An accidental blog

"If God is sovereign, then his lordship must extend over all of life, and it cannot be restricted to the walls of the church or within the Christian orbit." Abraham Kuyper Common Grace 1.1.

Friday 25 January 2013

The antithesis and common grace

I've been thinking recently about Kuyper's idea of the antithesis and common grace. This image came to mind:


I'm aware that in a sense the antithesis runs through all our hearts - but illustrating that might prove more difficult.

Any ideas how this could be improved?

Saturday 12 January 2013

Bob Goudzwaard: Finding An Alternative to Over-Development

Australian Christian sociologist Bruce Wearne has put together a series of articles and lectures by the Dutch Christian economist Bob Goudzwaard.
Finding An Alternative to Over-Development.

It is published as an e-book (pdf) on All of Life Redeemed - both the UK and Asian sites.


Table of Contents
Preface - Putting First What is Given
Economic Theory & the Normative Aspects of Reality (1961)
The Global Economy & Climate Change. (December 1, 2006)
Underlying Causes of the Global Economic Crisis (January 20, 2009)
Living Faithfully in a Rapidly Changing World (May 12, 2011)
Peeling the Onion (November 2, 2011)
Money, Magic, Greed & the Power of Illusions (December 1, 2011)
A Way Forward: the Financial Crisis, Climate Change & Public Justice for All (December 2012)
[Abstracts]
Economics, Christianity & the Crisis: Kuyper's Heritage and Relevance Today (January 2013)
Reformed Christian Economics.

Available here.



Wednesday 9 January 2013

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship 77(2) - now available

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Vol 77, No 2 (2012)

Table of Contents

Developing a scientific culture through supervision (11 pages)
Danie F.M. Strauss

Empowering and disempowering students in student– supervisor relationships (8 pages)
Salome Schulze

A critical consideration of ethical foundations for the accounting profession (7 pages)
Pieter Buys, Susan Visser, Merwe Oberholzer

Human reproductive cloning and biotechnology: Rational, ethical and public concerns (9 pages)
M.E.S. (Elbie) van den Berg

A post-Jungian perspective on the psychological development of Afrikaner cultural identity (10 pages)
Martina Kotzé, Loura Griessel

How should agriculture produce enough food for the world? (8 pages)
Petrus Simons

Changes in epistemic frameworks: Random or constrained? (10 pages)
Ananka Loubser

The capability of national education systems to address ethnic diversity (10 pages)
Charl C. Wolhuter, Ferdinand J. Potgieter, Johannes L. van der Walt

Another look at education from a Christian stewardship perspective (7 pages)
Johannes L. van der Walt

’n Skoolhoof se persepsies van die verwesenliking van Christelike waardes in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse laerskool: ’n Gevallestudie (10 pages) Gertruida M. Steyn

Contextualising theological education in Africa by doing theology in a missional hermeneutic (8 pages)
H. Jurgens Hendriks

Proverbs 31:10−31: A passage containing wisdom principles for a successful marriage (9 pages)
Robin Gallaher Branch

Vroue se belewenis van eensaamheid na die verlies van ’n lewensmaat: ’n Beskrywing van narratiewe pastorale betrokkenheid (9 pages)
Annamarie de Beer, Jan-Albert van den Berg

Pastorale berading aan persone geaffekteer deur MIV (8 pages)
Francois G. Minnie, George A. Lotter


Book Reviews

Danie Strauss: Philosophy as discipline of disciplines (3 pages)
Sander Griffioen

Christus Jesus, die Krag van God en die Wysheid van God (2 pages)
H. Dijkstra

Tanzanian Christian eco-ethics: Beyond ethics and theology (2 pages) Jean du Toit

Die herhaalde verskyning van transendensie in verskeie kulturele fenomene (1 page) Anné H. Verhoef

Contributions on the interplay between technology, culture and development (2 pages) G.P. van Rheede van Oudtshoorn

Kan ons nog in God glo? (1 page) F.P. Kruger

ʼn Heuristiese model van vier tipes transendensie (2 pages) Anné H. Verhoef

Valuable contribution to the study of multilingualism in South Africa (2 pages) G.P. van Rheede van Oudtshoorn

Sunday 6 January 2013

Catch the Vision by John J. Murray

Catch the Vision
Roots of the Reformed Recovery
The Men and Movements of the mid-20th century

John J. Murray
Evangelical Press, Darlington, 2007
ISBN 978-0-85234-667-9
191pp; pbk; £7.99.


This is a look at the "rediscovery" of Reformed theology in Britain during the mid-twentieth century. It is very accessible and readable. It is however, rather a selective view. It is a hero view of history. There are a number of 'heroes' that are honoured. Most notably, Dr Martin Lloyd Jones, others that get honourable mentions are Jim Packer, Geoffrey Williams and the Evangelical Library, Iain Murray and the Banner of Truth and surprisingly, John Murray (not the author of the book), who was a Brit but who spent most of his time in the USA at Westminster Seminary. Others have bit parts: notably: E. J. Poole-Connor, A. W. Pink, W. J. Grier and J. Elwyn Davies.

The emphasis here is on the Calvinism that stems from the Puritans. No mention is made of Kuyperian Calvinism. Murray, the author (not the WTS Murray), held pastorates in Oban and Edinburgh, so one would have thought the Scottish influence would be to the fore, but that is not so. The part played by the Free Churches in Scotland seems to be minimised. Others absent are the Sovereign Grace Union and the Strict and Particular Baptists.

The roles of the English and the Welsh are well documented here and it provides a good overview of the roles played by Lloyd Jones, the Evangelical Library and the Banner of Truth. There is a useful timeline stretching from 1899 (the birth of DMLJ) to 1981 (the death of DMLJ) and a chronology of John Murray.