Bavinck: A Critical Biography

by James Eglinton

Overview

Dutch Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck, a significant voice in the development of Protestant theology, remains relevant many years after his death. His four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century.

James Eglinton is widely considered to be at the forefront of contemporary interest in Bavinck's life and thought. After spending considerable time in the Netherlands researching Bavinck, Eglinton brings to light a wealth of new insights and previously unpublished documents to offer a definitive biography of this renowned Reformed thinker.

The book follows the course of Bavinck's life in a period of dramatic social change, identifying him as an orthodox Calvinist challenged with finding his feet in late modern culture. Based on extensive archival research, this critical biography presents numerous significant and previously ignored or unknown aspects of Bavinck's person and life story. A black-and-white photo insert is included.

This volume complements other Baker Academic offerings on Bavinck's theology and ethics, which together have sold 90,000 copies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781540961358
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	411,722
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

James Eglinton (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. He previously served as senior researcher in systematic and historical theology at the Theologische Universiteit Kampen. Eglinton is the author or editor of several books, including Herman Bavinck on Preaching and Preachers. He also serves as associate editor of the Journal of Reformed Theology.

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction: Prolegomena
Part 1: Roots
1. The Old Reformed Church in Bentheim
"From the farmhouse to the town"
2. Jan Bavinck and Geziena Magdalena Holland
"At that time, we were still pariahs."
3. Herman's Childhood and Schooling: 1854-72
"The modern youth has come under the influence of the modern society."
Part 2: Student
4. Kampen: 1873-80
"The education there did not satisfy me."
5. Leiden: 1874-80
"O God, protect me in Leiden!"
Part 3: Pastor
6. Franeker: 1881-82
"It is quite a big and, for an inexperienced candidate, fairly difficult congregation."
Part 4: Professor in Kampen
7. Gathering Materials: 1883-89
"My books are my true company."
8. Writing a Modern Reformation: 1889-1902
"It is the theology needed by our age."
Part 5: Professor in Amsterdam
9. Christianity in the Age of Nietzsche: 1902-9
"In reality there are only two worldviews."
10. Showing His Colors: 1910-20
"Mr. Chairman! Our modern culture and Christianity are inseparable."
11. Bavinck's Final Years: 1920-21
"Do not put it in the newspaper; that does not befit me!"
Postscript
Appendix 1: "My Journey to America"
Appendix 2: "An Autobiographical Sketch of Dr. H. Bavinck"
Appendix 3: "Propositions: The Concept and Necessity of
Evangelization"
Key Figures, Churches, Educational Institutions, and Newspapers
Index

Editorial Reviews

07/13/2020

Eglinton (Trinity and Organism), professor of theology at the University of Edinburgh, explores the work and life of Dutch Protestant theologian Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) in this dry biography. Bavinck’s work was most significant within his own tradition of the Dutch Reformed Church, and readers outside this sect may be unfamiliar with his name—a fact Eglinton sets out to remedy. Unfortunately, those hoping for a picture of Bavinck as a person will be disappointed, as Eglinton is primarily interested in the development of neo-Calvinist thought at the end of the 19th century. Eglinton opens the book with a history of the Reformed Church in Holland and biographies of Bavinck’s parents, then follows Bavinck’s career as a theologian, which saw the introduction of “modern thought” into the neo-Calvinism of the Reformed Church; the majority of his work focused on applying philosophical concepts of objectivism and subjectivism to the doctrine of revelation. While Eglinton makes a strong case for the influence of Bavinck’s thought on Calvinism, his narrow focus and painstaking analyses bog down the narrative of Bavinck’s life. This dense, overlong work will have limited appeal beyond academics of European Protestantism. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly