Scholars
spoke and wrote differently a century ago and this work gives
evidence to that. I had difficulty following the unfamiliar style of
prose. Many of the philosophers and scholars mentioned are unfamiliar
to me. For a layperson interested in how a Reformed Christian
worldview was crafted a century ago, this was an unsatisfying read.
Bavinck's work here is not so much an exploration of a Christian
worldview as it is a philosophical argument that all things find
their origin in God.
A
few nuggets I understood: “No matter how we look at it, the concept
of truth and science – if we think consistently and without
prejudice – brings us to Christian theism.” (Loc 419/1469)
Everything exists because of reason, hence God. Such is the
foundation of all knowing and the basis for our ability to observe
and reason. Denying God is denying the foundation for all science.
(Loc 443/1469)
This
work may be appreciated by scholars interested in the philosophy of
those from the Reformed tradition. As a Christian who had grown up in
the Reformed tradition in America (RCA), I had hoped this book would
enlighten me as to a Reformed slant to a Christian worldview. I am
not convinced this work has any clear value for laypeople.
My
rating: 3/5 stars.
Herman
Bavinck (1854-1921) was a leading theologian in the modern Dutch
Reformed tradition. He is the author of the four volume Reformed
Dogmatics.
Translators:
Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, James Eglinton, Cory C Brock.
Crossway,
144 pages.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My
comments are an independent and honest review.
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