Monday, October 28, 2019

Christian Worldview by Herman Bavinck

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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