Rienk Kuiper
Encyclopedia
Rienk Bouke Kuiper was born in Garrelsweer, in the municipality of Loppersum
, in the Netherlands
. His family moved to Grand Haven, Michigan
in 1891 when his father accepted a call to be minister of the Christian Reformed congregation
there. Kuiper graduated from the University of Chicago (A.B., 1907); Indiana University
(A.M., 1908); Calvin Theological Seminary
(diploma, 1911); and Princeton Seminary (B.D., 1912). He served as the pastor of several congregations in West Michigan, including one in the Reformed Church in America
.
In 1928 he accepted a one-year appointment to Westminster Theological Seminary
in Philadelphia, as Professor of Systematic Theology. The Synod
of the Christian Reformed Church persuaded Kuiper to accept the presidency of Calvin College
in 1930. During his tenure the economic impacts of the Great Depression
began to be keenly felt. Although enrollment did not decline, partly because a lack of jobs meant young people pursued education, the downturn forced the college to cut costs and expenses. Faculty voluntarily took pay cuts, as high as 40 percent. Kuiper also found it difficult to mediate the growing differences of opinion among faculty and between faculty and the Board of Trustees over the school's direction. In 1933 he took up the position of Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary. Retiring in 1952, he returned to Grand Rapids and then accepted the presidency of Calvin Theological Seminary
for four years.
Kuiper married Marie Janssen in 1911. They had three children: Marietta Rolena Heerema, Dr. Klaudius Kuiper and Kathryn Junia Kuiper, who died at age two.
Kuiper's books include: As to Being Reformed, Not of the World, For Whom Did Christ Die?, God Centered Evangelism and The Glorious Body of Christ.
Loppersum
Loppersum is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands in the province of Groningen.- Population centres :Eekwerd, Eekwerderdraai, Eenum, Fraamklap, Garrelsweer, Garsthuizen, Hoeksmeer, Honderd, Huizinge, Kolhol, Leermens, Loppersum, Lutjerijp, Lutjewijtwerd, Merum, Middelstum,...
, in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. His family moved to Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven, Michigan
Grand Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Haven had a population of 10,412. It is part of the...
in 1891 when his father accepted a call to be minister of the Christian Reformed congregation
Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
there. Kuiper graduated from the University of Chicago (A.B., 1907); Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
(A.M., 1908); Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and closely tied to Calvin College, though each institution has its own board. Rev...
(diploma, 1911); and Princeton Seminary (B.D., 1912). He served as the pastor of several congregations in West Michigan, including one in the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
.
In 1928 he accepted a one-year appointment to Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
in Philadelphia, as Professor of Systematic Theology. The Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of the Christian Reformed Church persuaded Kuiper to accept the presidency of Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
in 1930. During his tenure the economic impacts of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
began to be keenly felt. Although enrollment did not decline, partly because a lack of jobs meant young people pursued education, the downturn forced the college to cut costs and expenses. Faculty voluntarily took pay cuts, as high as 40 percent. Kuiper also found it difficult to mediate the growing differences of opinion among faculty and between faculty and the Board of Trustees over the school's direction. In 1933 he took up the position of Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary. Retiring in 1952, he returned to Grand Rapids and then accepted the presidency of Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and closely tied to Calvin College, though each institution has its own board. Rev...
for four years.
Kuiper married Marie Janssen in 1911. They had three children: Marietta Rolena Heerema, Dr. Klaudius Kuiper and Kathryn Junia Kuiper, who died at age two.
Kuiper's books include: As to Being Reformed, Not of the World, For Whom Did Christ Die?, God Centered Evangelism and The Glorious Body of Christ.