Herman Nicolaas Ridderbos

Who was Herman Nicolaas Ridderbos?

Herman Nicolaas Ridderbos was a Dutch theologian and biblical scholar. He was an important New Testament theologian, having worked extensively on the history of salvation and biblical theology.

Ridderbos was born in Easterein, Friesland, the Netherlands. His father, Jan Ridderbos, was an ordained minister in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, a biblical commentator, and professor of Old Testament at the Theological School of the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands in Kampen. Herman Ridderbos completed his undergraduate studies there, and did his post-graduate work at the Free University of Amsterdam under F. W. Grosheide, qualifying for his doctorate in 1936. In 1943, after serving as a pastor for eight years, Ridderbos was appointed to the post of Professor of New Testament Studies at Kampen, succeeding Seakle Greijdanus who had been one of his professors. He served there for over forty years.