Professor of Systematic Theology

Mary L. Vanden Berg

Biography

Mary Vanden Berg joined the faculty of Calvin Theological Seminary on July 1, 2008. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Kuyper College, Western Theological Seminary, and Calvin Theological Seminary. Her graduate work focused on atonement theology. Mary’s goal as a professor is to not only help her students understand the truths of theology, which can often seem abstract and difficult, but also to help them understand that theological understanding and piety are intimately intertwined.

Mary lives in Hudsonville, Michigan with her husband, Skip. She has three married children and three grandchildren. She enjoys hiking, camping and downhill skiing. She also writes on her blog: Life, God, and Other Mysteries.

Courses Taught

  • Christian Theology in Reformed Confessions
  • Systematic Theology
“My students will tell you that I always ask the ‘So what?’ question. When I teach a concept, no matter how abstract it might seem, I try to give my students an idea of why it’s helpful for ministry, for understanding God, and for moving through life…My kids have taught me that if it doesn’t touch them in some way, what good is it?”

By Mary Vanden Berg

  • Following Step By Step

    Interview with Mary VandenBerg This article appears in the Summer 2021 edition of the Calvin Seminary Forum Mary VandenBerg is a Professor...

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  • Resound Episode #8

    Mary Vanden Berg on Loving Your Neighbor with Dementia

    Millions of people who suffer from dementia, and their loved ones and caregivers, face slow and agonizing decline. How can we show love to t...

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  • Mary Vanden Berg on Science and Theology -- Resound

    Mary Vanden Berg, professor of systematic theology at Calvin Seminary, speaks with Scott Hoezee about her research in 2018 at the Henry Cent...

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  • Dementia and Wilderness

    By Mary VandenBerg Dementia. Few diagnoses carry the level of fear and dread that this little word does, both for the one diagnosed and for ...

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About Mary Vanden Berg

  • Mary Vanden Berg Awarded Henry Institute Research Grant

    Mary Vanden Berg, Professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Seminary, was a recent research grant recipient to the Creation Project, part o...

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Speaking Topics

Speaking Topics

Prayer: The Chief Exercise of Faith

Disappointment, Despair, and God

Basic Christianity: The Niceano-Constantinopolitan Creed

Loving Your Neighbor With Dementia

Covenant as the Foundation of Renewed Community

Make Me Like a Tree: A Look at Psalm 1

Degrees

B.S. (Calvin College, 1981)
M.T.S (Calvin Theological Seminary, 2002)
Ph.D (Calvin Theological Seminary, 2008)

Resources