The 2026 Kuyper Conference will be held from March 26–28, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The conference theme is “Calvin and Kuyper at 150: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” According to the coordinator of the Kuyper Conference, Dr. Jordan Ballor, this theme reflects that the year 2026 coincides with the 150th anniversary of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary. “On the American national scene, the year 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It therefore seems well timed that the conference will explore the intellectual, cultural, and theological relationship between Abraham Kuyper, Neo-Calvinism, and North American institutions — including Calvin University, Calvin Seminary, and the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) more widely,” Dr. Ballor notes.
Paper Proposals Invited
Organizers of the 2026 Kuyper Conference are inviting conference paper proposals. Papers and sessions related to the general conference theme are encouraged, but proposals for concurrent sessions are also welcome on topics that engage with aspects of the life and work of Abraham Kuyper, or other Neo-Calvinist thinkers, including, of course, Herman Bavinck, Neo-Calvinism more broadly, and public theology and public life. Papers from historical as well as interdisciplinary, ecumenical, critical, practical, missional, pastoral, and constructive perspectives are welcome. Proposals for short paper sessions (3-4 presenters), roundtables (3-5 participants), and from students are especially encouraged. The deadline is December 15, 2025. See more details here.
Kuyper Prize to Dr. George Harinck
The Kuyper Prize organizers have announced that Dr. George Harinck has been named the recipient of the 2026 Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life. Read the notice on the Calvin website here. Dr. Harinck is a foremost Dutch historian and theologian, rector of the Theological University Utrecht, and also heads the Neo-Calvinism Research Institute.
The Kuyper Prize is presented annually to a scholar or community leader whose work embodies the Neo-Calvinist vision of religious engagement in all spheres of life, as articulated by the Dutch theologian, church leader, and statesman, Abraham Kuyper. The prize will be formally awarded to Dr. Harinck during a ceremony at the 2026 Kuyper Conference.
Conference Plenary Speakers
Dr. George Harinck will be the speaker at the main plenary session during which the Kuyper Prize will be formally awarded to him. Other plenary speakers at the conference will include Dr. Jessica Joustra (Redeemer University/Calvin Theological Seminary), Dr. Roel Kuiper (Theologische Universiteit Utrecht), and Dr. Derek Schuurman (Calvin University).
Register or Inquire
You can register for the 2026 Kuyper Conference here.
Inquiries about the conference may be sent to: Dr. Jordan J. Ballor, Kuyper Conference Coordinator, [email protected].
