Book review: Herman Bavinck: Centenary Essays
An independent researcher based in Wales, UK. He is a trustee of ThinkingFaith Network, maintains the website allofliferedeemed.co.uk and is an Associate Fellow of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology. He is co-editor of On Kuyper (Sioux Center, IO: Dordt Press, 2013).
Herman Bavinck: Centenary Essays. Edited by Bruce Pass, Brill, 2025, 205pp, p/k, £45.14 (Blackwells.co.uk)
Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) has in recent years emerged as a towering figure not only in theology but also in ethics, psychology, pedagogy, and Christian philosophy. The volume, Herman Bavinck: Centenary Essays, commemorates the hundredth anniversary of Bavinck’s death, and presents a compelling case for his continued relevance in today’s theological conversations. As editor Bruce Pass notes in his introduction, Bavinck’s work remains relevant because “Reformed Dogmatics and the rest of Bavinck’s voluminous writings transcend their social and religious setting” (1).
This collection is more than a retrospective celebration of Bavinck’s centenary; it is a constructive engagement. “Accordingly, this collection of essays contributes to the kind of preliminary work in which projects of Bavinckian retrieval need to invest. A further aim of this volume, however, is to present a snapshot of the current state-of-play in Bavinck studies” (3). The result is a volume that balances historical scholarship with theological imagination, highlighting Bavinck’s ongoing relevance to contemporary issues.
One of the special features of the book is its attention to Bavinck’s interdisciplinary engagement (4). The essays do not treat Bavinck merely as an ivory-tower theologian, but as a thinker whose vision extended into the realms of science, ethics, politics, psychology, and education.
Bavinck’s theological use of Scripture reflects a nuanced and layered approach. Koert van Bekkum examines Bavinck’s use of Scripture and notes how his references “can be divided into three categories: (i) prooftexts, (ii) ‘stepping-stones,’ and (iii) more extended exegetical remarks” (14). While his style may not always satisfy modern “exegetical standards” (27), the theological intent is undeniable: he is less concerned with verse-by-verse exegesis and more interested in sketching a grand biblical-theological narrative. It reflects a redemptive-historical orientation. While Bavinck affirms the inspiration and trustworthiness of Scripture, he avoids terms such as “inerrancy” and instead emphasises its soteriological aim: “Scripture is trustworthy and every word of Scripture is inspired. Yet representation of truth in these inspired words is mediated and thoroughly human” (25). His analogy between incarnation and inscripturation exemplifies this careful theological reflection.
Theologically, Bavinck walked a fine line between fidelity to the Reformed tradition and openness to development. “Bavinck appropriated Reformed sources by adjusting their content to the needs of his time. He was a careful student of historical theology but he also had his own agenda and applied what he found in the sources in a very particular way” (37), notes Henk Van Belt. Van Belt identifies four key characteristics that shape Bavinck’s engagement with Reformed sources: his belief that Reformed theology is catholic yet supreme, his desire to actualise the tradition, his mediated knowledge of the tradition, and his ambiguous relationship to Reformed Orthodoxy (35). This confirms the view that Bavinck was both “orthodox and modern”. In this sense, Bavinck’s theological method was both “organic” and constructive.
Perhaps most significant, at least for me, is Bavinck’s engagement with philosophy. The volume highlights his conviction that Christian theology requires a specifically Christian philosophy. As Pass notes, “For Bavinck, Christian philosophy is philosophy that is governed by what he describes as the biblical, organic viewpoint—a mode of reasoning that itself is conditioned by the knowledge of God” (64). Pass also shows how Bavinck ably critiques the failures of the nineteenth century’s dominant paths – critical (Kant), mystical (Schleiermacher), and speculative (Hegel) – as inadequate for theology’s task.
The book’s attention to ethics and public theology, psychology and pedagogy, shows Bavinck as a thinker for today. His ethical work is both deeply Christological and rooted in divine command (97), while his political thought resists both liberal activism and quietistic withdrawal. Andrew Errington shows how in Bavinck’s 1908 essay “Christian Principles and Social Relationships”, Bavinck outlines a theological vision grounded in a thick doctrine of creation (116), advocating for a society shaped by the moral structures embedded in the created order.
It is gratifying to see essays devoted to Bavinck’s psychology and his pedagogy; both have been neglected facets of Bavinck’s work in the recent revival. As Michael Bräutigan points out, Bavinck advocated for an integrated theory of psychology that drew from philosophy, physiology, and theology. Central to Bavinck’s view is the psychosomatic unity of the human person. He emphasised that humans are fully embodied beings, not fragmented into dualistic parts. Bräutigan shows that Bavinck’s work presents a comprehensive, theologically grounded vision of human psychology that has interdisciplinary depth and enduring relevance.
In the final chapter, George Harinck explores Bavinck’s approach to pedagogy and explores his often-overlooked role as an educational leader and advocate. Bavinck was active in Christian education as a board member, policy influencer, and as president of both the Gereformeerd Schoolverband and the national Onderwijsraad for over three decades. As Harinck shows, Bavinck had a commitment to shaping the educational landscape of the Netherlands, and he recognised that Christian schools needed legal freedom as well as a clear pedagogical vision grounded in a Reformed worldview. His work in educational theory, especially in Paedagogische beginselen, reflected this conviction, though its academic tone proved challenging for many schoolteachers. This chapter persuasively argues that Bavinck’s educational vision deserves renewed attention.
Overall, these essays show that Bavinck is a rich and multi-faceted thinker. This volume presents a theologian deeply rooted in the Reformed tradition, yet unafraid to engage the future. It models the kind of fruitful, critical, and hopeful engagement that Bavinck himself pursued: a theology that is biblical, catholic, and profoundly relevant.
Corrigendum
In my review of N. G. Sutanto’s God and Humanity (Foundations 87: 136–137), I should have clarified that the new translation of Bavinck’s Biblical and Religious Psychology was not available to the author at the time of writing. However, he did cite from the original Dutch edition. My apologies for overlooking this. Additionally, I would like to correct my assertion that “Sutanto states that Bavinck’s Foundations of Psychology is consistent with his later work, and yet Bavinck suggests otherwise” as it was based on misinformation.
– Steve Bishop
Book review: Numbers 1-19
Book review: Intimately Forsaken
Book review: Worshiping on the Way
The Trinitarian Resurgence?
The Weaknesses of Christ: Their Theological and Pastoral Significance
The God of Unchanging Glory: From Nicaea to Hegel and Back[1]
Faith and Reason: Reflections on Theistic Proofs
The Power and Personhood of God
Editorial – Issue 88