Theology as the Science of God: Herman Bavincks Wetenschappelijke Theology for the Modern World

The neo-Calvinist movement, led by Herman Bavinck, gained scholarly interest in the twenty-first century. A dualistic reading of his work characterized him as self-contradictory, but James Eglinton's new reading of Bavinck's organic motif challenged this model. This study highlights Bavinck's idea of scientific (wetenschappelijke) theology as a meta-paradigm and cardinal model that incorporates the fundamental characteristics and themes of his dogmatic system. It argues that Bavinck's scientific theology engages with other sciences and is relevant today, offering theological insights to advance theologys engagement with the other sciences in contemporary secular universities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co KG

The resurgence of Calvinism in the Netherlands during the nineteenth century gave rise to the neo-Calvinist movement, with prominent figures such as Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck emerging as key figures. However, it was not until the early twenty-first century that scholarly interest in Bavinck's work began to grow significantly.

For much of the twentieth century, a conventional two-Bavincks model was employed to interpret his writings, which suggested that his system contained contradictory and irreconcilable themes, rendering him a self-contradictory thinker. This dualistic interpretation characterized a significant portion of Bavinck scholars during the second half of the twentieth century.

However, a fresh perspective on Bavinck's work emerged with James Eglinton's interpretation of his organic motif. This new reading challenged the traditional model and prompted scholars to seek a unified and comprehensive understanding of Bavinck. As a result, Bavinck has emerged as a holistic theologian, with his work being widely recognized as the industry standard in Bavinck studies.

Ximian Xu, in his research, aims to maintain a unified and comprehensive understanding of Bavinck while also addressing a notable gap in Bavinck scholarship. Specifically, Xu seeks to focus on Bavinck's idea of theology as the "wetenschap" (science) of God, which has received limited attention in previous studies.

This study demonstrates that Bavinck's scientific theology provides a meta-paradigm and cardinal model that incorporates the fundamental characteristics and themes of his dogmatic system. Moreover, it argues that Bavinck's scientific theology engages with other sciences, making it relevant to contemporary theological discourse.

In conclusion, the revival of Calvinism in the Netherlands and the emergence of neo-Calvinism led to the prominence of Herman Bavinck as a key figure in Calvinist theology. While his work has been widely studied, there has been a need for a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of his ideas. Ximian Xu's research fills this gap by focusing on Bavinck's scientific theology and its relevance to contemporary theological discourse. As such, Bavinck's theological insights can be deployed to advance theologys engagement with other sciences in contemporary secular universities.

Dimension: 240 x 160 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783525560686