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On 6 April 2011 Professor John Bolt delivered the following lecture for the annual Den Dulk lecture series at Westminster Seminary California: “What Herman Bavinck Taught Me.” Bolt summarizes under four headings what he has learned from his 30 years of engaging Bavinck’s work: What Bavinck taught me about

1. myself (who we are before God),
2. theological method (how we approach God in his revelation),
3. the content of good theology (it is always about God),
4. and the church (how God uses us in the mission of the Gospel).

Listen to the lecture below, or download the lecture from Westminster.

Bolt’s second Den Dulk lecture is also available on the Westminster web site: “What America Owes Jesus as Lord: Theocratic Fears and Patriotic Ambitions.”

Yesterday, Gerard ter Horst interviewed Bavinck Society member, Rev. Dr. James Eglinton, in the Nederlands Dagblad (Dutch Daily): “Vol zelfvertrouwen door Bavinck” (“Full confidence through Bavinck”).

In the interview Eglinton reflects upon Bavinck’s distinctively orthodox and modern theological perspective in contrast with the neo-orthodox theology of Karl Barth. “Bavinck is really an alternative,” remarks Eglinton, “he takes a different direction than Barth.”

Furthermore, Eglinton notes that Bavinck chose a different mode of engagement with the modern world as compared with his fellow Dutch Calvinists.

He chose to go as an orthodox Reformed theologian in dialogue with the modern world, including theology, whereas many Calvinists sought to avoid the modern world. Unlike his contemporary, Abraham Kuyper, who sought to ground his thinking in a constant antithetical confrontation, Bavinck was properly respectful in conversation without leaving his orthodox views. Instead of seeking confrontation, he sought to bring his own views to a more profound depth.

In the remainder of the interview Eglinton reflects upon the similarities and differences between Calvinism in Scotland and in the Netherlands. He is currently studying this topic, and he plans to publish a book about it.

Download the full Nederlands Dagblad interview as a PDF (courtesy of Nederlands Dagblad).

Congratulations are in order for Bavinck Society member and VU University of Amsterdam Professor Dr. George Harinck. The Royal National Dutch Library (Koninklijke Bibliotheek; Nationale Bibliotheek van Nederland) announced on 25 November 2010 that Herman Bavinck’s Mijn Reis Naar Amerika, transcribed, annotated, and introduced by Dr. Harinck, has been awarded the prize as the Best Dutch Travel Narrative.

A portion of Dr. Harinck’s publication of Bavinck’s travel journal has been made available as a PDF at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek web site. The original hand-written manuscript resides in the Bavinck archives of the Historisch Documentatiecentrum voor het Nederlands Protestantisme at the Free University, Amsterdam, which Dr. Harinck directs.

The journal dates back to 1892 when Bavinck travelled to the United States and Canada primarily to deliver an address to the Fifth General Council of the Alliance of the Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian System, Toronto, 1892: “The influence of the Protestant Reformation on the moral and religious condition of communities and nations.” Bavinck’s conclusion to this volume is of interest:

Let American Christianity develop according to its own law. God has entrusted America with a high and great calling. Let it pursue that in its own way. After all, Calvinism is not the only truth.

The occasion of the award is the public launch of a volume on Dutch travel literature by Jan Blokker, De Nederlandse Reisliteratuur in 80 en Enige Verhalen (Koninklijke Biblotheek en Prometheus, 2010). Here is Blokker’s description of Bavinck’s journal:

The travel narrative of dominee Bavinck is decidedly unprejudiced and written with astonishment and admiration. He travelled through the United States at a time when the continent was truly “new” for Europeans. His judgment about the religious life of Americans (a topic close to his heart) bears witness to a great openness. This account is an intellectual tour de force.

Congratulations to Dr. Harinck, and our best wishes for him and for the Documentatiecentrum.

Yesterday, Reformatorisch Dagblad (Reformed Daily) published Klaas van der Zwaag’s interview with Bavinck Society member, Dr. James Eglinton (read the English translation via Google Translate).

The interview covers both Dr. Eglinton’s recent dissertation on the organic motif in Herman Bavinck’s thought and his year-long research appointment at de Theologische Universiteit van de Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt in Kampen. Congratulations to Dr. Eglinton for both accomplishments!

We are pleased to announce the first Bavinck Society Discussion:

The VanDrunen-Kloosterman Debate on Natural Law and Two Kingdoms in the Theology of Herman Bavinck.

Drs. VanDrunen and Kloosterman delivered papers regarding Bavinck’s view of natural law and the two kingdoms at the 2008 Pearl and Leaven Conference (listen to the original exchange; Real Audio format). Both papers have been published in the Calvin Theological Journal (45.1, April 2010). Professor Bolt has provided a discussion guide which summarizes the papers and suggests five propositions as conversation-starters.

Society members are welcome to join the discussion.