Grace in Common cover image

Grace in Common

What is Neo-Calvinism?

Feb 7, 2022
58:06

The four hosts of the podcasts with their affiliation: James Eglinton (New College, University of Edinburgh) Gray Sutanto (Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington D.C.) Cory Brock, (St Columba’s Free Church, Edinburgh) Marinus de Jong (Oosterparkkerk, Amsterdam, Neo-Calvinism Research Institute, Kampen|Utrecht). 

Two people we have mentioned (and will be mentioning a lot) are the two founding fathers of neo-Calvinism: Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) and Herman Bavinck (1854-1921). Both Kuyper and Bavinck have several biographies. We recommend these two in English: James Bratt, Abraham Kuyper: Modern Calvinist, Christian Democrat (Eerdmans, 2013); James Eglinton, Herman Bavinck: A Critical Biography (Baker, 2021). See https://www.neocalvinism.org/ for sources and more. 

We discussed the alteration of the Belgic Confession, an important Reformed Confession in the Netherlands that dates back to the 16th century. Below is the line from Article 36 that was altered by the synod of the Gereformeerde Kerken in 1905. The italicised part was omitted. In 1958 the synod of the Christian Reformed Churches in North America also amended this particular section. 
“And the government’s task is not limited to caring for and watching over the public domain but extends also to upholding the sacred ministry, with a view to removing and destroying all idolatry and false worship of the Antichrist; to promoting the kingdom of Jesus Christ; and to furthering the preaching of the gospel everywhere; to the end that God may be honored and served by everyone, as he requires in his Word.” 

Finally, two other sources that were mentioned in this episode: 

Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Eerdmans, 1995); 

Jan de Bruijn en George Harinck (eds.), Een Leidse vriendschap: Herman Bavinck en Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje over christendom, islam en westerse beschaving (Verloren, 2021). The English translation is forthcoming.

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