Tag Archives: bavinck

Review: Vanderwaal, Job-Song of Songs

Posted on March 26, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

I’m normally skeptical of Bible surveys and introductions. You can find the book online. They usually never get beyond surface level and are written with the grace of a dictionary. Fortunately, Cornelis Vanderwaal’s material isn’t that. He gets to the point but … Continue reading →

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Review: Bavinck, Essays on Society and Religion

Posted on October 22, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

It pains me to rate this only three stars, given Bavinck’s towering reputation. But alas, it must be so. Remember the parts of Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics where he did historical surveys on dead 19th century Germans? Those were also the only parts … Continue reading →

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Review: Berkouwer’s Half Century Theology

Posted on July 13, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

This is partly GC Berkouwer’s theological autobiography.  Rather than giving an analytical review, I’ll post my observations: The book is heavily influenced by Bavinck.  This is significant.  Bavinck’s stature had a kind of stabilizing influence among those otherwise influenced by … Continue reading →

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Common Grace and the Gospel (review)

Posted on July 6, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

The Christian Philosophy of History Metaphysically, we have all things in common with the unregenerate.  Epistemologically, we do not. Universals of non-Christian thought are ultimately non-personalist. For the Reformed Christian God’s counsel is the principle of individuation. Paradox God’s being … Continue reading →

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Notes on Berkouwer’s anthropology

Posted on July 4, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

From his Man: The Image of God On the broader/narrower distinction: man, despite his fall, was not beastialized (38).  By narrower man lost his communion with God. the broader sense reminds us of what was not lost in the fall. … Continue reading →

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Bavinck: Philosophy of Revelation

Posted on July 2, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

Bavinck argues that a monistic account of the world cannot ground unity or diversity. By contrast, the Christian revelation can account for a unity and a diversity that is not located within the phenomenal realm. Bavinck traces the idea of … Continue reading →

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When Matter Becomes Form

Posted on October 9, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

This is a review of Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation vol. 4. And so ends the greatest theologian of all time. The following are highlights around the central theme of grace restoring nature. Indeed, with Bavinck … Continue reading →

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Bavinck and the Beginning of Knowledge

Posted on September 24, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

This is a modified review of his Prolegomena. Bavinck’s project consists of drawing upon the strengths of the Magisterial Protestants while formulating theology in response to the modernist crisis of his day.  To do so, he realized he could not slavishly … Continue reading →

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Calming down on Neo-Calvinism, to all

Posted on September 23, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

The evangelical/Calvinist resurgence in American life is properly termed “New Calvinism.”  The Dutch intellectual tradition from 1880 to sort of today is Neo-Calvinism.  Admittedly, new and “neo” are the same thing, but they are applied differently at different times in history. So, … Continue reading →

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Found! Wolterstorff’s Bavinck lecture

Posted on September 20, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

He gave this over 8 years ago but only now was it made available.  This is partly why I hold to the Plantinga model of epistemology and metaphysics. Bavinck as Proto-Reformed Epistemologist.

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