what it is intended to be, though only the first locus deals
with God directly, while the succeeding ones treat of Him more indirectly. We start the study of
theology with two presuppositions, namely (1) that God exists, and (2) that He has revealed
Himself in His divine Word. And for that reason it is not impossible for us to start with the study
of God. We can turn to His revelation, in order to learn what He has revealed concerning
Himself and concerning His relation to His creatures. Attempts have been made in the course of
time to distribute the material of Dogmatics in such a way as to exhibit clearly that it is, not
merely in one locus, but in its entirety, a study of God. This was done by the application of the
trinitarian method, which arranges the subject-matter of Dogmatics under the three headings
of (1) the Father (2) the Son, and (3) the Holy Spirit. That method was applied in some of the
earlier systematic works, was restored to favor by Hegel, and can still be seen in Martensen’s
Christian Dogmatics. A similar attempt was made by Breckenridge, when he divided the subject-
matter of Dogmatics into (1) The Knowledge of God Objectively Considered, and (2) The
Knowledge of God Subjectively Considered. Neither one of these can be called very successful.
Up to the beginning of the nineteenth century the practice was all but general to begin the
study of Dogmatics with the doctrine of God; but a change came about under the influence of
Schleiermacher, who sought to safeguard the scientific character of theology by the
introduction of a new method. The religious consciousness of man was substituted for the
Word of God as the source of theology. Faith in Scripture as an authoritative revelation of God
was discredited, and human insight based on man’s own emotional or rational apprehension
became the standard of religious thought. Religion gradually took the place of God as the object
of theology. Man ceased to recognize the knowledge of God as something that was given in