Thursday, 28 December 2006
'The Nativity Story': a review
Epiginoskein on why he's a neocalvinist
After high school I enrolled at Dordt College because it seemed to be a good solid Calvinistic Institution. Imagine my shock when many of these Dutch "Calvinists" had no clue what the five points of Calvinism were. However, by God's grace I had come to study history, and the entire history department was filled with Neo-Calvinists who confessed the Canons of Dordt but also pushed me to think about the goodness of creation and the need for a Christian worldview. It was here that I read books by Al Wolters, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Dooyeweerd, etc. Keeping in mind my essentially gnostic background, Neo-Calvinism liberated me to think as a Christian and live as a true human being (no more ranting about how horrible it was to be a "soul trapped in a body!").
Sunday, 24 December 2006
Happy Christmas
It’s amazing that God should come to earth in human flesh: he became one of us. Too often Christians are the victims of dualism: a sacred/ secular; grace/ nature; spirit/ matter dualisms; and yet here is God becoming matter! Matter matters!
God is endorsing the creation – it’s not about escaping to heaven! It about bringing heaven, the kingdom of God, to earth. Happy Christmas!
Saturday, 23 December 2006
Living with liberalism
The Nativity Story
Wednesday, 20 December 2006
Nature and grace in the nativity
Here grace subsumes nauture - there is nothing natural in this twelfth century icon.
In Van Eyck's Madonna of the Chancellor Rolin (1435) Rolin is facing Mary and he is the same size: there is a battle between nature and grace - no side is dominant.
In Fouquet's painting the king's mistress is painted as Mary with one breast exposed - nature has swallowed grace.
Schaeffer points out:
... when nature is made autonomous it is destructive. As soon as one allows an autonomous realm one finds that the lower element begins to eat up the higher.The Christians worldview knows nothing of dualism - there is no battle between nature and grace - no one aspect is greater than the other. In the Christian worldview grace restores nature.
Tuesday, 19 December 2006
Xmas or Christmas?
by C. S. Lewis
And beyond this there lies in the ocean, turned towards the west and the north, the island of Niatirb which Hecataeus indeed declares to be the same size and shape as Sicily, but it is larger, and though in calling it triangular a man would not miss the mark. It is densely inhabited by men who wear clothes not very different from other barbarians who occupy the north- western parts of Europe though they do not agree with them in language. These islanders, surpassing all the men of whom we know in patience and endurance, use the following customs.
In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound they have a great festival which they callExmas , and for fifty days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called anExmas-card . But the pictures represent birds sitting on branches, or trees with a dark green prickly leaf, or else men in such garments as the Niatirbians believe that their ancestors wore two hundred years ago riding in coaches such as their ancestors used, or houses with snow on their roofs. And the Niatirbians are unwilling to say what these pictures have to do with the festival, guarding (as I suppose) some sacred mystery. And because all men must send these cards the market-place is filled with the crowd of those buying them, so that there is great labour and weariness.
But having bought as many as they suppose to be sufficient, they return to their houses and find there the like cards which others have sent to them. And when they find cards from any to whom they also have sent cards, they throw them away and give thanks to the gods that this labour at least is over for another year. But when they find cards from any to whom they have not sent, then they beat their breasts and wail and utter curses against the sender; and, having sufficiently lamented their misfortune, they put on their boots again and go out into the fog and rain and buy a card for him also. And let this account suffice about Exmas-cards.
They also send gifts to one another, suffering the same things about the gifts as about the cards, or even worse. For every citizen has to guess the value of the gift which every friend will send to him so that he may send one of equal value, whether he can afford it or not. And they buy as gifts for one another such things as no man ever bought for himself. For the sellers, understanding the custom, put forth all kinds of trumpery, and whatever, being useless and ridiculous, sell as an Exmas gift. And though the Niatirbians profess themselves to lack sufficient necessary things, such as metal, leather, wood and paper, yet an incredible quantity of these things is wasted every year, being made into the gifts.
But during these fifty days the oldest, poorest and the most miserable of citizens put on false beards and red robes and walk in the market-place; being disguised (in my opinion) as Cronos. And the sellers of gifts no less than the purchasers become pale and weary, because of the crowds and the fog, so that any man who came into a Niatirbian city at this season would think that some great calamity had fallen on Niatirb. This fifty days of preparation is called in their barbarian speech the ExmasRush .
But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with theRush , lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine. For wine is so dear among the Niatirbians that a man must swallow the worth of a talent before he is well intoxicated.
Such, then, are their customs about the Exmas. But the few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas , which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of the Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast. And in most of the temples they set out images of a fair woman with a new-born Child on her knees and certain animals and shepherds adoring the Child. (The reason of these images is given in a certain sacred story which I know but do not repeat.)
But I myself conversed with a priest in one of these temples and asked him why they kept Crissmas on the same day as Exmas; for it appeared to me inconvenient. But the priest replied, It is not lawful, O Stranger, for us to change the date of Crissmas, but would that Zeus would put it into the minds of the Niatirbians to keep Exmas at some other time or not to keep it at all. For Exmas and theRush distract the minds even of the few from sacred things. And we indeed are glad that men should make merry at Crissmas; but in Exmas there is no merriment left. And when I asked him why they endured the Rush, he replied, It is, O Stranger, a racket ; using (as I suppose) the words of some oracle and speaking unintelligibly to me (for aracket is an instrument which the barbarians use in a game calledtennis ).
But what Hecataeus says, that Exmas and Crissmas are the same, is not credible. For the first, the pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story which the priests tell about Crissmas. And secondly, the most part of the Niatirbians, not believing the religion of the few, nevertheless send the gifts and cards and participate in theRush and drink, wearing paper caps. But it is not likely that men, even being barbarians, should suffer so many and great things in honour of a god they do not believe in. And now, enough about Niatirb.
[Nicked from here]
Sunday, 17 December 2006
Winter holidays?
There are even happy winter holiday cards:
The term winter holidays also reminds me of what Tumnus tells Lucy of the White Witch:
"It's she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!
Saturday, 16 December 2006
Gideon Strauss on living with liberalism
The kind of cultural renewal that will move North American culture beyond the liberal hegemony is the work of more than one or two generations. With this in mind, and without giving up the long-term dream of transforming the culture, Christians must learn how to live with the reality of a liberal cultural hegemony—with authenticity and integrity, but at the same time with prudence and patience, courtesy and civility.
Friday, 8 December 2006
Pray for Fiji
Please pray for Fiji. Bruce Wearne writes on
Fiji's so-called coup is by no means a fait accompli.There is stern resistanceof a peaceful and courageous kind stirring from the villages and islands.Suva may be under the Military's heel but they do not have it their own way. Not at all.Please keep this matter in your prayers and bring it to the attention of your churches, associations, schools.
Saturday, 2 December 2006
Comment: Living with liberalism
- Nurture marriages for the long term
- Have children and raise families
- Become committed, active members of your church community
- Join a Christian labour or another work-related association
- Become involved in your country's political life
- All all your work to be influenced by your faith:
"If liberalism attempts to force issues of faith into private compartments, and if this curtails the scope of the redeeming power of faith in Christ, integrating our work with our faith is perhaps the best way to address the deficiencies of liberalism."
Saturday, 25 November 2006
Christian Reformed Church Periodicals Index
Friday, 24 November 2006
Myodicy update
He has added his fourth and final instalment of his notes on Runner's Introduction to philosophy lectures; an article by Alvin Plantinga on Dooyeweerd: Dooyeweerd on being and meaning' Reformed Journal (Oct 1958); and the fourth in his series on reformational history: dialogue and apologetics.
Sunday, 19 November 2006
All of Life Redeemed update
Added to the Calvin Seerveld pages are the following papers:
- Christian faith for today. Vanguard (Jan/Feb 1972): 7-9.[pdf]
Education
- Reformational Christian philosophy and Christian college education [pdf] IAPACHE Newsletter 14 (1) (2002)
- Creativity [pdf] Big Picture 1 (3) (Trinity 1999): 5-6, 31-32.
- Vollenhoven's legacy for art historiography. Philosophia Reformata 58(1983): 49-79. [4.8 MB pdf]
- Towards a cartographic methodology for art. J. Aesthetics and Art Criticism 39 (2) (1980): 143-154. [pdf]
On Proverbs from Vanguard's 'Take hold of God and pull' series from 1972-1975; including:
- Prov 25: 11-15. (March/ April 1972): 5, 34.
- 'Will you be a joke to God?' (Prov 24) (Jan/ Feb 1973): 15, 30-31.
- 'Tomorrow is the gift of the Lord' Prov 27: 1-11(1973): 24-6.
- Prov 27. (Dec 1973): 30-31.
- 'Proverbs 27 again' (March/ April 1974): 24-5.
- 'Uncover wrong to heal things straight' (Prov 25:2-10) (May/ June 1974): 30-31.
- 'The evil of authoritarianism' (Prov 29) (Sept/Oct 1975).
- 'How God's word in Proverbs communicates' (May/ June 1975: 10-11).
Added to the James H. Olthuis pages are four papers:
- On Worldviews [pdf] Christian Scholar's Review XIV (2): 153-164. Also in Stained Glass: Worldviews and Social Science (ed.) Paul Marshall, Sander Griffioen and Richard Mouw. University Press of America, Lanham MD, 1989: 26-40.
- The word of God and biblical authority [pdf] Potchefstroom: Wetenskappelike Bydraes van die Potchefstroom Universiteit vir Christelike Hoger Onderwys, 1976.
- The word of God and creation [pdf] AACS Academic papers, 1975. Also published in Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap 25 (1989): 25-37; and Christian Scholar's Review XXI (3) : 231-48.
- Values and valuation [pdf] Philosophia Reformata 32 (1) (1967): 37-54.
Added to the Richard Russell pages are three lectures on the History of Education:
- Starting with Plato and a biblical critique
- Looking at the medieval programme, how the church got involved and failed to reform it
- Reformation, popular literacy, callings, marriage, natural science etc
Richard Russell of Christian Studies Unit, Radstock, provides a few memories of a mis-spent youth in reformatia. This paper was presented at the first UK Reformational Colloquium in Leeds, October 2006.
David Hanson of Wysocs, Leeds, traces the history of the reformational movement back to the 1920s. This paper was presented at the first UK Reformational Colloquium in Leeds, October 2006.
Marty Rice's paper: What is a science? from Contemporary Reflections on the Philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd ed. D. F. M. Strauss and M. Botting (Edwin Mellen Press, 2000)The D F M Strauss pages have been updated with a list of 2006 papers and a new paper on Infinity and Continuity: The mutual dependence and distinctness of multiplicity and wholeness.
Sunday, 12 November 2006
Twilight for Sale
[464197] Dooyeweerd, Herman. In the Twilight of Western Thought: Studies in the Pretended Autonomy of Philosophical Thought (University Series: Philosophical Studies). Nutley: Craig Press, 1972. Paperback. Very Good . 195 pages. GBP 19.50
Saturday, 11 November 2006
James Orr on God and proofs
Neither shall I waste time at this stage by discussing in what sense it is permissible to speak of “proof” of so transcendent a reality as the Divine existence. We remember here the saying of Jacobi, that a God capable of proof would be no God at all; since this would mean that there is something higher than God from which His existence can be deduced. But this applies only to the ordinary reasoning of the deductive logic. It does not apply to that higher kind of proof which may be said to consist in the mind being guided back to the clear recognition of its own ultimate pre-suppositions. Proof in Theism certainly does not consist in deducing God’s existence as a lower from a higher; but rather in showing that God’s existence is itself the last postulate of reason—the ultimate basis on which all other knowledge, all other belief rests.
Friday, 10 November 2006
On Dooyeweerd: a bibliography
Gerit Glass. 2002. Churchland, Kandel and Dooyeweerd on the Reducibility of Mind States. Philosophia Reformata 67: 148-172 Henry R. Van Til. 1955. 'Anniversary : The First 25 Years of Prof. Herman Dooyeweerd'Torch and Trumpet 4.6 (Feb/March 1955): 6–8. Sander Griffoen and Bert M Balk (eds). 1995. Christian Philosophy at the Close of the Twentieth Century: Assessment and Perspective . Kampden: Kok. H. Hart, J. van der Hoeven and N Wolterstorff. 1983. Rationality in the Calvinian Tradition . University Press of America: Lanham. Hendrik Hart. 1985. Dooyeweed's Gegenstand theory of theory. In McIntire (ed.) Hendrik Hart. 2000. 'Notes on Dooyeweerd, reason and order' in Strauss and Botting (ed.) Andrew Hartley. 2004. The Philosophy of the Law Idea and the Role of the Prescientific in Statistical Inference. Journal of the ACMS (December) R D Henderson. 1994. Illuminating Law: The Construction of Herman Dooyeweerd's Philosophy. Free University: Amsterdam. Irving Hexham. 1984. 'Herman Dooyeweerd' in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: 330-331. Arthur F. Holmes. 1964. 'Dooyeweerd: some questions and an alternative'. Reformed Journal 14 (Jan): 11-14. Arthur F. Holmes. 1963. 'Dooyeweerd: his philosophic method' Reformed Journal 13 (Nov): 14-16. Arthur Holmes. 1971. Christian philosophy of science: unfinished business. Journal of the American Scientific Association 23 (March): 4-6. Arthur Holmes. 1974 edn. Christian philosophy. Encyclopaedia Britanica Vol 4: 555-556. Dirk W. Jellma.1954. 'The philosophy of Vollenhoven and Dooyeweerd' Calvin Forum 19 (Apr): 169-172; (May):192-194. Rob Joustra. 2004. Progress and Differentiation: A Critical Exposition on the Philosophy of History of Herman Dooyeweerd and Christopher Dawson Earl William Kennedy. 1973. 'Herman Dooyeweerd on history: an attempt to understand him' Fides et Historia 6: 1-21. Jacob Klapwijk. 1980. The struggle for a Christian philosophy: another look at Dooyeweerd. Reformed Journal 30 (Feb): 12-15; (Mar): 20-24. Jacob Klapwijk. 1980. Dooyeweerd’s Christian philosophy: antithesis and critique. Reformed Journal 30 (3): 20-24. Robert D. Knudsen. 1954. The idea of Christian scientific endeavor in the thought of Herman Dooyeweerd. Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 6 (2): 8-12. Robert D. Knudsen. 1962. 'Dooyewerd's philosophic method'. Lecture delivered at the annual philosophy conference, Wheaton College. (mimeo) Robert D. Knudsen. 1979. Dooyeweerd's doctrine of science. Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 31 (September): 209-212. Robert D. Knusden.1986. The transcendental perspective of Westminster’s apologetic. Westminster Theological Journal. 48 (2): 223-239. Robert D. Knudsen. 2000. The religious foundation of Dooyeweerd's transcendental method in Strauss and Botting (ed.) Richard Kroner. 1954-5 A new critique of theoretical thought. Review of Metaphysics 8 (3) 321-4. David T. Koyzis Dooyeweerd Revised John Kraay. 1979-80. 'Successive conceptions in the development of the Christian philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd' Philosophia Reformata 44: 137-49; 45: 1-46. T. H. Leith.1972. Notes on the presdisposition of scientific thought and practice. Jornal of the American Scientific Affiliation 24 (June): 51-57. Paul Marshall. 1985. 'Dooyeweerd's empirical theory of rights.' in McIntire (ed.) C T McIntire. 1985a. Herman Dooyeweerd in North America. In Reformed Theology in America, D F Wells (ed). Eerdmans: Grand Rapids. C T McIntire (ed.). 1985b. The Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd: Reflections on Critical Philosophy in the Christian Tradition. University Press of America: Toronto. C. T. McIntire. 1985. Dooyeweerd's philosophy of history' in McIntire (ed.). Robert MacLarkey.1991. Reformational social philosophy and sociological theory. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 43: 96-102 [response by Heddendorf ]. Hugo Meynell. 2003. The philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd: a transcendental Thomist appraisal. Faith and Philosophy 20: 265-87. Ronald Nash. 1962. Dooyeweerd and the Amsterdam Philosophy. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids. James H. Olthuis.1985. 'Dooyeweerd on religion and Faith' in McIntire (ed.). James H. Olthuis. 2006. Spiritual convergence and philosophical differences. Redeemer conference. C. Orlebeke. 1954. 'What is calvinistic philosophy? Calvin Forum 19: 139-140. Paul Otto. 2005. 'In the twilight of Dooyeweerd's corpus'. Philosophia Reformata 70 (1) W J Ouweneel. 1993. 'Supratemporality in the Transcendental Anthropology of Herman Dooyeweerd' Philosophia Reformata 58: 210-220. Jim Payton and Rob Joustra 'The vindication of tradition: a response' 24 (Sept): 11-17. Jack Roeda. 1969. 'Structure and revolution: Herman Dooyeweerd and Helmut Thielicke'. Stromata 15 (Oct): 3-7. Richard Russell. 1991. In defence of Dooyeweerd and of Christian philosophy. Spectrum 23 (2): 147-159. Calvin Seerveld. 1965. 'Dooyeweerd's contribution to the historiograpy of philosophy' in De Gaay Fortman (ed.) Calvin Seerveld.1996. Dooyeweerd’s idea of “historical development”: Christian respect for cultural diversity. Westminster Theological Journal 58(1): 41-61 Calvin Seerveld. 1985. Dooyeweed's legacy for aesthetics: modal law theory. in McIntire (ed.) Norman Shepherd. 1971. The doctrine of Scripture in the Dooyeweerdian philosophy. Outlook 21 (Feb): 18-21; (March): 20-23. James Skillen. 1979. Herman Dooyeweerd’s contribution to the philosophy of social science. Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 31: 20-24. Henry J. Stob. 1977. 'Herman Dooyeweerd'. Reformed Journal 27 (Apr): 2-3. Pete Steen. 1961. The supra-temporal self-hood in the philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd. Master's Dissertation. Westminster Theological Seminary. Pete Steen. 1983. The Structure Of Herman Dooyeweerd's Thought. Wedge: Toronto. D F M Strauss.2004. Intellectual Influences upon the Reformational Philosophy of Dooyeweerd. Philosophia Reformata 69: 151-181. D F M Strauss. 2006. Appropriating the legacy of Dooyeweerd and Vollenhoven. Redeemer conference. D F M Strauss and Michelle Botting (eds). 2000. Contemporary Reflections on the Philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd. Edward Mellen: Lewiston. Dale K. Van Kley. 1975. 'Dooyeweerd as historian' in G. Marsden and F. Roberts (ed.) A Christian View of History? Eerdmans: Grand Rapids. Cornelius Van Til.1977. Herman Dooyeweerd (a personal tribute). Westminster Theological Journal. 39 (2): 319-27 Cornelius Van Til. 1953. Review of A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, Vol. I.Westminster Theological Journal 16: 180–83. Nick Van Til. 1973. 'Dooyeweerd's "history" and the historian'. Pro Rege 2 (Dec): 7-15. Brian J Walsh and Jon Chaplin.1983. 'Dooyeweerd’s contribution to a Christian philosophical paradigm'. Crux 19 (1): 8-22. Nicholas Wolterstorff 'Dooyeweerd: an appreciation' unpublished (written in the mid-1960s and presented to a Calvin Faculty Forum) Al Wolters. 1983. Dutch neo-calvinism: worldview, philosophy and rationality. In Hart et al. (1983) Al Wolters. 1985. The intellectual milieu of Herman Dooyeweerd. In McIntire (ed.) (1985). Colin Wright. 1999. 'Dooyeweerd made easy (well ... easier'). Christianity and Society IX (1): 21-27. William Young. 1966. 'Herman Dooyeweerd' in P. E. Hughes (ed.) Creative Minds in Contemporary Theology. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids : 270-306. William Young. 'The nature of man in the Amsterdam philosophy' Westminster Theological Journal 22: 1-12. William Young. 1952. Toward a reformed philosophy: the development of a Protestant philosophy in Dutch Calvinistic thought since the time of Abraham Kuyper Grand Rapids: Piet Hein. Lambert Zuidervaart 2004. The great turning point: religion and rationality in Dooyewerd’s transcendental critique. Faith and Philosophy 21 (1) : 65-89. Lambert Zuidervaart. 2006. Reformational philosophy after Dooyeweerd and Vollenhoven. Redeemer conference. Uko Zylstra. 1981. 'Dooyeweerd's concept of classification in biology' in Life is Religion: Essays in Honor of H. Evan Runner. Paideia: St Catherine's. Update My thanks for Chris Gousmett, Harry Der Nederlanden, Rudi Hayward and Theo Plantinga for suggesting some titles and spotting a few typos.
Friday, 3 November 2006
Climate Change and Global Warming
Wednesday, 1 November 2006
J. J. Duyvene De Wit on Dooyeweerd's view of evolution and creation
[12] As an alternative to all these mentioned conceptions, Dooyeweerd's view is herewith presented.
First of all we must distinguish between creation and becoming. The process of becoming within the temporal order of our cosmos presupposes God's creation. Only of God's creation can it be said [13] (Gen. 2:1) that it is completed. This can never be said of the process of becoming in the temporal order of creation with its modal diversities of meaning. The process of becoming still goes on and individual physical men, animals, plants etc., arise continuously. This is, however, not a temporal continuation of the divine act of creation, but only an elaboration, within the temporal order. of the already completed creation.
The whole order of time, together with the whole process of becoming which was destined to execute itself therein, was undoubtedly comprised in the creation, but only as the creational result of God's completed work of creation. But this work of creation is not comprised in the creational order of the temporal process of becoming.
It is true that in Scripture God's work of creation is revealed to us in human language which itself is bound to the creational order of time. But this may never be used as an argument to conclude that this work of creation itself has occurred within the creational time-order.
We must also observe that the revelation about the creation may not be identified with the creation itself. That revelation directs itself primarily to the human heart, the religious center of our existence, and in which everything which occurs within time, is grasped in a central relation to our Creator through the operation of His Spirit. But as revelation it also enters into the horizon of our temporal existence in order to address itself to man in his faith within the order of time.
Within the temporal order, the Word-revelation often speaks about God himself in terms of time, but this does not mean that God and his acts of creation are enclosed within time.
God's work of creation and its creational result are not of the same order and therefore cannot have a common temporal denominator.
The distinction between creation and creational becoming within time is intrinsically related to the revealed distinction between the Creator and the creation.
These considerations bring us to the fundamental problem concerning the inner relation between the central religious meaning of God's Word-revelation as regards creation and scientific investigation. This problem can only be solved on the basis of what has been said above.
[14] As soon as one tries to conceive of God's work of creation as of a successive series of temporal events, as it has been done in certain theological quarters, unsurmountable antinomies arise. He then can no longer account for this time-order in its integral and universal meaning (including the temporal faith-aspect) because he is compelled to accept that the temporal modal aspects themselves have been created in the successive order of the six days of creation and these then must have had a temporal duration. Before the first organic life in living organisms revealed itself on earth within the order of time, this time-order would thus have had only the first four aspects, namely the aspects of number, space, motion and energy. But within what time-aspect did the creation of the following aspects of time then fall?
The posing of the question already lays bare the antinomies in which one gets involved when he conceives of the days of creation as theoretically abstracted aspects of time. For every attempt to view these days of creation according to the objective and geological time-scale be it as days of 24 hours or as geological periods, is irreconcilable with the account of the creation itself. This appears already from the fact that "fixed times, days and years" became established only on the fourth "day of creation", so that "day of creation" cannot possibly imply "day" or "period" in the sense of temporal duration.
And finally this attempt definitely strands on the seventh day, the day of God's sabbatical rest, every interpretation of which, either as a 24-hour day or a geological period, would lead to blasphemy.
In other words, in so far as the two first chapters of Genesis are speaking about the becoming of the world and of man within the order of time as a result of creation, they do not speak scientifically, but exclusively to reveal to us that God cares for the elaboration of his Words of Creation in the order of time with the structural laws enclosed therein by Him. This implies that from the information given in Genesis, no scientific conclusions can be drawn and that therefore the traditional confrontation of this information with the scientifically established facts finds itself on the wrong track. The facts which are revealed to us in the two first chapters of Genesis are of another order than those which can be brought to light by scientific investigation. And it is just for this reason that they are of such central and basic significance for this kind of investigation.
Excerpt from J. J. Duyvene De Wit ‘Introductory comment’ in ‘Organic Life and the evolutionistic world and life view’ Christian Perspectives 1962 (Guardian Publishing Company, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 1962.)
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Reformational evolutionary biology
I thought it might be useful to some of the younger members who may not be aware of the work of J. J. Duyvene De Wit in the area of Evolutionary Biology to have some references to this outstanding scholar.A New Critique of the Transformist Principle in Evolutionary Biology. J. H. Kok, 1965. (65pp)The Impact of Herman Dooyeweerd's Christian Philosophy Upon Present Day Biological Thought. (pp. 405-433) in Philosophy and Christianity. J. H. Kok. 1965.Organic Life and the Evolutionistic World and Life View, in, Christian Perspectives: The Unioniville Lectures, 1962 (pp 11-70)
J. J. Duyvene de Witt was born in the Netherlands in 1909, he was head of a pharmaceutical company befor taking a PhD at Utrecht in 1939. From 1951 he held the chair of zooology at the University of Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Sunday, 29 October 2006
Eagleton on Dawkins
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology.Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology.
Calvinistic Philosophy and Reformational Thought index
The purpose of this index is to facilitate and promote the study of Calvinistic philosophy and reformational thought. The idea underlying it is that when it is not possible to hold in your hand a certain book that seems to deal with a subject of interest to you, it would be helpful to have some sort of detailed and objective indication of the book's contents. If a friend or colleague could photocopy the table of contents and the index when he visits the University of Rhode Island, let's say (which happens to have a copy of the book in its library), when he attends a conference there next month, he would be doing you a favor. You could then determine whether it would be worthwhile for you to try to get hold of the book via interlibrary loan, or to track it down in the used bookstores using the internet. Or perhaps you could then try to get someone at the University of Rhode Island to photocopy the one essay or article in the book that you need for your work.Deatils of how to get involved are here. A list of FAQ are here.Well, what if the table of contents and index of the book in our example, the one you have heard of but never have seen, were available on the internet? That's the idea of this index in a nutshell. With the permission of the publishers (in the case of books still under copyright) and with the blessing of the authors (where we can get hold of them), we reproduce the basic publication information, the table of contents, the index, the publisher's abstract (if there is one), and the dissertation summary (if there is one). It's as simple as that.
Reformational Colloquium Leeds 27-28th Oct 2006
It was an excellent and action packed time. It as particulalry good to meet fellow bloggers Paul Robinson, Rudi Hayward and Jeremy Ive.
The event started at noon on Friday with two excellent presentations by David Hanson and Richard Russell on the origins of the Reformational movement in the UK. In Richard's case it was in the early 1960s when IVF were sent a set of the Unionville lectures, they didn't know what to do with them and so were given to Richard - who was studying at UCW Aberystwyth - by Geraint Fielder a Travelling Secretary.
David traced the roots back to the Soverign Grace Union and an ex-miner Henry Atherton who took a group over to the Netherlands in 1928 - a group that included David's parents (though they weren't an item at that time!). A series of subsequent meetings led to the formation of the International Association for Reformed Faith and Actuion in 1953. Also invoved in the IARFA were Lance and Hazel Bidewell who were also at the Leeds meeting.
The reminder of the weekend was split up into about 25 ten minute presentations. These included art, short stories, testimonies of how people came into contact with the reformational movement, presentations on eating, book supplies, creationism, health issues, information technology, websites, science, politics, philosophy and activities that people were involved with. It was an inspiring and moving time.
It is hoped that will be a bi-annual event.
Wednesday, 25 October 2006
Tuesday, 24 October 2006
Monday, 23 October 2006
Dooyeweerd bibliography (1915-1986)
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1927
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1929-1930
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1933
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1933-37, 1940-45, 1946-53‘Presidential speeches for the Protestant-Christelijke
‘Syllabus 1936
1937‘De
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‘Politiek en
De ‘Theorie de l’institution’ en de staatsleer van Maurice Hauriou: parts I, II and III. Anti-Revolutionaire Staatkunde 14: 301- 347; 15: 42- 70.
‘Aan de genarale synode der Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland te UtrechtAan de genarale synode der Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland te Utrecht’ and D. H. Th. Vollenhoven.
‘Enkele opmerkingen inzake de ‘Richtlijnen’ betreffende een toekomstige bedrijfsorganisatie’.
1945
‘Het Calvinisme oorsprong en waarborg onzer consitutioneele vrijheden?: Bijdrage tot het vraagstuk van de verhouding van de Christelijke vrijheid tot de politieke vrijheden’. Amsterdam: Ten Have.
‘'s Hoogen Raads beleid tijdens de bezetting’. Nieuw Nederland: christelijk cultureel sociaal dagblad 1(2): 2.
1946
‘De verhouding van individu en gemeenschap rechtsphilosophisch bezien’. Algemeen Nederlands tijdschrift voor wijsbegeerte en psychologie 39: 5-12.
1946-47
Translation of: ‘Grondproblemen der Wijsgerige Sociologie’: ten lectures given by Prof. Dr. Herman Dooyeweerd in the School of Engineering at Delft, The Netherlands, 1946-1947 by Magnus Verbrugge (Published in Dutch in Stellingwerff (ed.) (1962)).
‘Grondproblemen der sociologie’. Nieuw Nederland: maandblad voor economie, staatkunde en cultuur 3 (1-13, 15, 20)
‘Introduction a une critique transcendentale de la pensee philosophique’. Library of the tenth International Congress of Philosphy, v. 2. Amsterdam : L.J. Veen: 70-82.
‘Standen en klassen in de samenleving’. Nieuw Nederland: christelijk cultureel sociaal dagblad 12 (3).
‘De sociologische verhouding tusschen recht en economie en het probleem van het Zgn ‘economische recht’ . Opstellen op het gebied van recht, staat en maatschappij aangeboden aan
Prof. Dr. A. Anema en Prof. Dr. P.A. Diepenhorst bij hun afschied van de Vrije Universiteit door oud-leerlingen, Januari 1949. Edited by Herman Dooyeweerd et al. Amsterdam: S. J. P. Baker: 221-265.
De vooronderstellingen van ons denken over recht en samenleving in de crisis van het moderne Historisme : een critische overpeinzing naar aanleiding van Mr. H. W. Scheltema’s
‘Beschouwing over de vooronderstellinging van ons denken over recht’.Themis: 193-248.
‘Het historische element in Groen’s staatsleer Het historische element in Groen’s staatsleer’ in Groen’s ‘Ongeloof en revolutie,’ een bundel studien edited by L.C. Suttorp et al.
Opstellen op het gebied van recht, staat en maatschappij aangeboden aan Prof. Dr. A. Anema en Prof. Dr. P.A. Diepenhorst bij hun afschied van de Vrije Universiteit door oud-leerlingen, Januari 1949. edited by Dooyeweerd. Amsterdam: S. J. P. Baker.
Strafrechtelijke problemen bij de gevangenishervorming. Orgaan ten dienst der Protestants-Christelijke Reclasseringsvereniging 17 (6-7) 1-12.
De modale structuur van het juridisch oorzakelijkheidsverband . Series Mededelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen 13(5).
De strijd om het souvereiniteitsbegrip in de moderne rechts- en staatsleer : uitgewerkte rede ter gelegenheid van de 70e herdenking van de stichting der Vrije Universiteit op 20 Oct. 1950. Amsterdam: H J Paris.
Geloof en Wetenschap : Levensbeschouwing en levenshouding van de academicus. Utrecht-Nijmegen : Dekker & van de Vegt.
Natuurlijke Godskennis . Christelijk Schoolbad (Baarn) 41 (27 April): 1; (4 May): 1.
Wat is rechtswetenschap? Interfacultaire colleges aan de Vrije Universiteit te Amsterdam, cursus 1949-1950.
The contest about the concept of sovereignty in modern jurisprudence and political science. Free University Quarterly 1: 85-106.
Mr. E. H. Jacob’s ‘Juridisch modernisme en het staatrecht van onze tijd’. Themis : 348-351.
Perikelen van een historistische rechtstheorie : Een critische beschouwing van de ‘Inleiding tot de studie van het Nederlandse Recht’ door Prof. Mr. L.J. van Apeldoorn. Themis
Probleem van die Christelike wysbegeerte, II. Die Gereformeerde vaandel. 24 (2): 21-30.
Wezen en gronslagen van het rechtWezen en gronslagen van het recht. Publikatie (Nederlands Gesprek Centrum), no. 15
Een nieuwe studie over het Aristotelisch begrip der gerechtigheid. Themis
Mouvements progressifs et regressifs dans l’histoire Mouvements progressifs et regressifs dans l’histoire. La Revue Reformee 36 (9)
Philosophie et theologie La Revue Reformee 35 (3): 48-60.
Cinque conferences donnes au Musee social a Paris.La Revue Reformee 39 (3): 1-76.
‘Van Peursen’s critische vragen bij A New Critique of Theoretical Thought’, Philosophia Reformata 25 (1960): 97-150.
‘De staatsvrije sfeer,’ Themis 80: 177-182.
Verkenningen in de wijsbegeerte, de sociologie en de rechtsgeschiedenis. Christelijk perspectief I Ed., J. Stellingwerff. Amsterdam: Buijten en Schipperheijn.
‘Het oecumenisch-reformatorisch grondmotief van de Wijsbegeerte der Wetsidee en de grondslagen der Vrije Universteit’. Philosophia Reformata 31: 3-15.
‘The Secularization of Science’. Translator, Robert D. Knudsen. International Reformed Bulletin, IX (July): 2-17. (Translation of ‘La secularisation de la science’ (1954))
Gesprek met de hoogleraren Dooyeweerd en Van Peursen over de vraag: Is de gereformeerde wereld veranderd? (with C A van Peursen) Libertas ex Veritate (Jan)
‘Die Philosophie des Gesetzesidee und ihre Bedeutung fűr die Rechts - und Sozialphilosophie, I, Einfűhrung’. Archiv fűr Rechts- und Sozialphilosophie, LIII: 1-30, 465-515.
The Christian Idea of the State. Translated by John Kraay. Nutley (N.J.): The Craig Press.
Wat is die mens? Bloemfontein : Sacum Beperk (Translation of What is Man? from Twilight)
‘Cornelius van Til and the transcendental critique of theoretical thought’. Jerusalem and Athens: Critical Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetic of Cornelius Van Til. Edited by E.R. Geehan. Nutley: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company: 74-89.
De sekularisasie van die wetenskap II De sekularisasie van die wetenskap II . Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap (Translation of ‘La secularisation de la science’.)
1973
Het juridisch wilsbegrip en de juridisch-normatieve uitlegging van rechts-handelingen. Speculum Langemeijer Zwolle : Tjeenk Willink.
1974
De actualiteit van de schepping: Gesprek met Prof. Dr. H. Dooyeweerd, 9 mei 1974 (with Sander Griffioen et al.)internationaal Christelijk Studiecentrum.
‘De Kentheoretische Gegenstandsrelatie en de Logische Subject-Objectrelatie’. Philosophia Reformata 40 (3-4): 83-101.
‘The problem of the relationship of nature and grace in the Calvinistic law-idea’. Anakainosis 4: 13-15
The limits to state interference in the world of enterprise (as seen from a Biblical perspective). Journal of Christian Reconstruction 10 (1): 115-127. (Translation of speech delivered in 1931 by Magnus Verbrugge.)
‘The theory of man: thirty-two propositions on anthropology’. Translated by ? A translation of: 'De leer van de mensch in de Wijsbegeerte der Wetsidee'.