The Baptist shift from Calvin’s “Feeding” to Bunyan’s “Memorial”
When it comes to baptism and the Lord’s Supper, many Baptists reject the language of sacrament. As a people of the book, the logic goes, Baptists must not let tradition supersede the Bible. So Baptists tend to view baptism and Communion as ordinances and symbols, not sacraments. But the history of Baptists and the sacraments is complicated. In “Amidst Us Our Belovèd Stands,” Michael A. G. Haykin argues that earlier Baptists, such as Charles Spurgeon, stood closer to Reformed sacramental thought than most Baptists today do. More than mere memorials, baptism and Communion have spiritual implications that were celebrated by Baptists of the past. Haykin calls for a renewal of sacramental life in churches today—Baptists can and should be sacramental. All this and more as we sit down with Dr Haykin.
by Steve Bishop
There has been a recent surge in interest in neo-Calvinism – not least in the works of two of the fathers of neo-Calvinism Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) and Herman Bavinck (1854-1921). This is due, in part, to the recent English translations of their works. The translators are often unknown heroes. This is a short piece acknowledging their work in translating Bavinck into English. One of the first of Herman Bavinck’s major works to appear in English was his 1908 Stone Lectures, Philosophy of Revelation...
Do you know you would have done otherwise?
Jonathan Edwards owned a slave. George Whitfield owned slaves and was a pro-slavery activist. Thomas Jefferson, who said “all men are created equal part,” was a slave owner. Should we cancel Whitfield, burn our “Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy” shirts, and take some dynamite to Jefferson’s face on Mount Rushmore? But should we ask a few questions first? Hypocrisy of the highest order to be sure - yet baked into the culture was slavery. What was the silver bullet verse that prohibits slavery? Surely these people turned a blind eye, right? Surely there is no excuse, right? Surely YOU would have done different… Right? Right?...?
Translating Kuyper, the rise of liberalism amongst the ICS and Neo-Calvinists, and reformation not revolution.
In this episode with Harry van Dyke, we talk about translating Kuyper and Groen van Prinsterer, the liberal shift of many Neo-Calvinists and the ICS, sitting under H. Evan Runner, gun control, "Gay Christians", a new Neo-Calvinist research center, and growing up and playing on the same streets as Geerhardus Vos.
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Translating Kuyper, the rise of liberalism amongst the ICS and Neo-Calvinists, and reformation not revolution.
In this episode with Harry van Dyke, we talk about translating Kuyper and Groen van Prinsterer, the liberal shift of many Neo-Calvinists and the ICS, sitting under H. Evan Runner, gun control, "Gay Christians", a new Neo-Calvinist research center, and growing up and playing on the same streets as Geerhardus...
by Steve Bishop
By Steve Bishop Almost all of Kuyper’s writings were in Dutch. Until the Abraham Kuyper Translation Project was launched in 2011 only a small selection of Kuyper’s works was available in English. Kuyper has had many translators over the years. These are often the unsung heroes of the Kuyperian tradition....
"Modernism, which denies and abolishes every difference, cannot rest until it has made woman man and man woman"
"Modernism, which denies and abolishes every difference, cannot rest until it has made woman man and man woman, and, putting every distinction on a common level, kills life by placing it under the ban of uniformity. One type must answer for all, one uniform, one position and one and the...
David is a type of Christ and "You aren't David" but is there more to the story than shadows and types?
It’s no secret that the Bible has a lot of stories; at Covenant [they] are concerned to show how it all fits with the Big Story. But what are we to do with the littler stories? We warn you about an overly simplistic approach, “be like David.” But still; might...
Unity in diversity & God's moral law
I thought it appropriate to offer a synthesis of what the Neo-Calvinist Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck argues about collisions of duties (most often called moral dilemmas or conflicts of moral absolutes). The purpose here is not to offer a position, but to offer the approach of an influential theologian to...
To silence the silent screams of a desperate conscience that longs to be free and forgiven
“It’s called a defiled conscience... everyone knows exactly what I’m talking about when I refer to those occasions when your conscience feels dirty. I’m talking about what you feel and sense deep within as you lie on your bed at night and reflect on the events of the day: the...
Getting at the Fundamentals via a Survey of History
Today we sit down with Greg Parker Jr., editor and translator of the recently released book from Herman Bavinck called “What is Christianity?” and get awesome.
No mere theories, no lofty principles to form society... Just get to Church
"The Cultural Mandate" - who said it first? Of course the idea was in there in both Kuyper and Bavinck, but who coined, and helped further nuance, it? Indeed you know and love/hate Kuyper, you are familiar with Bavinck, and you glean from Vos and Berkouwer... but who is Klaas Schilder (1890 -...
Potential Blindspots in the Big Picture
Listen in as two white guys, not woke, but not asleep, talk about race, place and parenting and what it all means for our Christian life. Jake Meador is author of “What is Christianity For?”
