Reformed theology in the tradition of Herman Bavinck
Dr Nelson D. Kloosterman, director of Worldview Resources International, beloved English translator of many Dutch Reformed theological works, and Bavinck Society member, delivered this lecture on the doctrine of the imago Dei in Herman Bavinck’s thought at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2013 (mp3).
An historical bit of biographical Bavinckiana translated here just for fun. Later this same year, Bavinck relocated to Amsterdam in order to accept Kuyper’s invitation to succeed him in the chair of dogmatics at the Free University.
Dr. Herman Bavinck, born in 1854 in Hoogeveen. Promoted in 1880 to doctor in theology at the University of Leiden with the dissertation, “On the Ethics of Zwingli.” Was a minister in Franeker from 1881–1882, and since the latter year is professor at the Theological School in Kampen. Major works: The science of sacred theology (1883), The theology of Prof. Dr. D. Chantepie de la Saussaye (1884), The catholicity of christendom and the church (1888), Common grace (1894), Reformed dogmatics (4 vols., 1895–1901), Principles of psychology (1897), The sacrifice of praise (1901), Rhetoric (1901), etc.; additionally, many articles in various journals. Also, he has served as an editor of the weekly The Trumpet since its appearance in this paper in January 1900. Residence: Kampen.
—“Dr. Herman Bavinck,” in “Who is that?” 1902: A biographical catalog in which the question “Who is that?” is answered with details about the résumé, works, etc., concerning all the countrymen who become prominent by office of ministry or practice of art or science, who are referred to in the newspaper or magazine, or who make themselves known (Amsterdam: Vivat, 1902).
We’re busily preparing the 2014 issue of The Bavinck Review. If you have any Herman and/or Johan Herman Bavinck bibliography items to share (i.e., theses, periodicals, books, websites) in any language, please let us know.
Congratulations to Timothy Shaun Price on his recent dissertation: “Pedagogy as Theological Praxis: Martin Luther and Herman Bavinck as Sources for Engagement with Classical Education and the Liberal Arts Tradition” (PhD diss., University of Aberdeen, 2013).
This thesis seeks to put two theologians, Martin Luther and Herman Bavinck, and their theological traditions in conversation with emphasis upon how they approach the topic of education. Specific emphasis is placed upon their understanding and application of the classical education tradition.
The purpose of such a conversation is to point to what returning to Luther and Bavinck as sources can add to a discussion on pedagogy as well as to examine how their theological positions lead to a different emphasis in regards to pedagogy. The thesis is entitled “Pedagogy as Theological Praxis” because it makes the case that there are definite ethical implications in how one approaches pedagogy. In a broader spectrum, the thesis also examines how the epistemological presuppositions of these two traditions may effect the application of their theology.
The first half of the thesis deals primarily with Martin Luther. Luther’s understanding of the three estates of ecclesia, oeconomia, and politia are used as a lens by which to examine his writings. The three estates are used specifically to examine Luther’s 1524 letter, “To the Councilmen of all Cities in Germany that they Establish and Maintain Christian Schools.”
The thesis then shifts to an examination of Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck and his theological tradition of neo-Calvinism. Several prominent themes in neo-Calvinism are noted, and the distinctive contributions of Bavinck are also examined. As the thesis previously applied the framework of Luther’s theology to his work, the thesis also applies the Reformed neo-Calvinist framework to Bavinck’s article “Classical Education” and his book Pedagogical Principles. The thesis ends by putting Luther and Bavinck, as well as their traditions, into conversation in regards to the subject of Christian classical education. Emphasis is placed upon the North American context, which has seen a recent resurgence in the practice of classical education. Luther’s and Bavinck’s distinct contributions are placed alongside the contemporary practice of classical education for the purpose of fruitful dialogue and engagement.
The Bavinck Review 4 (2013) is now available to Bavinck Society members. Preview the contents and editorial.
This year’s essays include
The translation piece is a handful of letters that Herman Bavinck sent to one of his seminary students who was forced to leave his studies at Kampen due to a terminal illness.
Student: Hanniel Strebel, Olivet University
Title: Eine Theologie des Lernens. Systematisch-theologische Beiträge aus dem Werk von Herman Bavinck (“A Theology of Learning: Systematic-Theological Contributions from the Work of Herman Bavinck”)
Content: Following the structure of Bavinck’s Principles of Education I outline the why (teleology), the who (anthropology), and the how (epistemology) of learning followed by a critical assessment.
Supervisor: Thomas K. Johnson
The Bavinck Institute is pleased to announce its second publication this spring: John Bolt, A Theological Analysis of Herman Bavinck’s Two Essays on the Imitatio Christi: Between Pietism and Modernism (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 2013).
Professor Bolt defended his original dissertation in 1982 at the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, under the title, ”The Imitation of Christ Theme in the Cultural-Ethical Ideal of Herman Bavinck.” For the published edition he has updated the scholarship and added a concluding chapter on application and relevance. Also, he has included the first available English translations of Bavinck’s two imitation articles of 1885/86 and 1918.
Bolt’s investigation of Bavinck’s essays on the imitation of Christ . . . immerses us in some of the most important aspects of the Christianity and culture debate. What is the relationship of God’s work of creation to his work of redemption? What is the relationship of nature and grace? What is the significance of common grace and natural law? What is the relationship of the Old Testament law, as summarized in the Decalogue, to New Testament ethics, especially as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount? Can the Sermon on the Mount really direct our social-cultural life and, if so, how? These will undoubtedly remain central questions to discussions about Christian cultural activity, and Bolt reflects on all of them as he expounds Bavinck’s essays. I predict that his conclusions will surprise many readers, challenge simplistic assumptions about Bavinck’s view of culture, and inspire many people to read Bavinck anew. (David VanDrunen, “Forward,” v–vi)
In the latest issue of Cardus’ Comment magazine Professor John Bolt reviews Trinity and Organism: Towards a New Reading of Herman Bavinck’s Organic Motif by James P. Eglinton.
The Christian’s Library Press recently announced its publication of the first English translation of Herman Bavinck’s Het Christelijk Huisgezin, 2nd ed. (1912): The Christian Family.
Originally written in Dutch by a major Reformed theologian, this English translation explains the origins of marriage and the family then describes how sin has affected human relationships. When it was published in 1908, the book served as a manual for Christian families just as the secular concepts of marriage and family were beginning to change. Bavinck evaluates historic Christian theology that deals with marriage and makes it applicable for his readers.
The family unit is the building block of society and because of this, Christian families must be morally healthy. For society to flourish, Bavinck explains, families must first be moral. Rather than change as the secular world changes, Christian families must remain firm and follow Biblical instruction. The Christian Family, rooted in biblical truth, explains marriage and family life in a simple manner that is especially applicable for modern readers.
John Bolt, professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, said readers will be “challenged” by Bavinck on the very issues that threaten the family today. “They will be also encouraged because Bavinck so obviously loved the family and celebrated it in hope,” he said. “This is a great read for those who are married or contemplating marriage and family.” — CLP press release
The Christian Family is available in print, Kindle, and several digital editions.
The following lectures were delivered at the 18 October 2012 Doctrine for Proclamation conference at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI, in honor of J. I. Packer, recipient of the 2012 Bavinck Prize Bavinck Prize for Outstanding Reformed Contribution to the Church, the Academy or Public Life.
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