Dutch theologian herman bavinck 18541921 is widely celebrated as a leading divine in the reformed tradition, and through the ongoing labor of translation teams, editors, and publishers, his vast writings are reaching english readers. The blessings of herman bavinck christian reformed church. At the time, it took me about an hour to read one page. While it may be debated as to how consistent he was in the application of this principle with his occasional nod to realism, it cannot be denied that he was selfconsciously committed to the triune god of scripture as the alpha and omega point of his thought. Gods incomprehensibility, gods knowability, gods names, gods incommunicable attributes, gods communicable attributes, the holy trinity, and gods counsel. In bavincks view of gods counsel or decree, the doctrine of election deals with gods eternal purpose to save his people in christ. Eric bristley, guide to the writings of herman bavinck rhb, 2008. Abraham kuyper and herman bavinck and the doctrine of scripture 2008. Second, i observe bavincks doctrine of the imago dei in its three aspects.
He graduated in 1880 from leiden having completed a dissertation on ulrich zwingli. Herman bavinck 18541921, a dutch reformed theologian, was a contemporary of abraham kuyper and b. Doctrine of god theology book information in partnership with the dutch reformed translation society, baker academic is proud to offer the second volume of herman bavinck s complete reformed dogmatics in english for the very first time. The attributes of god herman bavinck, reformed dogmatics. The time is ripe, therefore, to get reacquainted with bavinck. His reformed dogmatics is a standard text for modern reformed theology.
This english translation by henry zylstra was originally published in 1956 under the title our reasonable faith. Bavinck was first and foremost a verbi divini minister, a servant of the powerful and authoritative word of god. Careful historical presentation, painstaking effort to do justice to both sides of a question and always a wealth of biblical material to support its views make the doctrine of god an unusually accurate and authoritative volume. Topics covered in this volume include to doctrine of god, the trinity, creation, heaven and earth, and the doctrine of humanity. Nearly three decades of close involvement with bavincks theology has given me. Mar 19, 2018 his result, at least in this volume, is a budding neocalvinist take on the doctrine of god, and more particularly the doctrine of creation. I give it 4 stars because bavinck is both thorough in his handling of the material, wellorganized the material is laid out within an outline format and of course thoroughly scriptural. Bavinck on divine simplicity now christian theology has always been more or less conscious of this calling. Pdf herman bavinck on the image of god and original sin ijst. After his high school education, bavinck first went to the theological school in kampen in 1873, but then moved on to leiden for. Magnalia dei has long been prized as a faithful onevolume summary of systematic theology. Hart, author of the lost soul of american protestantism bavinck s dutch masterwork was the everest of which the textbooks by louis berkhof and auguste lecerf were foothills and berkouwers studies in.
It has served well as a synopsis of bavinck s larger, fourvolume dogmatics, for it presents in clear persepctive all the fundamental doctrines of the bible. If that question is answered in the affirmative, the westminster shorter catechism proceeds to ask, what are the outward means whereby. Visser, pastor of the protestant church in the netherlands amsterdam and chairman of the foundation for the promoting of reformed missiology and ecumenics, delivered the following lecture at the 2008 bavinck conference. The attributes of god herman bavinck, reformed dogmatics, vol. The future of calvinism, the presbyterian and reformed. Roberts abstract this article outlines the main contours of herman bavincks prolegomena. Neither a tenstep guide nor a onesided approach, this book embodies a christian theology of marriage and the family. Herman bavinck 18541921 succeeded abraham kuyper as professor of systematic theology at the free university in amsterdam in 1902. Sep 24, 2015 in our treatment of the doctrine of the image of god, then, we must highlight, in accordance with scripture and the reformed confession, the idea that a human being does not bear or have the image of god but that he or she is the image of god.
But he did contribute to a new understanding of the organic inspiration of. He graduated magna cum laude in 1880 from leiden with a double major. While it may be debated as to how consistent he was in the application of this principle with his occasional nod to realism, it cannot be denied that he was selfconscious. Herman bavinck uncluttered collection of writings from and.
Yet, despite this, few books expound the biblical teaching on the. Start studying herman bavinck reformed dogmatics chapter 3. In his purpose of election, god intends nothing less than the redemption of a new humanity within the context of his comprehensive work of recreation. Bavinck was a towering figure among the dutch reformed in the netherlands during the midnineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Born on december, 1854, in hoogeveen, drenthe, holland, herman bavinck was the son of the reverend jan bavinck, a leading figure in the secession from the state church of the netherlands in 1834. Aug 25, 2016 bavinck on divine simplicity now christian theology has always been more or less conscious of this calling. Olson this thesis paper will address the question, does god use means to communicate his benefits to his people. Though i am skipping over for now the section on the doctrine of creation, including the creation of man in gods image, i will return to this topic at a later point, d.
Herman bavinck s 18541921 fourvolume reformed dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century. Oct 17, 2008 this year marks the one hundredth anniversary of bavincks stone lectures at princeton theological seminary, and the appearance in english of the final volume of his fourvolumed reformed dogmatics1. Herman bavincks 18541921 fourvolume reformed dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century. The last things bavinck s life and thought reflect a serious effort to be pious, orthodox, and thoroughly contemporary. Framereformed theological seminary pastors and theologians will welcome the historic first complete translation of herman bavinck s reformed dogmatics. This god can appear and reveal himself in definite places, at definite times, to. This is the first english translation of the second volume of herman bavincks complete reformed dogmatics. This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of bavincks stone lectures at princeton theological seminary, and the appearance in english of the final volume of his fourvolumed reformed dogmatics1. Selected shorter works of herman bavinck ebook monergism. On the whole, its teaching has been that god is simple, that is, sublimely free from all composition, and that therefore one cannot make any real i. Abraham kuyper as professor of systematic theology at the free university in. Nearly three decades of close involvement with bavincks theology has given me a great respect for the man and his achievement. Abraham kuyper and herman bavinck and the doctrine of scripture. This is the first english translation of the second volume of herman bavinck s complete reformed dogmatics.
Pdf reformed dogmatics download full pdf book download. Yet by gods power the unchanging essence of marriage and the family remains proof, as bavinck notes, that gods purpose with the human race has not yet been achieved. The doctrine of god is the foundation of christian theology and the prerequisite of all true faith. Readers will discover more than bavinck the theologian in these volumes. An introduction to the reformed doctrines of grace. This is a preprint copy of my article, herman bavinck on the image of god and. Note that in the dutch original, gods names came after god. Editors notes this issue of the protestant reformed theological journal is a special issue. In our treatment of the doctrine of the image of god, then, we must highlight, in accordance with scripture and the reformed confession, the idea that a human being does not bear or have the image of god but that he or she is the image of god. God is independent, allsufficient in himself, and the only source of all existence and life. This popular digest of herman bavinck s classic fourvolume reformed dogmatics clearly presents the fundamental doctrines of biblical theology. Above all, bavinck was a thoroughly scriptural theologianhe was always guided by the bible as he. Doctrine of god students reformed theological library.
The christian family bavinck reformation heritage books. Herman bavinck christian classics ethereal library. Bavinck breaks down the doctrine of god into 7 categories. Clearly, therefore, the works of god in the arrangement or completion of the void. He first went to theological school at kampen, but then moved on to leiden for further training. Bavincks early life and education herman bavinck was born in hoogeveen, the netherlands, on december. Bavinck sensed the open question caused by the subjectivistic tendency of friedrich schleiermachers doctrine of revelation. Some have suggested that bavinck questioned the authority of scripture. Jun 28, 2017 berkhof, however, did not present his own original theology, it was for the most part, in structure and content, the theology of herman bavinck. Clearly, therefore, the works of god in the arrangement or completion of the void and formless earth are divided into two groups. The doctrine of the trinity is the architectonic principle of the whole theological and apologetic enterprise of herman bavinck.
Bavinck s doctrine of god is richly informative, very detailed, and difficult to read. The prevailing opinion has always recognized this as. The masterwork will appeal to scholars, students, pastors, and laity interested in reformed theology and to research and theological libraries. God s incomprehensibility, god s knowability, god s names, god s incommunicable attributes, god s communicable attributes, the holy trinity, and god s counsel. The catholicity of christianity and the church 1888, translated into english by john bolt in 1992 and published in ctj 27, 22051. Herman bavinck s perspectives on the outward and ordinary means of grace robert j. Through christ, the last adam, god aims to restore his people to covenant fellowship and thereby achieve his ultimate aim for human life in the state of glorification. The wonderful works of god, an english translation of herman bavincks magnalia dei, is now widely available. This popular digest of herman bavincks classic fourvolume reformed dogmatics clearly presents the fundamental doctrines of biblical theology. As a human being a man is the son, the likeness, or offs.
Observing this need, william hendriksen also saw how admirably it had been met, for those able to read dutch, in the second volume of herman bavincks. Bavinck also deals with the doctrine of the covenant in the third volume of his reformed dogmatics, where he takes up the topic of gods work of redemption in christ. God s incommunicable attributes by herman bavinck scripture itself reveals the general attributes of god s nature before, and more clearly than, it reveals his trinitarian existence. May 06, 2017 the doctrine of the trinity is the architectonic principle of the whole theological and apologetic enterprise of herman bavinck. Because the essence of the christian religion consists in the recreation of the cosmos into a kingdom of god, bavinck writes that the great question, which returns always and everywhere, is this.
How is grace related to nature what is the connection between creation and re. Each of these of course is further subdivided in a logical format. John bolt remembers his enthusiastic reaction when anthony hoekema, a professor of systematic theology at calvin theological seminary, read a section from herman bavincks reformed dogmatics titled the wideness of gods mercy. Herman bavinck on creation excerpts from our reasonable faith. God is a personal being, selfexistent, having the source of life in himself, self conscious, and selfwilling, not shut in by nature but exalted above nature, creator of heaven and. Born on december, 1854, in hoogeveen, drenthe, holland, herman bavinck was the son of the reverend jan. God is a personal being, selfexistent, having the source of life in himself, selfconscious, and selfwilling, not shut in by nature but exalted above nature, creator of heaven and earth. Deeply concerned with the problem of objectivism and subjectivism in the doctrine of revelation, he employed schleiermachers doctrine of revelation in his own way and regarded the bible as the objective standard for his. He graduated magna cum laude in 1880 from leiden with a double major in systematic theology and old testament. His result, at least in this volume, is a budding neocalvinist take on the doctrine of god, and more particularly the doctrine of creation. Works on dogmatic or systematic theology generally begin with the doctrine of god. Endorsement a model of exhaustive and balanced exegesis.
A practical handbook of theology, it is an outstanding comprehensive statement of christian faith and doctrine. This comprehensive treatment of christian doctrine was first issued in 1909 under the title the wonderful works of god. He was well aware that the bible confronts modern man with many questions. Jan 01, 1978 the doctrine of god is the foundation of christian theology and the prerequisite of all true faith. Bavinck was born in the town of hoogeveen in the netherlands to a german father, jan bavinck 18261909 who was the minister of theologically conservative, ecclesiastically separatist christian reformed church christelijke gereformeerde kerk.
Bavincks doctrine of god is richly informative, very detailed, and difficult to read. This translation provides, in the words of hendriksen, a spiritual treat for the serious reader. A comparison of herman bavinck and johan herman bavinck. This english translation by henry zylstra was originally published in. Gods incomprehensibility, gods knowability, gods names, gods. Taking on the project of pre paring a onevolume outline of a fourvolume magisterial work like bavincks is not something to be done lightly. At least righteousness by good works benefits ones neighbor, whereas. Bavinck was born in the town of hoogeveen in the netherlands to a german father. Herman bavinck, a dutch reformed theologian, was a also pastored before accepting the position of professor at the free university of for his magnum opus, reformed dogmatics gereformeerde dogmatiek, in 4 volumes. In this and subsequent articles on herman bavincks reformed dogmatics, i will address bavincks view of the covenant, including its relation to the doctrine of election.
Bavincks insight was that theological method must be grounded in the substance of theology itself, speci fically in its trinitarian and covenantal aspects. It has served well as a synopsis of bavincks larger, fourvolume dogmatics, for it presents in clear persepctive all the fundamental doctrines of the bible. Abraham kuyper and herman bavinck and the doctrine of scripture richard b. Doctrine of godtheology book information in partnership with the dutch reformed translation society, baker academic is proud to offer the second volume of herman bavincks complete reformed dogmatics in english for the very first time. His doctoral dissertation was on the concept of the state in zwinglis theology.
Second, work that bavinck did on christian education significantly influenced those who began calvin college in the 1930s. The recently completed english translation has received wide acclaim, and has now been distilled into a more accessible one volume abridged edition likewise entitled reformed dogmatics focuses on the most crucial elements of the reformed theological tradition. Yet, despite this, few books expound the biblical teaching on the being and character of god himself, or encourage that glorifying of his name for which man is made and redeemed. Herman bavinck uncluttered collection of writings from. Doctrine of god by herman bavinck banner of truth usa. In the doctrine of the attributes of god the tradition includes the treatment of the divine nature as it is revealed to us in scripture, is confessed by the christian faith. God moved us to the netherlands and eventually to kampen, the city where bavinck taught systematic theology and ethics for twenty years.
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