Douglas Felch

Professor of Theological Studies

B. A. (Wheaton College, 1973), M.Div. (Westminster Theological Seminary, 1976), Ordained (Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1978), Th.M. (Calvin Theological Seminary, 1995), Ph.D. (Calvin Theological Seminary, 2005)

DFelch@kuyper.edu • 616.988.3640

Professor Felch began teaching at Kuyper College as an adjunct faculty member in the fall of 1978. He was appointed to the faculty in the fall of 1999.  For over 17 years, prior to his work at Kuyper, he served in two pastorates in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. From 1992-2005 he was engaged in graduate studies at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids while completing two advanced degrees in philosophical and systematic theology.  Professor Felch teaches Christian Doctrine I and II,  History of Christianity, Principles and Practices of Reformed Worldview Perspectives, Christian Ethics and Modern Philosophy.  He is especially interested in issues related to theology and science. 

"I have always loved both scholarship and ministry.  While a pastor, I tilted my pastoral ministry in an educational direction.  Now, as a professor of theology here at Kuyper, I find myself tilting my teaching in a pastoral direction.  My goal is to teach so as to better equip my students to fulfill their Christian vocation, whatever form of employment they ultimately pursue.  For me, theology is understanding, summarizing and applying the teachings of the Word of God in response to some question. The result is that all my courses have a strong practical, as well as intellectual, component.  Doctrine is designed not only to communicate the content of Christian belief, but also theology for ministry.  Christian ethics provides a comprehensive perspective on how we should live out our lives before God and others.  Church history and philosophy involve not simply the rehearsal of past events or thought, but a laboratory for addressing the perennial challenges of church life and ministry in the present.  Reformed worldview is promoted, not only to make us better disciples, but also to increase our understanding of the world to which we are called to minister. While theological studies can, at times, be both technical and sophisticated, theology is not the domain of the intellectual elite.  All Christians are called upon to engage in theology, not simply as a road to knowledge, but as the pathway to life."   

Professor Felch was born in Michigan, but raised in New Jersey.  Susan, his wife of 34 years, is a professor of English at Calvin College.  They have a large fluffy gray cat named Edgar.  When he is not scraping the theological stratosphere, Professor Felch enjoys cooking, music, sailing, cinema, all things mechanical and scientific, working with his hands, fixing things and shooting his flintlock musket.