An accidental blog

Why we oppose pockets for women

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000Z

Taken from Alice Duer Miller 1915 Are Women People? [HT The Hair Pin]

Why We Oppose Pockets for Women

1. Because pockets are not a natural right.

2. Because the great majority of women do not want pockets. If they did they would have them.

3. Because whenever women have had pockets they have not used them.

4. Because women are required to carry enough things as it is, without the additional burden of pockets.

5. Because it would make dissension between husband and wife as to whose pockets were to be filled.

6. Because it would destroy man's chivalry toward woman, if he did not have to carry all her things in his pockets.

7. Because men are men, and women are women. We must not fly in the face of nature.

8. Because pockets have been used by men to carry tobacco, pipes, whiskey flasks, chewing gum and compromising letters. We see no reason to suppose that women would use them more wisely.

Aims for a Christian mathematics education

2012-01-23T06:34:00.000Z

It has been said that the most incomprehensible thing about the world is its comprehensibility. Mathematics is only possible because God has created an ordered, law-full, universe that is comprehensible. Part of the task of mathematics is to describe the wonder of God's good creation and thereby reveal some of the invisible attributes of God e.g. his faithfulness. Mathematics is also integral to the fulfilling of the creation mandate to open up and develop the creation. Mathematics is an important tool to help us steward and unfold the potentialities of the earth. Music, art, science and economics are four subjects that would be severely impoverished without the aid of mathematics.

Mathematics is a collective term for a number of related fields: arithmetic, geometry, topology, statistics, probability, ... . All of which investigate and open up the two most basic aspects of reality: the numerical and spatial. (Applied mathematics also deals with a third aspect: the kinematic.)

Maths is a human activity therefore, it comes replete with human limitations: it is fallible, corrigible, culture- and value-laden. However, it is based in creation - it is not arbitrary or the product of social agreement. This is where a Christian view of maths diverges from the social constructivist view. This Christian view of maths does justice to both epistemological subjectivity and ontological objectivity.

Mathematics is based in created reality. It is not neutral; religious beliefs shape mathematical theories.

Mathematical education aims

Hence, mathematics education should:

1. Be placed in a historical and cultural context.
    This will help to expose the myth of mathematical objectivity.

2. Be rooted in reality and everyday applications.
    This will help show mathematics as a tool for unfolding and developing the creation.

3. Be integrated with other subjects.
    Mathematics deals with the two most basic aspects of reality, the numerical and the spatial, these aspects are basic to all other curriculum subjects. The integration with other subjects, particularly science, reveals the role of mathematics as a tool to help fulfill the cultural mandate.

4. Describe the beauty and order of creation and to help students understand creation.

5. Reveal some of the attributes of God (Rom 1:20; Ps 19:1). Particularly the faithfulness of God to   his creation exemplified in his laws and the lawfulness of creation. Without this mathematics would be impossible.

6. Enable us the be better stewards of God’s creation.

7. Provide fun and enjoyment.

8. Focus on understanding rather than rote or memorisation.

9. Recognise that each student is created in God's image and that each student is unique.
Differentiation will be important. We all learn in different ways and at different rates, this should be taken into account.

A model for mathematics - all activity takes place within a worldview. Hence epistemological subjectivity, but ontological objectivity. History and application play important roles (Adapted from an original diagram by Revd Richard Russell.)

Resources for a Christian approach to mathematics
Resources for a Christian approach to education

Music for a Sunday morning: Nils Frahm

2012-01-22T06:30:00.000Z

Science textbook critiques

2012-01-21T10:19:00.000Z

Some years ago I did some work on critiquing science textbooks from a Christian perspective.

Here are two of them. The first is on two Accelerated Christian Education modules. I don't know if they have changed in the intervening years, so the critique may or may not still be valid. The other is on Science in Process - this textbook was a bit of a flash in the pan - when the emphasis was on doing science.

(The views represent my thoughts in 1994 - not necessarily now.)

Review of Accelerated Christian Education science booklet

Review of Science in Process UK Science textbook

IAPCHE website gets a facelift

2012-01-20T20:44:00.001Z

Made me smile

2012-01-20T13:41:00.002Z

It's about where we stand: a worldview illustration

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000Z

Sir Ken Robinson - a new education paradigm, one that doesn't kill creativity

2012-01-17T07:40:00.000Z

All of life redeemed newsletter vol 1 (2)

2012-01-16T07:52:00.003Z

Open publication - Free publishing - More neo-calvinism

Kingdom Calling an excerpt

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000Z

For those not yet convinced they need to get a copy of Amy Sherman's book Kingdom Calling despite my summary/ reviews:

Kingdom Calling Intro
Kingdom Calling Part 1
Kingdom Calling Part 2
Kingdom Calling Part 3

Here's an excerpt:Kingdom Calling by Amy Sherman

Music for a Sunday morning

2012-01-15T06:09:00.000Z

Allof life redeemed - Asia

2012-01-14T12:37:00.000Z

All of life redeemed now has a new sister: an Austro-Asia site: All of life redeemed - Asia.

This website is a project by Christians in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia. It is a sister site to www.allofliferedeemed.co.uk and shares the same perspective: that Christ is Lord of the whole of life, of the whole cosmos, and that His followers are called to diligent discipleship in everything that they do, recognising the Lordship of Christ in everything.

Kingdom Calling - Part 3 ch 9-13

2012-01-14T11:50:00.002Z

Kingdom Calling:
Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good
Amy L. Sherman

Part Three: Pathways of Vocational Stewardship

We often hear sermons on Joseph, Nehemiah and Daniel in church. Usually the theme is on leadership - and most often the hidden message is that it is leadership in church-related activities. What seems to be forgotten is that Joseph worked as second in command in Egypt, Daniel in the Babylonian court and Nehemiah built the city walls. The contemporary equivalents certainly wouldn't only be church leaders. Such an approach leaves those in the 'pew' feeling disenfranchised. No wonder many Christians think that to serve God in 'full-time Christian ministry' they have to go 'into the church'.

Sherman here provides us myriad of examples of contemporary Josephs, Nehemiahs and Daniels. All of them are local church based but kingdom oriented. The kingdom is so much more than the church.

In Part Three Sherman takes a look at 'Pathways of vocational stewardship'. She identifies four pathways: bloom, donate, invent and invest. Pathway 1 involves blooming where you are planted - promoting the kingdom in and through our daily work. Pathway 2 is donating - volunteering our talents and skills to projects outside of our daily work. Pathway 3, inventing, is to launch a new enterprise. And pathway 4 - investing - looks at participating in an intensive initiative.

Each of these approaches are examined. Excellent examples as well as possible temptations or weaknesses of the approaches come under scrutiny. As I've mentioned before one of the strengths of the book is the way it integrated theory with praxis, the stories of the wide range of projects help that. They provide an excellent source of inspiration and ideas. Lessons are drawn out from each of the projects described as well as some of the problems.

One appendix provides a list of fifty different vocations illustrated, everything from agriculture to veterinary medicine, through astrophysics and real estate development. This gives some idea of the range and scope of the book. Other appendices highglight twelve key theological themes undergirding vocational stewardship and another has a short discussionguide for small grpups. There are twenty-four pages of end notes, but sadly no bibliography.

I have a dream that one day the body of Christ will rise up and live its kingdom calling. Where vicar and vet are equally seen as full-time Christian ministers.Where pastor and pet food salesman are seen as equally vaild callings.Where dualism and false ideas of spirituality have been exposed.Where discipleship is seen as much more than what we do in our free time.

Books like Kingdom Calling can help make that dream a reality. It will be essential reading for all those in full-time Christian ministry - whether that is sweeping the road, designing and building housing, or running a congregation or a corporation.

James Hannam on Medeival science and religion

2012-01-13T23:04:00.001Z

Resources for a neo-Calvinist approach to the physical sciences

2012-01-12T05:30:00.000Z

The resources listed here are only those written from a neo-Calvinist/ Kuyperian perspective.

Philosophia Reformata articles can be accessed from here (from 1947-1992) and here (from 1993)

Steve Bishop

1993. Science and faith: boa constructors and warthogs Themelios 19(1), 4-9. (PDF)

1993. with J. Carpenter 'Constructivism: an introduction and critique' Spectrum 25(2), 147-158.

1994. Introductory resource for the interaction of science and Christianity Themelios 19(1), 16-20.

1995. with J Carpenter 'Process science?' Spectrum 27 (1).

1998. The Relationship of Science and Religion: A Study of the Writings of Revd Dr John Polkinghorne, FRS MA Applied Theology Dissertation Trinity College, Bristol. DOC.

2000. 'A typology for science and religion' Evangelical Quarterly (PDF)

W. Brouwer 1977. 'Christian commitment and scientific theories', Toronto: ICS (mimeo)

Roy Clouser

2009. "A New Philosophical Guide for the Sciences: Ontology Without Reduction" The Global Spiral (Journal of the Metanexus Institute) Vol. 1

2008. Is belief in God made obsolete by science?

2006. Prospects for Theistic Science. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, March

Halvorson, Hans. Comments on Clouser Claims for Theistic Science, PSCF 58:1.
Le Morvan, Pierre. Clouser's Definition of Religious Belief Itself Religiously Neutral PSCF 58:1
Ratzsch, Del. On Reducing Nearly Everything to Reductionism,PSCF 58: 1
Clouser, Roy Replies to the Comments of Le Morvan, Halvorson, and Ratzsch on Prospects for Theistic Science
Clouser, Roy. Author's Reply to Two Letters Regarding Prospects for Theistic Science (PSCF 58, no. 1 [2006]: 2-15; PSCF 58, no. 3 [2006]: 253-4; and PSCF 58, no. 3 [2006]: 254-5), 58:4, 333, D 2006.

2005 (rev edn). 'Theories in Physics' The Myth of Religious Neutrality, University of Notre Dame press, ch 8.

1995. The Uniqueness of Dooyeweerd's Program for Philosophy and Science: Whence the Difference? In Christian Philosophy at the Close of the 20th Century, Ed. Griffoen & Balk, Netherlands: Kampen, Kok, 113-125.

1996. A Sketch of Dooyeweerd's Philosophy of Science. In Facets of Faith and Science, Ed. J. Van der Meer, Lanham: University Press of America, vol. 2, 81-98.

Renato Coletto

2007. Presuppositions and the challenge to objectivity in late-modern philosophy of science: causes and possible remedies. Koers, 72(4), 583-602.

2007. Science and belief: a few historical remarks from a reformational point of view. Woord en daad/ Word and action, 47(1/autumn, n. 399), 12-16.

2008. The “eclipse” of the object of research in late-modern philosophy of science: causes and possible remedies. Tydskrif vir christelike wetenskap/ Journal for Christian Scholarship, 44(1-2), 19-38.

2011. Science and non-science: the search for a demarcation criterion in the 20th century. Tydskrifvir christelike wetenskap/ Journal for Christian Scholarship.

Herman Dooyeweerd 1954. The Secularization of Science, Memphis: Christian Studies Center (translated by R Knudsen) (PDF)

J H Diemer 1933. 'Christ and modern natural science' Calvinistische Studenten Bladen, Vol. 2, (1933) no 3-8; Vol.3, (1933) no. 2-3.

Edward Fackerell 2008. "Designer Universe?" Issues 82 (March)

E. L. Hebden Taylor 1968. The Reformation and the development of modern science'. Churchman vol 82 (2), 87-103.

Arthur Jones (ed.) 1998. Science in Faith: A Christian Perspective on Teaching Science, Christian Schools' Trust.

Reijer Hooykaas. 1972. Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Robert Knudsen

1954. ‘The Idea of Christian Scientific Endeavor in the Thought of Herman Dooyeweerd.’ Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, VI (2) (June), 8–12.

1957. ‘Crisis of Science.’ Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 9(2) (June, 1957), 19–20.

1979. ‘Dooyeweerd’s Doctrine of Science.’ Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, XXXI, No 4 (December), 209–213.

Thomas H. Leith

1985. 'Faith and scientific theory' Toronto: ICS, 1985 (mimeo)

1958. Some Thoughts on a Christian Philosophy of Science JASA 10.2:14-16(6/1958)

1967. Leith's Law JASA 19 (2), 62-63(6/1967)

1972. Notes on the Predispositions of Scientific Thought and Practice JASA 24.2:51-57(6/1972)

1973.Galileo and the Church: Tensions with a Message for Today, Part I JASA 25.1:21-24(3/1973)

1973. Galileo and the Church: Tensions with a Message for Today, JASA 25.2:64-66(6/1973)

1973. Galileo and the Church: Tensions with a Message for Today, Part 3 JASA 25.3:111-113(9/1973)

1973.Galileo and the Church: Tensions with a Message for Today, Part 4 JASA 25.4:154-157(12/1973)

1980. Explanation, Testability, and the Theory of Evolution Part II JASA 32.3:156-163(9/1980)

1959. The Need for an Evangelical Philosophy of Science JASA 11.4:3-13(12/1959)

1964 Modern Scientific Cosmogonies JASA 16.3:73-81(9/1964)

1965 Some Presuppositions in the Philosophy of Science JASA 17.1:8-15(3/1965)

1965. Some Logical Problems with the Thesis of Apparent Age JASA 17.4:118-122(12/1965)

1966. re. 'Some Logical Problems with the Thesis of Apparent Age' JASA 18.2:63-63(6/1966)

1980. Explanation, Testability, and the Theory of Evolution (Part 1) JASA 32.1:13-18(3/1980)

Russell W. Maatman

1974. 'The antithesis in physical science', Pro Rege vol. 3 (Dec), 6-9.

1977. The Unity in Creation JASA 29 (2), 52-55

1978. Unity in Creation, Dordt College Press

1985. Chemistry a Gift from God, Dordt College Press

1994. The Galileo Incident PSCF 46 (3),179-182

1996. Chemistry, a gift of God PSCF 38 (4), 232-236

Russell W. Maatman and Gerald Bakker 1971, 'Contrasting teaching approaches to the sciences' ed. Donald Oppewal A Calvin College Monograph html version

Pamela McKenzie (ed.) 1997. 'Science' in Entry Points for Christian Reflection within Education London: Care for Education, ch 8.

Tim Morris and Don Petcher 2006. Science and Grace: God's Reign in the Natural Sciences. Crossway. My review here

Fredrika G. Oosterhoff 2002. "Faith and Science in the Reformed Tradition" Clarion, v. 51 (4), 84-87

Nancy Pearcey and Charles Thaxton 1994. The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy, Crossway Books.

Donald Petcher

2000. Toward a Covenant Theology of Science (pdf)

1996. “The interplay between science and belief: A case study in modern physics”, in J.M. van der Meer, ed., Facets of Faith and Science. Volume 2: The Role of Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: An Augustinian Perspective, Lanham: The Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies in Faith and Science/University Press of America, 257-70.

Vern Poythress 2006. Redeeming Science: God-Centred Approach, Crossway [PDF]

Del Ratzsch

2000. Science and Its Limits: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
2010. "The Nature of Science: past and present conceptions" (pp. 39-58), "The Religious Roots of Science: what science owes to theology" (pp. 59-82), and "The Alleged Demise of Religion: greatly exaggerated reports from the science-religion 'wars'" (pp. 83-107), in Melville Y. Stewart (Eds.), Science and Religion in Dialogue (Blackwell, 2010).
2009. "Science and Religion," Chapter 3, pp. 54-77 in Flint, Thomas and Rea, Michael (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology (NY: Oxford, 2009).
1992. "Abraham Kuyper's Philosophy of Science". Calvin Theological Journal. 27:

Martin A. Rice Jr. 2000. What is a science? in Contemporary Reflections on the Philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd ed. D. F. M. Strauss and M. Botting, Edwin Mellen Press.

Arnold Sikkema

1998. Review of M.D. Stafleu, Time and Again: A Systematic Analysis of the Foundations of Physics (Wedge Publishing Foundation, 1980), written in 1998, and unpublished except on the internet.

2001. "Death of the Watchmaker: Modern Science and the Providence of God", Chapter 5 (pp. 97-108) of Hans Boersma, ed., Living in the LambLight: Christianity and Contemporary Challenges to the Gospel (Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2001) (available online here).

2001. "Science: A Cultural Activity", Reformed Perspective 20:3 (January 2001) 28-9 (available online here).

2002. "Grounds for Optimism about Science", Pro Rege 30:4 (June 2002) 18-19 (available online here or here

2005. A physicist's reformed critique of nonreductive physicalism and emergence Pro Rege vol. 33 (June), 20-32.

2007. "Laws of Nature and God's Word for Creation", Fideles v. 2 pp. 27-43 - link blog

2007. 'Laws of nature and God's world for creation' Fideles 2 (2007) pp.27-43

2009. "Chaos Theory", entry in Heidi A. Campbell and Heather Looy, eds., A Science and Religion Primer (Baker Academic, 2009), pp. 59-60.

2009."Quantum Theory", entry in Heidi A. Campbell and Heather Looy, eds., A Science and Religion Primer (Baker Academic, 2009), pp. 183-185.

2011. "Nuancing the place and purpose of the physical aspect in biology and emergence", International Journal of Multi Aspectual Practice, v. 1 (May 2011), pp. 29-39.

Danie. F. M. Strauss

1995. The Significance of Dooyeweerd's Philosophy for the Modern Natural Sciences, in: Christian Philosophy at the Close of the Twentieth Century, Assessment and Perspective, eds. S. Griffioen & Balk, M., Publisher Kok Kampen, 1995 (ISBN 90-242-2305-9), (pp.127-138).

2001. Does it make sense to distinguish between the natural sciences and the humanities? in: Journal for Christian Scholarship, Year 37, 1ste en 2nd Quarter, 2001, pp.25-36.

2001. The Effect of Ultimate Commitments on the Content of the Natural Sciences – with special Reference to Biology as a Discipline, in: Journal for Christian Scholarship, Year 37, 3de en 4th Quarter, 2001, pp.89-105.

2001. Paradigms in Mathematics, Physics and Biology their Philosophical Roots (Bloemfontein: Tekskor BK, 2001)

2004. Christianity and Islam – the development of modern science and the genesis of the modern (just) state. Acta Theologica. Volume 24, No.1, June 2004, pp.168-185.
Are the Natural Sciences Free from Philosophical Presuppositions? Philosophia Reformata, Year 46, nr.1 (pp.1-13).

2009. Philosophy: Discipline of the Disciplines (Grand Rapids: Paiedia Press, 2009)

M.D. Stafleu

1966. 'Quantum physics and the philosophy of the cosmonomic idea' (translated by H. Kiefte from 'Quantumfysica en wijsbegeerte der wetsidee' Philosophia Reformata 31 (1966) 126

1970. ‘Analysis of time in modern physics’, Philosophia Reformata 35: 1-24, 119-131.

1972. ‘Metric and measurement in physics’, Philosophia Reformata 37: 42-57.

1978. ‘The mathematical and technical opening up of a field of science’, Philosophia Reformata 43: 18-37.

1979. ‘The isolation of a field of science’, Philosophia Reformata 44: 1-15.

1980. ‘The opening up of a field of science by abstraction and synthesis’, Philosophia Reformata 45: 47-76.

1980. Time and again, A systematic analysis of the foundations of physics, Toronto: Wedge; Bloemfontein: Sacum.[chapter 1]

1981. ‘Theories as logically qualified artefacts I’, Philosophia Reformata 46: 164-189.

1982. ‘Theories as logically qualified artefacts II’, Philosophia Reformata 47: 20-40.

1983. ‘Kritische studie: Popper's Postscript (I)’, Philosophia Reformata 48: 50-65.

1984. ‘Kritische studie: Popper's Postscript (II)’, Philosophia Reformata 49: 71-91.

1984. ‘The kind of motion we call heat’, Tydskrif vir christelike wetenskap 20: 1-43.

1985. ‘Spatial things and kinematic events (On the reality of mathematically qualified structures of individuality)’, Philosophia Reformata 50: 9-20.

1986. ‘Some problems of time - some facts of life’, Philosophia Reformata 51: 67-82.

1987. Theories at work, On the structure and functioning of theories in science, in particular during the Copernican revolution, Lanham, New York, London: University Press of America.

1988, ‘Criteria for a law sphere (with special emphasis on the ‘psychic’ modal aspect)’, Philosophia Reformata 53: 171-186.

1991. ‘Being human in the cosmos’, Philosophia Reformata 56: 101-131.

1995, ‘The cosmochronological idea in natural science’, in: S. Griffioen, B.M. Balk (eds.), Christian philosophy at the close of the twentieth century, Kampen: Kok, 93-111.

2001. A World full of Relations

2006. Relations and Characters in Protestant Philosophy

Wytse Van Dijk 1977. 'Certainty and chance in the physical sciences', Pro Rege vol. 5 (June), 9-16.

H. van den Laan 1966. A Christian Appreciation of Physical Science Christian Perspectives 1966 (ARSS, 1966)

Robert vander Vennen nd. 'Reflections on Christianity and chemistry'Toronto: ICS, nd (mimeo)

Hendrik Van Riessen

1960. The Relation of the Bible to Science Christian Perspectives 1960 Pella Publishing: Pella, Iowa, 3-54.

1973. "Science Between Presuppositions and Decisions". Philosophia Reformata 38, 114-126.

1966. The Christian Approach to Science, Hamilton, Association for Reformed Scientific Studies.

John Zwart 2009. "Science and John Calvin: A Review Essay", Pro Rege 38 (1), 27-31 - link blog alt

Blogs
Reformed Academic

How we are shaped by worldviews: an illustration

2012-01-11T20:00:00.001Z

Vocational discipleship/ stewardship resources: books on work and vocation

2012-01-10T05:30:00.000Z

       Tom Nelson Work Matters my review here
       Daryl Cosden The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work
       Lee Hardy The Fabric of This World
       Gene Veith God at Work
       Mark Greene Thank God It's Monday
   Stephen Nichols What is Vocation? my review here
       Douglas Schuurman Vocation after Christendom
       Miroslav Volf Work in the Spirit: Toward a Theory of Work
       Paul Marshall (ed.) Labour of Love: Essays on Work   pdf available here
R. Paul Stevens The Other Six Days
       Amy L. Sherman Kingdom Calling my review/ summary here, here, here and here

Vocational discipleship/ stewardship resources: bibliographies

2012-01-09T05:30:00.000Z

In the past I have complied a number of bibliographies/ resources for Christian approaches to various areas. These include:

Other resources are available on the further information page of All of life redeemed.

Vocational discipleship/ stewardship resources: professional groups

2012-01-08T13:44:00.001Z

NB Inclusion does not imply endorsement!

Primarily UK:

Primarily North American:

Affiliation of Christian Biologists
Affiliation of Christian Engineers (ACE)
Affiliation of Christian Geologists (ACG)
American Association of Christian Counsellors
American Scientific Affiliation
Association of Christian Economists, (ACE)
Association of Christian Engineers and Scientists
Association of Christian Librarians
Association of Christians in Mathematical Sciences
Association of Christians Teaching Sociology (ACTS)
Christian Association for Psychological Studies, Inc. (CAPS)
Christian Business Faculty Association
Christian Educators Association
Christian Engineering Society
Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers
Christian Foresters Fellowship
Christian Legal Society,
Christian Medical & Dental Society,
Christian Neuroscience Society
Christian Nuclear Fellowship, (Nuclear Science and Technology)
Christian Performing Artists' Fellowship
Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International
Christians in the Arts Networking (CAN)
Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International
Christians in Political Science
Christians in Theatre Arts
Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA)
Christian Sociological Society
Christian Theological Research Fellowship
Christian Veterinary Mission
Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities Library Directors, (CCCU)
Conference on Christianity and Literature (CCL)
Conference on Faith and History
Engineering Ministries International (EMI)
Evangelical Philosophical Society
Evangelical Theological Society
Fellowship of Artists for Cultural Evangelism
Fellowship of Christian Librarians and Information Specialists, (FOCLIS)
Fellowship of Christian Optometrists
Fellowship of Scientists
Health Physics Society Christian Fellowship
North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW)
North American Christian Foreign Language Association
Nurses Christian Fellowship
Society of Christian Philosophers

Adapted from the lists complied by: Bruce Edwards bgsu.edu; InterVarsity; Leader University

Kingdom Calling - Part 2 ch 5-8

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000Z

Kingdom Calling

Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good

Amy L. Sherman

Part Two: Discipling for Vocational Stewardship

Chapter 5 on faith and work integration opens Part two with some revealing statistics:

Fewer than 10% of regular churchgoers ... can remember the last time their pastor preached on the topic of work
The Leadership Journal has 152 matches for 'vocation' - 95% of these were on the vocation of the pastorate
The Christian Century only had 9 hits
Discipleship Journal produced 41 - only one of which was about faith and work integration.

Faith and work integration is not on the churches agenda it seems. And yet there are over 600 books on the topic - at least according to The Marketplace Annotated Bibliography by Pete Hammond, R. Paul Stevens and Todd Svanoe (2002).

Sherman draws upon David Miller's research in God at Work (2007). Miller identifies four approaches/ quadrants to work and faith 'integration:

Each approach has its strengths, but the best approach is one that adopts all four - the everywhere integrator. Sherman and her researchers looked at 15 marketplace ministries to see how many of them adopt an integrator approach.

The ministeries examined were:

They found that none of them fit into quadrant 4 and none reflected the integrator approach.

It is obvious that much work is to be done!

Chapter 6 opens with an illustration from Doug Spada - the church needs to be an aircraft carrier not a cruise ship:

What is missing is the teaching of a biblical theology of work coming from the pulpit. We need to hear that work is not a result of the fall.

Sherman lists several labours that God is involved in: redemptive, creative, providential, justice, compassionate and revelatory. She maintains that pastors can 'explain the ways in which God is a worker, and then encourage their congreants to identify where their own labors fit'. She then examines some false ideas about work.

Chapter 7 looks at approaches that have been used to help congregations discover their gifting. She makes some good comments about the weakness of many of the 'tools'. The main one being is that they are primarily designed to help people serve the church.

Chapter 8 examines the characteristics of vocational stewards: servanthood, responsibility, courage,humility and being prepared to share power. Again the theoretical underpinnings are illustrated with excellent examples from the workplace of people who exhibit these important characteristics.

Maths joke

2012-01-04T09:37:00.000Z

Kingdom Calling - Part 1 Ch 1-4.

2012-01-03T19:39:00.000Z

Kingdom Calling
Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good
Amy L. Sherman

Part One takes a look at the tsaddiqm introduced in the introduction.

Imagine a building company. A company that doesn't lay staff off through the boom and bust cycles that most building businesses go through. A company that has integrity - they would never knowingly lie to anyone. A company that has a servant-style management style. A company that treats its employees compassionately. A company that builds large pavements/ sidewalks, large common spaces and large front porches on the houses it builds. A company that builds energy-efficient houses. A company that offers a diverse range of houses with prices ranging from $150 000 - $350 000, where singles, retireds and families can live in community. Such a company would certainly bless the city. Such is a tsaddiqm company - one such company was founded by Perry Bigelow of Bigelow Homes of Chicago.

This is one of the many illustrations that Sherman provides. This is no mere theory book. It is full of practical examples of ways in which Christians have made a difference, ways in which they have demonstrated being tsaddiq.

Chapter 1 opens by looking at what a rejoiced city might look like. To do this she examines the concepts of justice and shalom. These both involve a number of relationships - they include peace with God, self, others and the creation. She looks at a number of 'preview passages', passages which hint of the not yet of the kingdom been manifested in the now.

I would have liked to have seen the concept of the 'now' and the 'not yet' of the kingdom unpacked a little more and some discussion on the nature of the kingdom; can we bring in or extend, advance or establish the kingdom?

Chapter 2 examines 'the righteous' and what they might look like. She uses three directions to help see the different aspects: Up, in and out. Up is the vertical dimension of righteousness, our worship and dependence upon God; in, the internal personal holiness; and out, the emphasis on social justice. All three are necessary and important.

Chapter 3 focuses on reasons why we fall short of this tsaddiqm. She sees the main culprit as being a narrow gospel. She takes to task the bridge diagram portrayal of the gospel as being illustrative of this. The emphasis is on 'me and Jesus' being in a right relationship.

This is obviously true, but it is not the whole truth of the gospel. Another symptom she sees is the banal contemporary Christian music (CCM) which promotes 'fortification' rather than 'engagement'. Inadequate discipleship and inadequate views of heaven are also to blame. To these I'd also want to add that the lack of a Christian worldview, which means that Gnostic and dualistic tendencies have been inherited without thought from the Greeks.

The final chapter in part 1 attempts to address some of the deficiencies. She uses James Chong's four circles as a better illustration of the gospel than the bridge illustration.

It is by grasping the full implications and import of the gospel of the kingdom that we can 'partner with God in his work of restoring all things' (p. 87).

Video footage of Abraham Kuyper

2012-01-02T14:25:00.002Z

Burial of Abraham Kuyper

2012-01-02T14:17:00.001Z

Maths as a religion

2012-01-02T09:32:00.001Z

Calvin and the Body by Alida Sewell

2012-01-01T19:46:00.001Z

Calvin and the Body
An Inquiry into his Anthropology
Alida Leni Sewell
VU University Press, 2011
ISBN 978 90 8659 587 7
viii + 269pp; pbk

This doctoral dissertation from Dr Alida Sewell:

addresses Calvin's view of the human body as it comes to expression in his writings and sermons. After situating Calvin in the context of his education and culture, particular attention is paid to his frequent use of the metaphor of the body being the 'prison of the soul.' In all, 91 occurrences of his use of the metaphor are documented in chronological order in the Appendix. The possibility of direct or indirect Platonic influences is examined, as well as the eschatological meaning that Calvin assigns to the metaphor. Contemporaneous medical theories are explained and it is shown how Calvin appropriated them in his theology and general writings. The state of Calvin's own bodily health is discussed, mainly with reference to his correspondence. Attention is also paid to his attitude to death, dying, and burial. An important aspect of his theological anthropology is his teaching on the image of God in humankind, which is examined with respect to both men and women. The subsequent chapters deal with his views on marriage and childbirth, sexuality and gender, and nakedness and shame. For the present-day reader these reveal some surprising as well as disappointing views that Calvin held. However, in the context of his time they were not extreme, and some were in advance of his time. In the final chapters a more theological appraisal is given of Calvin's views as they were presented in the previous chapters and conclusions are presented.

This is an important work and will be of intrest not only to Calvin scholars but all those interested in gender, marriage, nakedness and the body (that should include all of us!).

Contents
Acknowledgements
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Context, Culture, and Education
Chapter Three: Calvin's Use of the Prison Metaphor
Chapter Four: Calvin's Adoption of Current Medical Theories and His Experience and Perception of His Own Physical Self
Chapter Five: The Image of God
Chapter Six: Marriage in Theory and Practice
Chapter Seven: Sexuality and Gender
Chapter Eight: Nakedness and Shame
Chapter Nine: The Body at Creation, after the Fall, and at the Resurrection
Chapter Ten: Conclusions
Appendix
Bibliography
Abstract
Calvijn en het lichaam: een onderzoek naar zijn antropologie

ACMS 2011 Conference Proceedings

2011-12-31T20:31:00.002Z

The ACMS 2011 Conference proceedings are now online here.

They contain the following papers:

Brian D. Beasley, Where, Oh Waring? The Classic Problem and its Extensions
Ryan Botts, Lori Carter, Lesson's Learned: A Journey in Computational Science
Robert L. Brabenec, Thinking Philosophically about Mathematics
Jeremy Case, PK Mathematicians
Loredana Ciurdariu, Pascal's Thoughts Seen in the Light of Scripture
Eric Gossett, The Search for Hamilton
Nathan Gossett, The Need for a Graphics Programming Course in CS
Wayne Iba, Real Simulations and Simulated Reality
Stephen Lovett, Bringing Undergraduate Research into the Classroom
Nathan Moyer, Connecting Mathematics Students to Philosophy and Faith
Judith Palagallo, Calculus Communication Circle .
Doug Phillippy, The Study of Mathematics: A Text from a Christian Perspective
Donna Pierce, Math History Study Abroad Program
Michael Rempe, Google and the Mathematics of Web Search
Gordon A. Swain, The History of the Area between a Line and a Parabola
Mary Walkins, History of Mathematics: An Exercise in Strengths
Samuel P. Wilcox, A Bayesian Secondary Analysis in an Asthma Study
Josh Wilkerson, What we can Learn from Process Theology
Nicholas J. Willis, Two Faith Integration Projects for Freshman Majors
Maria Zack, Using Original Historical Mathematics Texts in the Classroom
Nicholas C. Zoller, The Mathematics of Cubic Sudoku

Details of other ACMS conferences are here.

Most viewed posts of 2011

2011-12-31T13:58:00.001Z

From 2011

J Oliver Buswell on Dooyeweerd's Transcendental Problem

A bibliography for a Christian approach to mathematics

Clifford Stoll on computers in school

Redeeming Law by Michael Schutt - my review

Contours of the neo-Calvinist tradition

All of life redeemed: a reformational newsletter

New Calvinism is not the same as neo-Calvinism

The Kuyper Newsletter 2 (1)

Resources for a Christian approach to (school) education

Others from other years that still get hits include:

Lennox-Dawkins debate audio

Darwin, creation and the fall chapter 2 - my review

Ten reasons why men shouldn't be pastors

Hans Rookmaaker

Calvin Seerveld

Botton and the anthroposophical worldview

A Fox in sheep's clothing?: Matthew Fox's creation-centred spirituality

Towards a Christian view of work

Cultural Callings 5: work, calling and vocation

Cultural callings 1: mission for the whole of life

And bizarrely, this post has had almost 30 times more hits than any other:

An unashamed plug

Here it is in its full glory:

Kingdom Calling - Introduction

2011-12-31T11:45:00.002Z

My copy of Amy L. Sherman's Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good has just arrived. My first impression is that this book is a dynamite! If it it delivers what it promises then it will certainly be one of the books of the decade!

The introduction starts by looking at the depressing picture portrayed in Michael Lindsay's Faith in the Halls of Power. Lindsay interviewed 360 evangelicals who are in top jobs, he found that their lifestyles were no different for their peers. In some cases the only difference their Christianity made was a plaque on the wall or a cross around their neck. She contrasts this with Proverbs 11:10a: 'When the righteous [tsaddiqm] prosper, the city rejoices...' She maintains that this implies that 'by the intentional stewardship of their time, talent and treasure the tsaddiqm bring nothing less than foretastes of the kingdom of God into reality.'

For this to happen we need to 'take vocation more seriously' (p. 20).

She coins the brilliant term 'vocational stewardship', by this she means:

the intentional and strategic development of vocational power - knowledge, platform, position, influence, skills and reputations - to advance foretastes of God's kingdom.

She sees vocational stewardship as an essential strategy and she has written this book to help implement that strategy.

Contents

Foreword by Reggie McNeal

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Glorious Vision of Proverbs 11:10

Part I: Theological Foundations
1. What Does a Rejoiced City Look Like?
2. What Do the Righteous Look Like?
3. Why We Aren't the Tsaddiqim
4. How the Gospel of the Kingdom Nurtures the Tsaddiqim

Part II: Discipling for Vocational Stewarship
5. Integrating Faith and Work: The Status Quo is Inadequate
6. Inspiration
7. Discovery
8. Formation

Part III: Pathways of Vocational Stewardship
9. Deploying Vocational Power: Four Pathways
10. Pathway 1: Bloom Where You're Planted
11. Pathway 2: Donate Your Skills
12. Pathway 3: Launch Your Own Social Enterprise
13. Pathway 4: Participate in Your Church's Targeted Initiative

Conclusion: Rejoicing the City
Afterword by Steven Garber
Appendix A: Key Theological Themes Undergirding Vocational Stewardship
Appendix B: A Discussion Guide for Congregational Small Groups
Appendix C: For Further Information
Appendix D: Index of Profiles by Vocation

Being more vocationally intentional - some suggestions (more wanted)

2011-12-30T17:31:00.000Z

Tom Nelson in Work Matters writes:

To move forward a faith community will need to:
(1) become more intentional about teaching a robust theology of vocation
(2) begin celebrating the diversity of vocations
(3) equip for vocational faithfulness and
(4) collaborate with other like-minded local churches that also recognize the church as a primary conduit for gospel faithfulness

How can we do this? Here are a few tentative suggestions - some adapted from Nelson:

1. Watch your language
Avoid phrases such as 'a secular job', 'ministry' when its related only to a church-focused activity.

2. Avoid this mentality:

from here

3. Pray for those starting new jobs in the church service

4. Pray for those unemployed in the church service

5. Unemployed groups - provide room and resources for them to meet

6. Testimonies from people in the workplace about the workplace

7. Education Sunday - pray for all those in education, preach on education, testimonies form students and teachers. Have a Business, Science, Maths ... Sunday too!

8. Prayer life - review who and what we pray for

9. Preaching - review what topics are covered. Use more illustrations from the workplace.

10. Pastors on sabbatical in a workplace role - or at least visit congregational members in their workplace.

11. Employ a work place and vocations minister

12. Stock the church library with useful books such as:

       Tom Nelson Work Matters my review here
       Daryl Cosden The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work
       Lee Hardy The Fabric of This World
       Gene Veith God at Work
       Mark Greene Thank God It's Monday
   Stephen Nichols What is Vocation? my review here
       Douglas Schuurman Vocation after Christendom
       Miroslav Volf Work in the Spirit: Toward a Theory of Work
       Paul Marshall (ed.) Labour of Love: Essays on Work   pdf available here
R. Paul Stevens The Other Six Days

13. Book reviews of the above books in the church service

14. Book discussion groups - discussing some of the books mentioned above

15. Start what Newbigin called 'Frontier groups'.

16. Vocation-oriented discipleship/accountability groups

17. Vocation-oriented prayer triplets

18. Hold sessions on exploring vocation - and look at how to discern your vocation

Update: Amy L. Sherman's new book Kingdom Calling deals with some of the issues. See the website
vocational stewardship and her list of Ten Ways to Encourage Vocational Stewardship In Your Church

Any other suggestions?

Beyond Numbers by K A Loop - a review

2011-12-30T16:36:00.000Z

Beyond Numbers
A Practical Guide to Teaching Math Biblically
Katherine A. Loop
Fairfax, VA: Christian Perspective, 2nd edn 2011
ISBN Second Edition: 978-0-9773611-3-7
Available here

'Teaching Christianly may well be the hardest job in the universe' according to John Van Dyk [1]. Teaching maths Christianly may be even harder!

Katherine Loop's view of mathematics changed when she read James Nikel's seminal book Mathematics: Is God Silent? She agrees with Nikel that God is not. Many Christians think that God is silent, that maths is neutral and that it is eternal or at least exists in the mind of God. And this, sadly, includes many Christian mathematicians. Loop does not succumb to these myth and she presents much good introductory material here to subvert them.

Loop starts by rightly emphasising the created-ness of mathematics. If God creates all things then that must include numbers, addition and the rest.

She writes:

Math is not a neutral subject. God’s invisible qualities are clearly seen in math. If we are not worshiping God in math, we are unconsciously worshipping the creation, in this case, math itself. We are exchanging God’s truth for a lie. Our attempts at neutrality only harm us and open up our hearts to worldly, independent thinking. p 27.

The strength of the book is its simplicity and accessibility. That is also its weakness as some of the arguments are glossed over and they wouldn't convince a skeptic, but then that probably isn't the aim of the book.

She examines some erroneous ways of teaching maths 'biblically'. These include adding in a Bible verse - she rightly points out:

Simply adding Bible verses or thoughts to our math lessons does not make math biblical. Math still comes across as independent from God.

She discusses some common textbook approaches to division and shows how they are lacking and then develops her own approach using 'cookies' and splitting them (dividing) them into groups and then concluding:

Guess what? Because God holds all of creation together so consistently, if you take twelve objects and put them into three piles, you will always end up with four objects in each pile! God’s consistency makes it possible for us to do division without actually touching the objects we are dividing. Just as we did with multiplication, we can memorize our division facts and be confident they will always work because of God’s faithfulness. (p. 32)

The book is obviously geared to a North American context. This is obvious by the use of terms like math and cookies but also for example we have statements such like 'Most students learn the long division method without really understanding why the method leads to the right answer.' This rote learning approach is very much frowned upon in the UK (not to say such a pragmatic approach doesn't exist this side of the pond), the emphasis in the UK is not on learning by rote but more on understanding and encouraging students to use their own methods - and this approach is advocated by those who aren't Christians as well as Christians. Such an approach that Loop rightly criticises is merely bad maths pedagogy.

In one place (p. 35) she states:

But a biblical math presentation will always introduce the concept as a practical tool dependent on God’s continual faithfulness. [my emphasis]

This is stated rather than justified. In what way is this biblical? And why always? What if there is (at present) no practical application to the maths? What image of maths does this give us? Is it merely a tool - an instrument? This approach could lead to a utilitarian view of maths.

To be fair, in a note she does clarify this:

Just presenting math practically does not teach math biblically. What a tragedy it would be to know how to use math practically while remaining blind to the One who makes practical math possible! Yet practical math is the natural outcome of a biblical view of math.

So, practical maths is necessary but not sufficient for it to be a Christian approach.

For Christians teaching maths in a home school or Christian school context this book will be invaluable. For those teaching in a non-Christian context it will be useful, but the ideas and explicit Christian approach will need to be made more implicit. It does raise the important question can we teach Christianly in a state school without mentioning God? The other question left unaddressed is, could a Moslem teach a Moslem approach to maths using this method? (For example by using the name Allah instead of God on p. 32) If so what implications does this have for this as a distinctively Christian approach?

I'm puzzled why Loop continually refers to this approach as 'biblical math'. I much prefer the term Christian maths. The danger with the term 'biblical math(s)' is that it could encourage an encyclopaedic fallacy approach to reading the scriptures. What is the biblical value of pi? 3 if we are to go by I Kings 7:23-26. Does it mean that we should return to measurements in span and cubits? But again I'm being pernickety.

I have perhaps been overly critical - but I hope in a constructive way. There is much wisdom in this book. The emphasis on God as the creator of maths, the ways maths reflects God's faithfulness, maths as a tool for understanding (and I'd want to add developing) the creation, that maths is not neutral is excellent; they are all important truths.

She makes some good suggestions for teaching maths. These include:

show how the concept reveals God's character/ design
teach using a real-life principle
use the concept practically
use the history of maths to show how the concept has been used in the past.

The book deserves a wide audience. It will be a shame if that potential audience is put off by some of the un-subtleties and unsubstantiated assertions. That said, however, Loop's book and her many practical suggestions may well help make teaching maths Christianly a little easier.

[1] Letters to Lisa: Conversations with a Christian Teacher - back cover.

Contents

1. Where did Math Come From, and Why does it Work?     1
2. Math Points us to God     7
3. Math’s Practicality     11
4. Math Is not neutral!     19
5. Harm to the Heart     25
6. Adopting a new Heart Toward math     29
7. Preparing to Teach math Biblically     45
8. Teaching math Biblically
9. Ready, Set, Now What do I do?     61
10. Curriculums and resources     67
11. Overcoming the difficulties     83
Parting Thought     87
Appendix A: Idea notebook     89
Appendix B: Bibliography     95

A bibliography for a Christian approach to mathematics

2011-12-29T12:30:00.000Z

A bibliography for a Christianapproach to mathematics

Steve Bishop

Updated Dec 2011

Version 1.0 (1997) appeared in P. MacKenzie Entry Points for Christian Reflection within Education (London: CARE, 1997)

Version 1.1 appeared here

Version 2.0 appeared here

Version 2.1 appeared here

Bibliographies

Gene B. Chase and Calvin Jongsma Bibliography of Christianity and mathematics 1910-1983 (Dordt, Iowa: Dort College,1983)

An extensiveannotated bibliography of papers and books dealing with Christian approachesand attitudes to maths.

laetus in praesens Bibliography of Relevance to Mathematical Theology

Journals

Journal of the ACMS

The journal has manyuseful papers including papers presented at conferences:

RobertBrabenec, The Historical Shaping of the Foundations of Mathematics

Arthur Holmes, Wanted: Christian Perspectives in the Philosophy of Mathematics

Paul Zwier, Making Curriculum Decisions and the Nature of Mathematics

VernonPoythress, Science as Allegory

VernonPoythress, Mathematics as Rhyme

Johan deKlerk, Can Mathematics be Taught in a Christian Way?

DavidNeuhouser, Lewis Carroll: Author, Mathematician, and Christian

David Stucki, Mathematics as Worship

Johan deKlerk, A Christian Perspective on Mathematics - History of Mathematics and StudyGuides

Books

Robert L. Brabenec A ChristianPerspective on the Foundations of Mathematics (Wheaton College, 1977)

Brabenec has edited a number of 'Mathematics from a ChristianPerspective' Conference Proceedings, of which this is the first. They contain awealth of useful information of integrating math and a Christian worldview,however, they are concerned primarily with higher education. Many of thearticles are now available on-line here.

James Bradley and Russell Howell Mathematics Through theEyes of Faith Harper One/ CCCU, 2011.

See the review here by Josh Wilkerson

John Byl TheDivine Challenge: on Matter, Mind, Math and Meaning (Edinburgh: Bannerof Truth Trust, 2004) review by Howell

Byl's bibliography and biographyis here

Charis MathematicsProject Charis Mathematics (Units 1-9; Units10-19; A1-A6) (John Shortt, director) (editorsJohn Shortt and John Westwell) (Nottingham: The Stapleford Centre, 1996 and1997)

Photocopiablematerials for bringing out the 'spiritual and moral' aspects of mathematics atthe secondary school level; written by Christian teachers of mathematics.

Roy A. Clouser The Myth ofReligious Neutrality: A Essay on the Hidden Role of Religious Belief inTheories (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame, 1991; 2nd edn 2005) my review here

Chapter 7 looks atsome theories in mathematics (number-world theory; J. S. Mill; BertrandRussell; and John Dewey) and shows how they all depend on divinising certainaspects of creation.

Andrew M.Hartley Christian and Humanist Foundations for StatisticalInference (Resource Publications, Wipf and Stock, 2008)

See my PSCF review here. Otherreviews here

Looks at four of the dominantparadigms in statistics and compares them with a Christian worldview

James Nikel Mathematics: Is God Silent? (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books,1990; 2nd edn 2000) website resources here

Written to show that God is not! Contains many useful examples.

Russell W. Howell and James Bradley(ed.) Mathematics in aPostmodern Age: A Christian Perspective (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2001) review by Palfreyman

Examines the nature of mathematics, the influence of maths andfaith perspectives in mathematics from a Christian perspective.

Calvin Jongsma and Trudy Baker The Shape and Number ofThings: An Integrated Math Curriculum for the Elementary School (Toronto:Curriculum Development Center)

A complete primaryschool package.

T. Koetsier and L. Bergmans (eds) Mathematics and the Divine A Historical Study (Elsevier Science, 2004)

Katherine Loop Beyond Numbers:A Practical Guide to Teaching Math Biblically (Christian Perspective, 2005; 2nd edn 2011) [see my review here]

Katherine Loop RevealingArithmetic: Math Concepts from a Biblical Worldview (no date)ISBN 978-0977361106

Harro W. Van Brummelen, Mathematics in the Christian School (Toronto: The Association for the Advancement of ChristianScholarship, 1971)

A preliminary report resulting from aseminar held in Toronto in July, 1971, under the auspices of the OACS and theAACS. Contains a useful but out of date bibliography.

Chapters in books

Harro Van Brummelen Walkingwith God in the Classroom: Christian Approaches to Learning and Teaching (Ontario:Welch, 1988)

Though on Christianeducation in general, this book contains many insights into mathematics.

Harro Van Brummelen 'Mathematics'in Steensma, Geraldine and Harro W. Van Brummelen, editors. ShapingSchool Curriculum: A Biblical View. Terre Haute, Indiana: Signal PublishingCompany, 1977.

Gene B. Chase 'Has Christian theology furthered mathematics' In Facets of Faith andScience vol 2: The Role of Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: AnAugustinian Perspective. Jitse M. van der Meer (ed.) University Press ofAmerica/ Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies: Lanham/ Ancaster, 1996.

Harold Heie and David L. Wolfe (editors) The Reality ofChristian Learning: Strategies for Faith-Discipline Integration (GrandRapids: Christian University Press/ Eerdmans, 1987)

Harold Heie and GeneChase contribute two chapters on ways of integrating the Christian faith andmathematics.

Harold Heie 'Developing a Christianperspective on the nature of mathematics' in Arlin C. Migliazzo(ed.) Teaching as an act of faith: theory and practice inchurch-related higher education. New York : Fordham University Press,2002, 95-116

P. MacKenzie Entry Points for Christian Reflection within Education (London: CARE, 1997) (Nowavailable as an e-book)
JimNance 'Worldview test case: Christianity in math class', in Repairingthe Ruins ed. Douglas J. Wilson, 59-71. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1996. contents

Vern Poythress ‘A biblical view of mathematics’ in Foundations ofChristian Scholarship: Essays in the Van Til Perspective (Vallecito, CA: Ross House, 1976)

Develops a[Cornelius] Van Tilian approach to maths

Geraldine J.Steensma and Harro W. Van Brummelen Shaping School Curriculum: ABiblical View (Terre Haute, Ind: Signal, 1977)

Contains a usefulchapter on math education by Van Brummelen and some examples (Statistics andDeductive Geometry) of how this translates into classroom practice.

Danie F. M.Strauss 'A historical analysis of the role of beliefs in the threefoundational crises in mathematics'. In Facets of Faith and Science vol2: The Role of Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: An AugustinianPerspective. Jitse M. van der Meer (ed.) University Press of America/Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies: Lanham/ Ancaster, 1996.

Danie F. M. Strauss 'Primitive meaningin mathematics: the interaction among commitment, theoretical worldview andaxiomatic set theory'. In Facets of Faith and Science vol 2: The Roleof Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: An Augustinian Perspective.Jitse M. van der Meer (ed.) (Lanham/ Ancaster: University Press of America/Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies:, 1996).
Danie F. M. Strauss Paradigms in Mathematics, Physics and Biology their Philosophical Roots (Bloemfontein: Tekskor BK, 2001)
Danie F. M. Strauss Philosophy: Discipline of the Disciplines (Grand Rapids: Paiedia Press, 2009)
Chapters 2 and 3 look at the uniqueness of science (including mathematics) and Dooyeweerd's modal aspects - which include the quantitative, spatial and kinematic)

Anthony Tol 'Counting , number concepts and numerosity' in Hearingand Doing John Kraay and Anthony Tol (ed.) (Toronto: Wedge, 1979)

Noel Weeks TheChristian School: An Introduction (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth)

Chapter 12 deals with maths. Hecontrasts rationalist and romanticist views of math education and offers somepointers for a Christian approach.

Articles

Willis Alberda 'What is number' Pro Rege vol. 3 (March 1975), 2-8.

Willis Alberda ' Existence in mathematics' Pro Rege vol. 7 (1979), 11-15.

Patricia L. Ahlborn 'A Christianphilosophy of mathematics' online here

Places the emphasis onteaching maths with meaning; she has three broad goals: maths should: revealGod, call the student to a life of service; and lead the student into a deeperknowledge of God. A helpful overview.

Paul Bialek 'Integrative Questions inthe Mathematics Curriculum: A Strategy for Faith-Learning Integration inMathematics' unpublished paper, 2003.

Steve Bishop 'Beliefs shapesmathematics' Spectrum 28 (2) (Spring 1996)

Examines several philosophies of maths to show that maths is notneutral but shaped by beliefs. The contours of a Christian approach to mathsare sketched.

          Steve Bishop 'Mathematics and the myth of neutrality' Christian School Education 5 (4) (2001-2002),19-21.
          This issue of CSE had other articles on mathematics see here.
         James Bradley 'Two ways ofknowing' Journal of the ACMS 2004 (Aug)

James Bradley 'Teaching mathematics from a Christian perspective' World Report ASCI (2007) also here.

John Byl 'A Christian perspective on math' ReformedPerspectives 27 (4) available here

Robert G. De Boer 'Faith andmathematics' Reformed Journal 27 (4) (1977)

Gary De Young 'Perspective on mathematical modelling' Pro Rege 38 (2010)

Edward Fackerell 'The RelationshipBetween Mathematics and the Christian Faith'. Christian Teachers Journal,Vol 11, No. 2, May 2003.

(The Christian TeachersJournal can be contacted at: PO Box 7000, Blacktown NSW 2148Australia)

Edward Fackerell 'A Christianperspective on teaching mathematics'.

Howard Faw ' Does scripture support standardized tests?' PSCF 42(1990), 86-93.

Geertsema, Jan C. A Christian View of the Foundations of Statistics PSCF 39 (September1987), 158-164

Jan Gormas 'A search for intellectual,relational and spiritual integrity: secondary mathematics from a Christianperspective' Education and Christian Belief 9(2) (2005)

IGrattan-Guinness, Historical notes on the relations between mathematics and theChristianities, Meeting of Austrian Society for the History ofMathematics (Spring, 1999)

Patricia J. Hambrick 'Assessing Current Practices: Mathematics' ASCI

Anglea Hare 'Mathematics andChristianity: Integration Project'

Laura Harrington 'All I really need to know I learned .... in maths class???'

Andrew M.Hartley The Philosophy ofthe Law Idea and the Role of the Prescientific in Statistical Inference Journal of the ACMS 2004 (Dec)

H. Harold Hartzler The Meaning of Mathematics JASA 1 (January 1949), 13-19.

Robert A. Herrmann 'Modern mathematics - Itsrelation to physical science and theology' (1999, 2007)

Jim Jadrich 'Constructivism in scienceand math: is it Christian?' Christian Educators Journal 38, (October 1998), 17-18.

Calvin Jongsma 'Christianity andmathematics: an analysis of differing approaches to their interrelationship'ICS Academic Papers, 1984.

Calvin Jongsma 'Mathematics: Always important, never enough. A Christian perspective onmathematics and mathematics education' Journal of the Association of Christians in theMathematical Sciences 2006. Also in Pro Rege 35 (4), 21-38.
J. C. Keister 'Math and the Bible' Trinity Review Sept/ October 1982.

Brendan Kneale 'God and mathematical infinity' Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 50

Willem Kuyk 'Some questions on thefoundation of logic' Philosophia Reformata 34 (1969),142-146

Chapter 7 is onmathematics and looks at how it is approached from a UK Christian schoolsperspective.
Katherine Loop 'Teaching math from a biblical perspective' blog post

Paul Marshall'Mathematics and politics' Philosophia Reformata 44 (1979),113-136

Edward Nelson 'Mathematics and faith'

Andrew Palfryman School mathematics and christian faith - are they related? ActNow Summer 2005.

Andrew Philip Christianity and mathematics - a review Many to Many (Feb 1993)

Vern PoythressCreation and Mathematics; or What Does God Have to Do with Numbers? TheJournal of Christian Reconstruction 1 (1), 128-40.

Vern Poythress Mathematics as Rhyme Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 35(4), 196-203. (See my commentshere)

Vern Poythress 'Newton's Laws as Allegory' Journal of the AmericanScientific Affiliation 35 (3),156-161.

Sharon K Robbert Christianity and mathematics

Devotionals with mathematics content!

Duncan Roper Euler and theKonisberg bridges: some lessons for the philosophy of mathematics

Roger Slack Mathematics: An Historical Survey (Nottingham:ACT Mathematics Group 1981-83)

A useful 30-pagebooklet dealing with the history of math from the Pythagoreans to the presentfrom a Christian perspective.

M D Stafleu 'Themathematical and technical opening up of a field of science' PhilosophiaReformata 43 (1978).

Danie F. M.Strauss 'Number concept and number-idea' PhilosophiaReformata. 35 (1970),156-177

Danie F. M. Strauss 'Number conceptand number-idea (continued)' Philosophia Reformata. 36 (1971),13-42.

Danie F. M. Strauss 'Dooyeweerd and Modern Mathematics' ReformationalForum, 1983, nr.2, 5-17.

Danie F. M. Strauss 'Mathematical paradigms' Journal forChristian Scholarship, 3rd & 4th Quarter 1994, 113-167.

Danie F. M. Strauss 'The threefoundational crises in mathematics' Journal for Christian Scholarship ,1st & 2nd Quarter 1995, 12-22.

Danie F. M. Strauss 'Mathematics andthe Real World' Koers Year/ Vol. 65 (1) (April 2000), 95-121.

Danie F. M. Strauss Reductionism in Mathematics: Philosophical Reflections Journal for ChristianScholarship, 37, 1ste en 2nd Quarter, 2001, 1-12

Danie F. M. Strauss Is a Christian Mathematics possible? Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap/Journal for ChristianScholarship, 2003(3-4), 31-49.

Harro Van Brummelen 'Mathematics inthe Christian High School Curriculum' Christian Educators Journal vol.17(September/October 1977), 15-17.

Harro Van Brummelen 'What's happeningin math' Christian Home and School vol. 57 (May/June1979), 16-18.

Harro Van Brummelen 'Toward a Christian Approach to Teaching and Learning Mathematics' ASCI

Arnold Veldkamp 'Irrational numbers and reality' Pro Rege vol. 4, (December 1975), 2-3.
John Westwell 'Teaching mathematics: it's time to tell new stories' Education and Christian Belief 9(2) (2005)

Web resources

Kuyers Mathematicsonline

ASA Maths links

Transforming Teachers resources here

Blogs

Josh Wilkerson's God and math

Katherine Loop's Math from a ChristianPerspective

matematica reformacional

Blog posts

Patrick Chan 'A few math resources'

Less Than Two Dollars a day - a review

2011-12-28T15:18:00.000Z

Less Than Two Dollars a Day
A Christian View of Poverty and the Free Market
Kent A. Van Til
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007.
pp. 180. $16.00 pb.
ISBN 978-0-8028-1767-9.

This book's title is taken from the fact that about 40% of the world's population have less than 2$ per day to live on. See, for example:

Van Til shows how the free market is unable to help those in desperate poverty. The free market distributes goods on the basis of desert - what you can pay for - rather than needs. The first chapter examines the key terms and definitions and then in chapter two Van Til examines the origin and role of the free market. He also highlights some of the often undisclosed assumptions of the free market. The next chapter reveals why the poor don't gain from the free market's distribution. He argues that the free market is not designed to provide basic sustenance and examines six reasons why it is unable.

In chapter four he carefully, albeit briefly, examines what the Bible says about poverty. He ably shows that the biblical mandate requires that we provide basic sustenance for all. Particularly helpful is his discussion of the phrase 'the poor you will always have with you'. This is not a pretext to dismiss our care of the poor to take such an attitude is to face the same condemnation that Judas and the disciples incurred. As, he goes on:

Elsewhere in the New Testament, Jesus regards compassion for the needy as the standard of genuine righteousness. In the end-times tale of the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31–46), Jesus insists that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and showing hospitality to the stranger are norms of righteousness. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus condemns the rich man not for a particu- lar act of theft or fraud but for his general neglect of the poor Lazarus (Luke 16:9–31). The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13–21) shows just how futile constant accumulation can be. In Luke 12:33, Jesus tells all his disciples (not only the rich young man), “Sell your possessions and give to charity.” In a similar vein, James insists that caring for orphans and widows constitutes true religion (James 1:27). In passages such as these, we see that doing justice requires more than passively doing no harm to our neighbor. It requires, rather, that we go out of our way to love the neighbor by seeking out their good, especially the physical good of the poor neighbor. p. 79.

Moving from the Bible to the contemporary context is the topic of the next chapter. Here Van Til builds bridges by connecting the scriptures to theological traditions, to economic definitions of basic needs and contemporary political language. From this he maintains that sustenance is a basic right that implies a duty for contemporary society.

In chapter 6 he draws upon Abraham Kuyper's sphere sovereignty and Michael Waltzer's spheres of justice to provide a way forward for workable approach to distributive justice. In the final chapter acknowledging the works of Bob Goudzwaard and John Tiemstra he shows what can be accomplished with a theory of distributive justice.

This book is a thoughtful and thought-provoking approach to a Christian view of the free market and to poverty. For as little as $100 a year we can make a difference to those on $2 a day.

The Kuyper Newsletter 2 (2) Winter 1981-1982

2011-12-28T07:31:00.003Z

Kuyper Newsletter 2 (2) Winter 1981-1982

The Kuyper Newsletter vol 2 (1) April 1981

2011-12-27T13:48:00.001Z

Kuyper Newsletter 2 (1) April 1981

Tom Nelson Work Matters - a review

2011-12-27T11:04:00.000Z

Work Matters

Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work

Tom Nelson

Wheaton, Crossway Books, 2011

ISBN 978-1-4335-2667-1

221 pages, pbk.

There is a tendency for Christianity in some circles to be a leisure activity. We are encouraged to pray, evangelise, worship, study our Bibles in our spare time. Sadly, the 40 hours per week, for forty or so years don't seem to matter - or at least if you looked at the content of most Sunday sermons from the pulpit. It has long been my contention that pastors should every seven years or so take a sabbatical and work in an office, educational establishment, retail outlet or such like. This will help them connect with the everyday pressure those in full-time work experience. Hopefully, it will help them in their discipleship programmes and in what they preach.

Christianity is a whole life activity, despite the implicit denial of this from many pulpits. This book, however, provides a refreshing look at whole life Christianity. It's key message is that work does matter.

Nelson uses many everyday experiences - including discussions in coffee shops and vignettes from those who have considered how Christianity impacts their work life.

Illustrations come from films such as Narnia, WALL-E and Mr Holland's Opus. He also draws upon a wide range of sources Paul Marshall, Os Guinness, Tim Keller, Tom Wright, Miroslav Volf, Luther and Gideon Strauss are all mentioned. He utilises the neo-Calvinist/ Kuyperian framework of creation, fall and redemption to good effect.

At the end of each chapter is a short prayer and then several questions for reflection and discussion which makes this book ideal for church small groups.

The final chapter 'The church at work' is particularly good. Here he draws upon Lesslie Newbigin's notion that 'the congregation has to be the place where its members are trained, supported, and nourished in the exercise of their parts of the priestly ministry in the world'. he offers some excellent ideas and suggestions how this can be developed. The role of church leaders is to 'prepare the saints for work of service' (Eph 4:12) Too often this gets narrowed down to church-related activities, here Nelson shows with examples that it doesn't have to be that way. Ideas include 'embracing a new vocational paradigm' as he puts it:

A primary work of the church is the church at work. Our work not only forms us spiritually; in and through our work, Christ's gospel mission is advanced in the world. (p. 190)

Many churches employ youth workers and ministers - maybe one day we'll also see work and vocation ministers too. That will certainly need a paradigm shift. Nelson's eminently readable and accessible book may well help towards that.

My top books of 2011

2011-12-27T07:39:00.001Z

My top books of 2011 - in no particular order:

Jason Zuidema (ed.) Reformational Thought in Canada: Essay in Honour of Theodore Plantinga

Bert Cusveller, Maarten Verkerk and Marc de Vries The Matrix Reformed

Richard Mouw Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction

Abraham Kuyper Wisdom and Wonder

Geoff Hall The Cultural Way of Being

Ernst Conradie Creation and salvation: Dialogue on Abraham Kuyper's Legacy for Contemporary Ecotheology

Mike Goheen A Light to the Nations

Michael P. Schutt Redeeming Law [technically this was released in 2007 but I read it in 2011 so it makes the list - it's my blog and my rules :) ]

James K. A. Smith Letters to a Young Calvinist

Tom Nelson Work Matters [review to come shortly]

Anthony Tol Philosophy in the Making

Jonathan Chaplin Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian Philosopher of State and Civil Society

Robert A. Wauzzinski Ruth: The Story of God’s Unending Redemption

Best books of 2009
Best books of 2008

The Matrix Reformed

2011-12-26T13:44:00.000Z

The Matrix Reformed
Science Fiction, Technology and Christian Philosophy
Bert Cusveller, Maarten Verkerk and Marc de Vries
Dordt College Press, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-932914-90-3

This book is a translation of the Dutch De Matrix Code. The Wachowski's 1999 film The Matrix has been responsible for a whole cottage industry of books. These include books that deal with the philosophical issues such as Christopher Grau (ed.) Philosophers Explore the Matrix OUP, 2005), William Irwin (ed.) The Matrix and Philosophy (Open Court, 2002) and More Matrix and Philosophy (Open Court 2005), Matt Lawrence Like a Splinter in Your Mind (Blackwell, 2004) Glenn Yeffeth (ed.) Taking the Red Pill (Benbella, 2003) and books which use the film to explore Christian themes such as Steve Couch (ed) Matrix Revolutions (Damaris, 2003), Gregory Boyd and Al Larson Escaping the Matrix and Chris Seay and Chris Garrett The Gospel Reloaded (Pinon Press, 2003).

And now we have this volume. Is there room for another one? For one as good as this book - undoubtedly! This one is head and shoulders above the rest. It takes seriously film, science fiction, technology and philosophy. But not only that it provides an excellent introduction to a Christian philosophy. But it doesn't do it in a superficial, icing on the cake or WWJD approach.

The Matrix raises many of the perennial philosophical problems such as the nature of reality, freedom or determinism, machines and moral judgments. These are dealt with in this book in a clear and concise manner. They examine how the issues are raised in the film, they then look at how the issues have been dealt with in philosophy looking at philosophers such as Plato, Descartes, Dennett, Putnam, Heidegger. They expose how unsatisfactory such approaches have been and then develop a Christian approach to the issues. They do it in a way that is accessible and illuminating.

The book then works on a number of different levels: it is a great discussion of film in general, The Matrix in particular and other science fiction films (mentioned alongside The Matrix are Star Wars, Star Trek, Total Recall, Minority Report, Simone, Final Cut and many more); it acts a primer on philosophy and on Christian philosophy.

This book will undoubtably be of value to anyone studying media or philosophy and to anyone who has seen the film!

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper ...

2011-12-26T11:46:00.000Z

And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.

'What's your life's blueprint?' Martin Luther King, Jr.

[HT Tom Nelson]

The Kuyper Newsletter vol 1 (3) October 1980

2011-12-23T23:39:00.003Z

Kuyper Newsletter 1 (3) October 1980

2011-12-22T14:15:00.001Z

[HT @maggidawn]

Review of Quantum Leap by Nelson and Giberson

2011-12-22T01:34:00.001Z

QUANTUM LEAP: How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion
Dean Nelson and Karl Giberson.

Oxford, UK: Lion Monarch, 2011.

192 pages. Paperback; $14.99.

ISBN: 9780745954011.

Readers of this journal [Perspectives of Science and Christian Faith] will need no introduction to John Polkinghorne. He is the author of over thirty books on science and faith, including an autobiography; so it was with some surprise that I discovered this new biography. This, however, is no traditional biography. Nelson and Giberson attempt to “tell the story of Polkinghorne, and along the way … unfold some bigger issues” (p. 7).

We are presented with the life of Polkinghorne, from his birth in 1930, the death of his brother during World War II, his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, his career in particle physics, through the ordination process in the Anglican Church, to parish life in Kent, and back to academia in Cambridge. In between this, we are introduced to many of the key ideas of Polkinghorne. These include the relationship of science and faith, the nature of reality, the resurrection of Jesus, the role of prayer, miracles, the problem of suffering and pain, and life after death.

As I read, I kept getting a sense of déjà vu. There is little or no new material here, but what we have is a well-constructed summary of Polkinghorne’s books interspersed with biographical details. Interviews have been conducted with Polkinghorne of which we have a few extracts, but the majority is material gleaned and edited from Polkinghorne’s writings. This is a strength of the book; it provides a good introduction to Polkinghorne. It is also its weakness as it provides no new information or insight.

Unfortunately, there is a tendency toward the hagiographic—very little or no criticism of Polkinghorne is presented. This is a shame as some of Polkinghorne’s views will be controversial to many Christians, particularly his view of post-mortem salvation. The strength of this approach is that the authors let Polkinghorne “speak” for himself; the weakness is that we are left wondering what Nelson and Giberson’s views are.

At times, what is presented here is a rationalistic, almost evidentialistic, view of Polkinghorne. This is even suggested by the book’s subtitle, “How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion.” It seems to imply that we find God, rather than that he finds us: “it’s the evidence that leads a physicist to believe in the equations, and it’s the evidence that leads a person of faith to believe in God” (p. 183).

This well-written book will provide an amuse-bouche or a taster into the life and work of Polkinghorne. It is strong on description but weak on evaluation. The book is not aimed at readers of this journal who have thought through issues of the integration of science and faith; rather, it is aimed at those who think that being a Christian and a scientist involves “intellectual suicide,” or is as logical as being a “vegetarian butcher” to use Polkinghorne’s phrase. There are five pages of endnotes, but no index and no list of Polkinghorne’s books.

For those who want to know more about Polkinghorne’s life, I suggest obtaining a copy of his autobiography From Physicist to Priest. For more on his view of the interaction of science and faith, a good first place is his Quarks, Chaos and Christianity and then his Reason and Reality.

This review first appeared in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith Dec 2011 available on-line here.

The Kuyper Newsletter vol 1(2) June 1980

2011-12-20T08:41:00.001Z

Kuyper Newsletter 1 (2) June 1980

Q & A with Richard Mouw

2011-12-19T17:31:00.002Z

Q&A with Richard Mouw from Redeemer Video on Vimeo.

Kuyper Newsletter 1 (1) January 1980

2011-12-17T22:11:00.001Z

Job advert: Faith-in-scholarship

2011-12-16T18:01:00.001Z

Do you believe that God calls people to all kinds of academic work and study? Are you excited by the potential of highly- educated Christians to transform culture in unique ways – both inside and outside the university?

WYSOCS is looking for a dynamic advocate of biblical worldviews to work with campus-based Christian postgraduate students’ groups in the north of England. The new support worker will liaise with student leaders, academics, local churches and chaplaincies to foster creative engagement with all kinds of disciplines and topics from a Christian perspective.

If you:
•    have a postgraduate degree (preferably PhD or equivalent)
•    can engage with and inspire academically-minded people
• have a vision for Christians transforming culture in the UK and overseas
•    communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds
•    are self-motivated and enjoy working independently then WYSOCS wants to hear from you.

Please email Richard Gunton at lifematters@wysocs.org.uk.

This post is initially offered for one year on a part-time basis (1 or 2
days a week, to be agreed with the successful applicant).

Closing date: 31 January 2012

For more information, see www.wysocs.org.uk/faith-in-scholarship.php.

WYSOCS (the West Yorkshire School of Christian Studies) has 25 years’ experience helping Christians explore the power of faith in learning about every aspect of life.
A registered charity (no. 271987), it currently employs two part-time staff in Leeds.

Resources for a Christian approach to (school) education

2011-12-15T11:06:00.000Z

Doug Blomberg, Wisdom and Curriculum: Christian Schooling After Postmodernity Dordt College Press, 2007.

Doug Blomberg and Ian Lambert (eds.): Reminding: Renewing the Mind in Learning. Sydney: Centre for the Study of Australian Christianity

Ken Bussema, "Perspectives on developmental psychology." Pro Rege 22 (1993) 1:1-8.

Ken Bussema, "Developmental considerations for a theory of instruction." Pro Rege 13 (1984) 1:2-16

Trevor Cooling A Christian Vision for State Education, SPCK, 1994.

Trevor Cooling Called to Teach: Teaching as a Mission Vocation, Grove Books, 2010.

Arnold DeGraaf The Educational Ministry of the Church, Craig Press, 1968

Norman DeJong, (ed). Christian Approaches to Learning Theory. Lanham, Md: University Press of America, 1984.

Jack Fennema,. Nurturing Children in the Lord: A Study Guide for Teachers on Developing a Biblical Approach to Discipline. Philipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1978. Reprinted: Sioux Center: Dordt Press, 1994.

Stuart Fowler, Christian Educational Distinctives. Potchefstroom: Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 1987.

Stuart Fowler, et al. Christian Schooling: Education for Freedom. Potchefstroom: Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 1990.

Stuart Fowler, The Foundations of Christian Education. African Journal for Transformational Scholarship 2(1)

Stuart Fowler, Rationality, Certainty and Education. African Journal for Transformational Scholarship. 1(2)

Chris Gousmett, Education in God’s World, 1997

Albert E. Greene Jr., Reclaiming the Future of Christian Education, Purposeful Design Publications; 2nd edition, 2003.

Lee Hollaar, "Christian education: Yesterday’s dream, today’s experience, tomorrow’s vision." Pro Rege 23 (1994) 1:18-26.

John B. Hulst, "Creativity in Christian education." Pro Rege 16 (1987) 2:15-22.

Ian Lambert and Suzanne Mitchell (eds.) Reclaiming the Future: Australian Perspectives on Christian Schooling. Sydney: Centre for the Study of Australian Christianity.

Pam MacKenzie, et al. Entry Points for Christian Education. Care for Education, 1997.

Jack Mechielsen (ed.) No Icing on the Cake: Christian Foundations for Education Brookes-Hall, 1980.

Parker J Palmer, To Know As We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983.

Mark Roques, Curriculum Unmasked: Towards a Christian Understanding of Education. Monarch, 1989.

Signe Sandsmark Is World View Neutral Education Possible and Desirable? A Christian Response to Liberal Arguments Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2000.

David Smith, The Bible and the Task of Teaching Stapleford Centre, 2002.

David Smith, ‘Does God dwell in the detail? The daily grind of Christian teaching’, lecture 2001

David Smith, ‘Biblical Teaching’, Christian School Teacher, Spring 2003 .

John Shortt, Towards a Reformed Epistemology and its Educational Significance, PhD Thesis. University of London Institute of Education, 1991.

John Shortt and Trevor Cooling Agenda for Educational Change Apollos, 1997.

Geraldine J. Steensma and Harro W. Van Brummelen, Shaping School Curriculum: A Biblical View Signal, 1977.

Gloria Stronks, "Myths and realities in Christian education." Pro Rege 23 (1995) 3:1-10.

Gloria Stronks and Doug Blomberg, A Vision with a Task: Christian Schooling for Responsible Discipleship Baker 1993.

Elmer John Thiessen, In Defence of Religious Schools and Colleges. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2001.

Harro Van Brummelen, Walking with God in the Classroom. Burlington, Ont: Welch, 1992.

Harro Van Brummelen "Stirring heart and mind: Teaching for Biblical values." Pro Rege 23 (1995) 3:11-18.

John Van Dyk, Letters to Lisa. Sioux Center: Dordt Press, 1997

John Van Dyk, The Maplewood Story: Fostering a Reflective Culture in the Christian School. Dordt College Press, 2007.

John Van Dyk, The Craft of Christian Teaching: A Classroom Journey. Dordt College Press, 2000.

John Vriend et al. To Prod the “Slumbering Giant”: Crisis, Commitment, and Christian Education Wedge, 1972.

Websites:
Transfoming lives
Called to teach
Kuyers
John Shortt
Transforming Teachers

Organisations:
http://www.christian-teachers.org.uk/
http://www.stapleford-centre.org/
http://www.nice.edu.au/
EurECA
Association of Christian Schools International

Journals
Journal of Education and Christian Belief
Christian School Education
Journal of Christian Education
A Journal of the International Christian Community for Teacher Education

Update(s):

Here are a few suggestions regarding Herman Bavinck’s Reformed educational philosophy:

Essays on Religion, Science, and Society. Edited by John Bolt. Translated by Harry Boonstra and Gerrit Sheeres. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008.

See the essays on "Trends in Pedagogy" and "Classical Education," chs. 12 and 13, respectively.
(NB: This book is a translation of Bavinck’s Verzamelde opstellen op het gebied van godsdienst en wetenschap (Kampen: Kok, 1921).)

Brederveld, Jakob. Christian Education: A Summary and Critical Discussion of Bavinck’s Pedagogical Principles. Grand Rapids, MI: Smitter, 1928.

Jaarsma, Cornelius Richard. The Educational Philosophy of Herman Bavinck: A Textbook in Education. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing company, 1935.

Nicholas Wolterstorff:

Harro van Brummelen, Telling the Next Generation: Educational Development in North American Calvinist Schools University Press of America/ Institute for Christian Studies, 1986

Thanks to various thinknetters and commentersfor the updated suggestions.

Fair assessment?

2011-11-29T07:50:00.001Z

George Smeaton and the universal reign of Christ

2011-11-28T21:38:00.001Z

David Schrock at Via Emmaus discusses the Scot George Smeaton (1814-1889).

Schrock writes:

"I read George Smeaton’s eminently helpful book, The Doctrine of the Atonement As Taught By Christ Himself (Edinburgh, 1871) now retitled and republished as Christ’s Doctrine of the Atonement. In it, Smeaton gives his final exhortation from the text John 12:31, which reads, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” In his thorough exegesis, the nineteenth-century Scot shows how Satan’s overthrow means simply, that Christ is the sole possessor of all things. He has stripped the god of this age of his title to this world, and he now rightly possesses the earth (cf. Matt 28:18). Therefore he writes,

This text [John 12:31], important in many aspects, is capable of being viewed in many applications. It throws a steady light on the great and momentous doctrine, that the world is, in consequence of the vicarious work of Christ, no more Satan’s, and that Christ’s people are now to be far from the impression that they are only captives in an enemy’s territory, and unable warrantably to occupy a place in the world, either as citizens or magistrates.

Moving from Christ’s substitutionary cross to the the universal themes of victory and dominion, Smeaton makes this final, global and glorious statement,

On the contrary, this testimony shows that every foot of ground in the world belongs to Christ, that His followers can be loyal to Him in every position, and that in every country and corner where they may placed they have to act their part for their Lord. The world is judicially awarded to Christ as its owner and Lord (p. 300).

This is a glorious truth that deserves time for consideration and meditation. Yet, in first hearing it, I could not help but think of Abraham Kuyper, who said something almost identical. Yet, as it will be shown, Kuyper’s context is different than Smeaton, and Kuyper actually spoke his word’s later."

Music for a Sunday morning - Christian Wallumrød Ensemble

2011-11-27T05:51:00.000Z

Richard Mouw at Gospel & Culture

2011-11-23T17:37:00.001Z

Pokomchí, rats, development and worldview

2011-11-21T19:56:00.001Z

Arturo Cuba was a missionary in Guatemala in the 1990s. Guatemala is one of the poorest countries. He worked among the fatalistically minded Pokomchí Indians. The Pokomchí are descended from the Mayan, there are between 50 and 70 thousand of them in Guatemala, they are one of the smallest and least developed groups in area. The Pokomchi had been evangelised by missionaries but had been given a gospel message of ‘pie in the sky when you die’. They were waiting to die so they could escape their subsistence farming and living and be ‘with Jesus in heaven’. It is claimed that 90% of them believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Hearing of their plight they were visited by community development teams. The teams worked well and were able to provide investments and resources from abroad. The Pokomchí now had toilets and schools – however, they were little used and there was no long-term transformation. Development is more than providing resources and money.

It was into this situation that Arturo came along. He realised that mission had to take into account the whole person, that the gospel demanded that the Truth of Jesus needs to be applied to all areas of life.

The Pokomoki are subsistence farmers and would harvest plenty of corn but not having proper storage facilities, rats would eat the corn before they were able to feed their families.

Arturo posed a question to the Pokomchí: ‘Who’s smarter – you or the rats?’ This made the Pokomki realise that they’d been outsmarted by the rats. One key question unsettled their fatalistic worldview.

Arturo also asked, ‘Do you have dominion over the rats or do they have dominion over you?’

These subversive questions opened up the way for them to see that they were all made in God’s image and that set them apart from the rats. Their fatalistic worldview was transformed into a more biblical perspective.

The farmers then developed a simple elevated storage system for the corn. By doing so they were unfolding the creation, showing dominion over the rats and so were able to feed their families. Humans 1 – Rats 0.

Children started to attend the schools because they saw the importance of education. The women started to learn to read because they saw that God cared for the women as well as the men.
Arturo writes:

When a seminary professor from the United States visited … he was stunned and overjoyed to see the transformation that had occurred—transformation that was the result of wholistic ministry, based on the power of biblical truth applied to all areas of life. Tears welled up in his eyes and he said, “Surely the Kingdom of God has come to the Pokomchi!”

Bibliography
Cuba, A., 2004, ‘Arto Cuba’s ministry among the Pokomchi in Guatemala’, Disciple the Nations. www.disciplethenations.org

All of life redeemed: a reformational newsletter vol 1 (1) - pilot edition

2011-11-20T12:37:00.001Z

All of life redeemed vol. 1 (1)

This is a pilot edition of the All of life redeemed newsletter.

Music for a Sunday morning - Peter Broderick

2011-11-20T09:32:00.001Z

Music for a Sunday morning - Nils Frahm

2011-11-13T08:55:00.001Z

1 Corinthians 10: lessons from history

2011-11-09T07:37:00.001Z

Here are the slides that illustrate my talk on 1 Corinthians 10.

1 Corintians 10: Lessons from history

View more presentations from Steve Bishop

1 Corinthians 10: lessons from history

2011-11-06T15:27:00.000Z

1 Corinthians 10 : Lessons from history

(My notes for a talk.)

Overthe summer The Independent newspaper carrieda short series on great British Institutions.

The first was ‘saying sorry’:

Elton John once sang, that ‘Sorryseems to be the hardest word’. Not for us Brits it doesn’t. According to The Independent we say sorry on average8 times a day!

If we don’t hear something we say‘Sorry’, if we heard it but couldn’t believe it we say ‘Sorry?’, if we bumpinto someone we say sorry, if someone bumps into us we say sorry.

Another is punning:I know it’s not very punny! But it seems that shopkeepers love it.

BritishHairways

Butit seems fish and chip shops excel in this:

The Cod Father

Codrophenia

New Cod on the Block

A Salt and battery

Cod Almighty - in Southmead.

The other institution is ‘grumbling’ – someone once wrote:

“It's the right of every free born Englishman, Scotsman,Irishman and Welshman to moan whinge and complain about anything and everything.Anything else we want to do is either illegal or charged for at a rip-offprice.”

Yet whenwe’re asked how we are we reply ‘Musn’t grumble’!

ForCorinth one of the minor institutions was the sex trade.

Itwas a city that was shaped by sex. The Greek geographer Strabo, wrote around 20AD:

The temple of Aphrodite was once so rich that it hadacquired more than a thousand prostitutes, donated by both men and women to theservice of the goddess. And because of them, the city used to be jam-packed andbecame wealthy. The ship-captains would spend fortunes there, and so theproverb says: "The voyage to Corinth isn’t for just any man."

Thetemple of Aphrodite was set on a hill, Acrocorith, just outside Corinth. Eachevening they would ring a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal (recall 1 Cor13) to call men to ‘worship’, the priestesses would go out and compel the menin to have sex with them as worship.

The termCorinthinaise meant ‘to prostitute’.

Thisattitude to sex was creeping in on the church. They were being squeezed into theworld’s mould. Sex had become an idol. Paul even had to write to them to remindthem not to commit sexual immorality (verse 8)!

Whatis it in our society that is shaping us? How are we being squeezed? What arethe idols that shape us?

Whatare the temptations that we face? As Paul writes ‘No temptation has seized youexcept what is common to man’ (v 13).

Onetemptation we face, is one of those great British institutions, grumbling!

Grumblingis not new! It maybe very British, but we can trace it back a few thousandyears at least.

Yousee history is important. Paul starts off this chapter by looking at theimportance of history.

Hedoesn’t want the Corinthians to be ignorant of it.

Why do we need not to be ignorant? Because History repeatsitself –

As Santayana said "Those who cannot remember the pastare condemned to repeat it"

Or as Steve Turner put it

Let’s look at these first few verses:

Verses 10:1-4

The Israelites had success, miracles and daily provision –they were seemingly totally dependent upon God.

But we get that important word: Nevertheless,

God was not pleased with them! Why?

Success and miracles are not a measure of how much God ispleased with us!

The Israelites had that! Let’s learn from their history!

The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land took 40 years.

One of the most tragic verses in the scriptures is this inDeuteronomy 1:2

(It takeseleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

And yet it took 40 years. Why so long?

They were out of Egypt in a day and yet it took 40 years toget Egypt out of them.

Their constant refrain was it wasn’t like this in Egypt!

You see the greatest threat to the next move of God is theprevious move of God.

As I was starting preparing this talk – I thought I’d take abreak and read the next section of the scriptures, in my Bible in a yearprogramme it was Number 14 – you can see how far I’ve got! : It starts likethis:

1 That night all the members of the community raised their voices andwept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, andthe whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in thiswilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let usfall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t itbe better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other,“We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

It was exactly what Paul was referring to in this 1 Corinthianspassage. Maybe God wants to say something!

Why didn’t the Israelites make it in two weeks? Grumbling andwanting to go back held up them up.

As Paul wrote in 1 Cor 10: 10:

“And do not grumble, as some of them did—andwere killed by the destroying angel.”

Let’s take a quick walk through the book of Numbers to seewhat we can learn from history.

One commentator writes:

Numbers tells a story that should never have happened, a story thatwarns against the rejection of God's plans. Nonetheless, the story reveals thatGod remains faithful to his gracious promise, even when his people neglect themeans and aims of grace.

It’s a message we need to hear- even though we mess up Godis faithful to his gracious promises.

The book is about two generations: the death of the oldgeneration (1-25) and the birth of the new (26 onwards)

Orientation ch 1-10

Disorientation ch 10-21

Reorientation ch 22-36

Basically it’s the Gospel – God created a great world, wemessed it up, we can’t do it ourselves, God rescues us!

The German philosopher Martin Heidegger was right when hesaid ‘only a god can save us’. Heidegger was an atheist, he was stating thatthere’s no way out of the mess – but he was right only God can save us. Wecan’t do it ourselves.

Heideeger’s approach was echoed by another famousphilosopher, this time a Scottish one: Dad’s Army’s Private James Frazer!

We are doomed – and only God can save us! That’s the messageof Numbers, that’s the message of the Bible.

We get a hint of this coming saviour in Balaam’s prophecy inNum 24:

17 “I see him, but not now;  I behold him, but not near.  A star will comeout of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.  He will crush the foreheadsof Moab,  the skulls of all the people of Sheth.

The Bible is like a stick of rock – instead of Blackpool ithas Jesus all the way trough it!

The first ten chapters of the book of Numbers paint a greatpicture: there is no conflict, no disobedience and no one dies.

The changing point comes in chapter 11.

From Ch 11onwards: anarchy breaks out! And it all starts with grumbling!

From grumblingand complaints to mutiny!

First it’sthe people. Ch 11

Then theleadership: Ch 12 Miriam and Aaron

In Ch 13 afterthe spies are sent out to spy out the land we get mutiny in chapter 14.

What’s mostsurprising is it that great British institution of grumbling that causes somany problems. It’s no different today.

We say ‘Ohmusn’t grumble’ but go on to do so!

Number 14

20 The LORD replied, “I have forgiventhem, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surelyas the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those whosaw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but whodisobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23 not one of them will ever seethe land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24

Grumblingis treating God with contempt!

Grumbling -the first instance of grumbling in the Bible occurs in Ex 15:

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea andthey went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desertwithout finding water. ²³ When they came to Marah, they could notdrink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)²⁴So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we todrink?”

²⁵ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORDshowed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water becamefit to drink.

The peoplehad seen the deliverance of God – but the first they do is to complain againstthe leaders: against Moses.

How did herespond? He cried out to the Lord.

As a resultthe Israelites saw God's miraculous provision.

There’slesson here for those of us in leadership – and by leadership I don’t mean justchurch leadership. But any form of leadership, be it in the home or in work oranywhere. How do we respond when the people we are leading are grumbling andcomplaining?

Do we, likeMoses, take it to God – that’s the way to see miracles! God can take what wehave, in Moses case stagnant water and a piece of wood, and change things.

God says,what do you have? A piece of wood? Let him take it and let him use it.

It’s not usthat do it – it’s God.

AsHeidegger says, ‘it takes a god to save us!’

Moses wasan intercessor – time and again he stood in the gap between the people and God.

God wantsintercessors. We talk about prayer, but not often about intercession –intercession is the crack cocaine of prayer; intercessors are God’s SAS – theystand in the gap, they pour out their lives in prayer. God wants to raise upintercessors.

It may beyou he is calling.

How do werespond when things go wrong, when change happens, when we don’t get our ownway, when God seems distant? Are we tempted to grumble?

We need tobe careful when change happens – as someone once said, ‘constant change is hereto stay’. How do we respond to it?

Thetemptation is to say – it was better before, or we never used to do it thatway.

That’sexactly how the Israelites responded: Here are some inspirational posters I’vedesigned:

‘We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers,melons, leeks, onions and garlic.’ Num 11: 5

We were better off in Egypt’ Num 11:18

‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’

‘Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ Num 14: 4

“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There isno bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Num 21: 5

We see thepast through rose-tinted spectacles. We have selective memories.

If wegrumble watch out!

Numbers 14:7

26 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wickedcommunity grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumblingIsraelites. 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, Iwill do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wildernessyour bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was countedin the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you willenter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb sonof Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that yousaid would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you haverejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for yourunfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you willsuffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this wholewicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet theirend in this wilderness; here they will die.”

Let uslearn the lessons of history.

The firstgeneration in the wilderness was wiped out because they grumbled and went afteridols. God then raised up a new generation. There was a new start – a newcensus in Num 26.

Let’s goback to 1 Corinthians

Now thesethings occurred as examples, to keep us from setting our hearts on evil thingsas they did.

Do not beidolators

Do notcommit sexual immorality – sex outside marriage.

23, 00 died

Putting Godto the test? They were killed by snakes (Num 21:6)

Do notgrumble – killed by a destroying angel.

These arewarnings for us.

Don’t betempted to indulge in that great British institution of grumbling and flee fromidolatry!

As Paulwrote elsewhere:

Phil 2:14

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling orarguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children ofGod without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shineamong them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the wordof life.

Kuyper review in New Wine magazine

2011-11-04T18:47:00.001Z

My brief review of Richard Mouw's Abraham Kuyper appears in the current issue of New Wine magazine.

Is there a future for multiculturalism?

2011-11-01T18:18:00.001Z

Jonathan Chaplin's paper Multiculturalism: A Christian Retrieval is available as a pdf.

Alvin Plantinga on creation and evolution

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000+01:00

Eyolf Dale - Prolleprep

2011-10-26T18:42:00.001+01:00

Adrienne Chaplin on Art and philosophy

2011-10-25T08:56:00.001+01:00

Adrienne Chaplin discusses the connections of Art and Philosophy, specifically within the area Phenomenology. She encourages us to relearn the way we sense and experience art and ultimately the world we live in.

Bio

Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin is a philosopher of art with a particular interest in materiality and meaning, and the relationship between faith and art. Born in the Netherlands, Adrienne gained her PhD in philosophy from the Free University of Amsterdam, in which city she also studied art history (with Hans Rookmaaker), musicology and violin. She studied aesthetics with Calvin Seerveld at the Institute for Christian Studies, a Christian Graduate School in Toronto, where she met her British husband Jonathan Chaplin, a political theorist. She was an Inter-Varsity staff worker for music students in London, UK where both of their children were born. From 1999 until 2007 Adrienne taught philosophical aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies, during which time she also served as President of the Canadian Society for Aesthetics. She is co-author of ‘Art and Soul: Signposts for Christians in the Arts’ (IVP) and currently works as a freelance writer and speaker, based in Cambridge, UK.

Kees van der Kooi at Calvin College on Barth, Bell and Hell

2011-10-22T08:48:00.000+01:00

Barth, Bell, and Hell from Calvin College on Vimeo.

Our mind is not some kind of hutch with ... cubbyholes

2011-10-14T20:22:00.000+01:00

'. . . every developed and maturing people ought to have its politics derived from its firm principles which do not float in the air as so many abstractions but which have deep roots in the soil of national life. Our thinking mind, after all, is not some kind of hutch with drawers and cubbyholes in which we have a separate compartment for politics and another for social affairs and a third for spiritual questions. Everything in our minds is interconnected, and our deepest life-principle is nothing but the root from which the fullness of our thoughts shoot up, to spread themselves over the many areas of life. Your political ideas are connected with your social insights; your social insights with your thoughts on marriage and family; those thoughts with your views about the church; your views about the church with your spiritual convictions; and your spiritual convictions with the relation of your heart to God.' --- Abraham Kuyper Ons Program (1879)

[HT Harry Van Dyke]

Venema on Kuyper

2011-10-07T20:05:00.002+01:00

Venema, Cornelius, P. (1998), ‘Abraham Kuyper--his life and legacy. Part 1 of 6', Outlook, (Sept), 3-8.
Venema, Cornelius, P. (1998), ‘Abraham Kuyper--his life and legacy. Part 2 of 6’, Outlook , (Oct), 18-23.
Venema, Cornelius, P. (1998), ‘Abraham Kuyper--his life and legacy. Part 3 of 6’, Outlook , (Nov), 18-23.
Venema, Cornelius, P. (1998), ‘Abraham Kuyper--his life and legacy. Part 4 of 6’ Outlook , (Dec), 13-17.
Venema, Cornelius, P. (1999), ‘Abraham Kuyper--his life and legacy. Part 5 of 6’, Outlook , (Jan), 15-19.
Venema, Cornelius, P. (1999), ‘Abraham Kuyper--his life and legacy. Part 6 of 6’, Outlook, (Feb), 17-21.

This series of six articles, by Cornelius Venema, form an excellent overview of Kuyper's life and thought.
We are first introduced to Kuyper through a brief biography - he is seen as a church reformer, an educator, journalist and statesman. He rightly sees Kuyper as being more than a product of his 'time and temperament'. He examines what Kuyper means by Calvinism - it is more a worldview than a church confession or structure. He then looks at Kuyper's view of church: there is a contrast between a national and free church, between organism and institution and there is a stress on the pluriformity of the church.

Key areas of Kuyper's thought are then examined. These are: sphere sovereignty, the antithesis, the twofold development of science, and common grace.

In the final two articles Venema shows his Kuyperian sympathies by defending Kuyper against some criticisms. These take the form of questions:

Was Kuyper a congregationalist?
Should the 'pluriformity' of the church be encouraged?
Sphere sovereignty or sphere responsibility?

The final paper continues looking at objections by focusing on the antithesis and common grace.

Venema's series provide a great introduction to Kuyper.

(Re)readings on Kuyper 3

2011-10-06T22:49:00.001+01:00

Jellma, Dirk W. (1957), 'Abraham Kuyper's attack on liberalism', Review of Politics, 19 (4)

Jellma's own notes on this in The Kuyper Newsletter vol 2 (June 1980) summarise it well: 'Treat K. especially as a critic of secularised capitalism'.After a short biographical piece on Kuyper Jellma focuses on Kuyper's politics and his battles against liberalism. Contains much helpful details of his political skirmishes.

Vander Stelt, John (1973), ‘Kuyper's semi-mystical conception’, Philosophia Reformata, 38, 178-190.

Vander Stelt starts by noting that Kuyper continued what Calvin had done. Kuyper wanted to steer a way that avoided the 'false lifestyle of Anabaptists world-flight, Rpman Catholic world-compromise and Secualr world-conformity.' Kuyper's approach was a 'Spirit-driven, world-reformation' (p. 178). He utilises Vollenhoven's Consistent Problem Historical Method and describes Kuyper as a semi-mystic (partial universalism without the theme of macro-microcosmos).

The Kuyper Newsletter volume 1 January, 1980.

This was the inaugural issue of a short-lived newsletter. There were four more subsequent issues. It was produced at Calvin College the editorial board comprised: Dirk Jellma, Richard Mouw and Rockne McCarthy.

Its aim was 'to act as a information center, a clearing house, a place for notes of interest, rather than a formal journal'.

Contents
Spykman, Gordon 'A Kuyper logo'
commenting on the appropriateness of the han cartoon as the newsletter's logo.

Rockne McCarthy 'The Kuyperian tradition and mediating structures'Briefly outlines the work of 'the newly formed Dordt Lectureship Center is the collection, translation and editing for publication of seminal essays of nineteenth century social pluralists in Germany, France, The Netherlands and elsewhere who opposed the individualistic social philosophy of the French Revolution.'

Spykman, Gordon 'Kuyper on political cartooning'
A translation of excerpts from Kuyper on political cartoons and those of Kuyper in particular.

Mouw, Richard 'Kuyper and South Africa'
Mouw notes that there is much work to be done on the influence of Kuyper's thought in South Africa. Mouw notes some useful starting points.

Jellma, Dirk W. 'Bibliographical notes'
A brief 9 item annotated bibliography of works dealing with Kuyper.

Richard Mouw: The Challenges of cultural Discipleship - Essays in the line of Abraham Kuyper

2011-10-05T22:05:00.001+01:00

This book has just been announced:

The Challenges of Cultural Discipleship: Essays in the Line of Abraham Kuyper

Richard Mouw
Eerdmans
$20.00 Paperback
Expected ship date: 11/29/2011
248 pages; dimensions (in inches): 6 x 9
ISBN: 978-0-8028-6698-1

Richard Mouw has become well known for his incisive views on the interaction of culture and Christianity and for his efforts to make the thought of major Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper accessible to average Christians. In this volume Mouw provides the scholarly "backstory" to many of his books as he interprets, applies, expands on — and at times even corrects — Kuyper’s remarkable vision for faith and public life.

In thirteen essays Mouw explores and develops a singularly Kuyperian perspective on key areas of Christian cultural discipleship, including public theology, sphere sovereignty, education, creation, and more. He deftly articulates an indigenous, ecumenically enriched neo- Calvinist perspective — one that appropriates and contextualizes the ideas and insights of nineteenth-century Holland for new challenges in Christian thought and service.

Recent (re)readings on Kuyper 2

2011-10-01T20:42:00.000+01:00

J. de Bruijn (1999), 'Abraham Kuyper as a romantic', in C. van der Kooi and J. de Bruijn (eds) Kuyper Reconsidered:Aspects of his Life and Work, VU Studies on Protestant History Amsterdam VU Press, ch.3.

This paper looks at two other Dutch men, Multatuli and Van Eeden, and compares Kuyper to them. He maintains that Kuyper was a romantic. However, he doesn't fully define what he means by Kuyper as a romantic. For de Bruijn being a romantic seems to imply an inner conflict, a melancholia and hypocondia as well as a poetic streak.

Sewell, Keith (2003), 'Calvin and the stars, Kuyper and the fossils: some reflections of historiographical reflections', Pro Rege, 10-22.
Also in J Kok (ed) Celebrating the Vision: the Reformed perspective of Dordt College (Sioux Center, IA: Dordt College Press, 2004).

Sewell examines how Calvin's and Kuyper's view of astronomy and evolution has been misconstrued. He uses these incidents to show how historiography can be used to prevent this misreading. He shows that there is a tendency for Kuyper to become 'evangelicalised'. He takes to task McGoldrick's biography for being susceptible to this. Kuyper was certainly against evolutionism but not necessarily against the scientific theory. Kuyper is closer to Calvin than to fundamentalism.

Engelsma, David J. (editor) (1998), Standard Bearer 75(2)

This issue of the Standard Bearer is devoted to Kuyper. It would seem an unusual choice as it was a reaction against Kuyper's views on common grace that promted the PRC-CRC split in 1924. The PRC rejected common grace and as such rejected Kuyper as 'the theologian of common grace'.
These series of articles focus on different aspects of Kuyper. But the continula cry is that Kuyper was best seen as a theologian and not as a cultural activist. There is a stress on Kuyper as a good reformed theologian; for example 'His theology although imperfect, was solid, sound, biblical and creedal Reformed doctrine'. The continuity between Hoeksema, one of the original dissenter's to common grace is also highlighted: 'the theology of Hoeksema is essentially that of Kuyper' and 'Hoeksema spoke highly of Kuyper and his theology'. Here then is a reappropriation of Kuyper minus his theology of common grace. As Terpstra puts it:

The legacy left by Dr. Abraham Kuyper to the Reformed faith and churches is for the most part a great and beneficial one. A significant exception to this is Kuyper's development and promotion of the doctrine of common grace. As much as we appreciate what Kuyper gave to the Reformed churches, including our own, in many areas, we must criticize, condemn, and cast away his teaching on common grace.

There is an emphasis on Kuyper as church reformer and his role in the Doleantie and the subsequent reunion with the 1834 Afscheiding succession and on his views of particular grace.

Contents

Meditation - Abraham Kuyper

When What Is Mortal Is Swallowed Up by Life

Editorially Speaking

Introduction

Editorial - Prof. David J. Engelsma

"Father" Abraham or The Indebtedness of the PRC to Abraham Kuyper

Abraham Kuyper: Prof. Herman C. Hanko

A Short Biography

Abraham Kuyper: Rev. Ronald L. Cammenga

The Doleantie

Abraham Kuyper: Prof. Russell J.Dykstra

--and the Union of 1892

Abraham Kuiper: Mr. Marvin Kamps

The Son of God Eternally our Mediator

Abraham Kuyper: Rev. Charles J. Terpstra

Developer and Promoter of Common Grace

Abraham Kuiper: Rev. James Laning

Do We Hold to Kuyper's View of Presupposed Regeneration?

Dr. A. Kuyper: Rev. Kenneth Koole

Politician-a Critique

Book Reviews

"Creating a Christian Worldview: Abraham Kuiper's Lectures on Calvinism" Peter
S. Heslam (Reviewed by Prof. D. Engelsma)

Harry Van Dyke on Gleason's Bavinck

2011-09-30T07:48:00.001+01:00

Guest post by Harry Van Dyke

Herman Bavinck: Pastor, Churchman, Statesman, and Theologian
Ron Gleason. With an introduction by Roger Nicole.
Phillipsburgh, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2010. Pp. xvi + 511. $29.99.

We are greatly indebted to the Rev. Dr. Ron Gleason, pastor of a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) congregation in the bucolic setting of Yorba Linda, California, for surprising us with this book at this strategic time. For now that the four imposing volumes of Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics are available in English, who does not want to know more about the man behind the work and the context in which it was written?

Ron Gleason would seem to be well qualified to write this book. After receiving his M.Div. degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, he went to the Netherlands and between 1975 and 1981 studied under Jan Veenhof in Amsterdam and Herman Ridderbos in Kampen. In 2001 he was awarded a Ph.D. at Westminster Theological Seminary after submitting a dissertation entitled The Centrality of the Unio Mystica in the Theology of Herman Bavinck.

Gleason’s biography is a robust soft-cover volume with a well-placed portrait of Bavinck on the cover. It comes with a handy Index of Names and Subjects (501–11) and contains no less than six extensive Appendixes (431–99), three of which are valuable synopses (in English) of keynote addresses by Bavinck published (in Dutch) during his lifetime.

The work is based on a variety of sources. Among the primary sources used are Bavinck’s Stone Lectures, several of his smaller publications, and articles in the church weekly De Bazuin. Use is made of the Acts of the synods during these years. In addition, an autobiography by Rev. Jan Bavinck, the father, provided information on Herman’s formative years growing up in a devout home appreciative of learning and culture in a Christian spirit. An interview with a granddaughter of Lucas Lindeboom proved useful for a better understanding of that forceful personality and powerful opponent of Bavinck on more than one occasion. Finally, there are Bavinck’s recently discovered lecture notes for his course in ethics. (One only wishes that another appendix had summarized the basic thrust of those lectures.)

For a life of Bavinck, the main secondary sources available are the existing Dutch-language biographies. There are five: the 80-page In Memoriam by Bavinck’s one-time pupil J. H. Landwehr (1921) and the biographies by his successor V. Hepp (1921), by A. B. W. Kok (1945), J. Geelhoed (1958) and R. H. Bremmer (1966). Gleason does not use Kok or Geelhoed, quotes Landwehr six times, relies quite frequently on Hepp, and follows Bremmer chapter by chapter, almost page by page.

Gleason includes numerous illustrative citations from correspondence held in archives; these, however, appear to be directly quoted from Bremmer. Almost as numerous are a host of very helpful thumbnail sketches of secondary figures, gleaned from the Christelijke Encyclopedie (2nd ed.) and placed in footnotes.

Composing a work in this manner involves constantly transposing into English an enormous amount of prose that one is reading in Dutch. Gleason is generally felicitous in his choice of translations, but before getting to the content of the book I should point out some puzzling choices. For example, “a convent-like mentality” is not the equivalent of conventikelgeest (120); in context, the word denotes the “sectarian mindset” prevalent among the initiated members of a conventicle, i.e., of a small group of disgruntled parishioners meeting privately for mutual edification. The word“union” is not always the right word for vereniging (157); the Free University, for example, was owned and operated, not by a “union,” but by an “association.” Some other slip-ups may have been almost inevitable: tenure instead of tenor for teneur or strekking (222), Christendom instead of Christianity for christendom (350), field preacher instead of padre for veldprediker (381), and grace instead of pardon for (judicial) gratie. Dutchmen may “climb in the pen” (passim) but Americans just take it up. I do not wish to be a purist, but I protest that Bavinck is made to appear guilty of resorting to an “underhanded method” (297) when all he did was convey a confidential communication (onderhandse mededeling).

Gleason’s book is both edifying and entertaining. The noble figure of Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) rises before us as a consummate theologian, a leading statesman in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and an enthusiastic champion of a culture-engaging Neo-Calvinism, justly renowned in the Reformed world internationally, yet at the same time a discreet and humble man leading a life of self-sacrificial service to his church, his academic institution, and his country. To describe all this in detail, Gleason organizes the story of Bavinck’s life in chronological order. He patiently traces three phases in Bavinck’s career: a brief but fruitful pastoral charge of two years in the Frisian town of Franeker, followed by 20 years of teaching in the Theological Seminary in Kampen (the phase that culminated in the publication of the four-volume Gereformeerde Dogmatiek), and the final phase of another two decades spent in the chair for systematic theology in the Theological Faculty of the Free University (VU) in Amsterdam. This last phase was marked by an almost abrupt switch around 1911, away from the pursuit of theology in the strict sense (other than giving his lectures) to a concentrated effort at outlining principles for philosophy, pedagogy and psychology in a number of what were then pioneering studies, both academic and popular.

In my opinion, Gleason underemphasizes the significance of the 1911 switch. True, Bavinck’s new focus in Amsterdam was not a break with theology as such. Yet it offers clear evidence of his burning zeal to branch out and take Reformed principles (which are nourished by theology but which embrace far more) and apply them in the very midst of the cultural battle zones of his day. He realized that the rock on which Christ built his church was not theology, but “hearing, confessing, and doing” (see Matt. 7:24; 16:18). To my mind, Gleason would have done greater justice to this phase in Bavinck’s life if he had included more details about these non-theological writings which clearly show him to have been a leading thinker and writer in the Neo-Calvinist movement of his time—to some extent, and in his own way, the equal of Abraham Kuyper. The descriptions of this aspect are too brief and lack substance (229, 253, 276).

A frustrating episode in Bavinck’s life fell in the period between 1892 and 1902. The year 1892 saw the the unification of the churches from the Afscheiding of 1834 and those of the Doleantie of 1886—a unification that was achieved, Gleason makes clear, thanks in no small part to Bavinck’s exertions. The year 1902 saw Bavinck’s move from Kampen to Amsterdam—a change of workplace he had considered and declined on four previous occasions. In the intervening ten years Bavinck campaigned for what should have been the finishing touch to the church merger: creating a single training school for future pastors through a merger of the Kampen seminary with the theological faculty of the Free University. Both institutions trained ministers for the unified denomination. Bavinck’s intent was to eliminate expensive duplication and to raise the scholarly level of the seminary inherited from the Afscheiding churches by taking it out of its relative isolation in the eastern province and bringing it in touch with modern life and academia in the heart of the country. Gleason traces the intricate and crisis-ridden campaign through its various phases with patient and painstaking accuracy (153-68, 187-201, 239-91). Several different configurations for a unified seminary were tried, but each time Bavinck failed to gain sufficient support. The whole episode suffered from a bitter power struggle: mutual suspicion; public innuendos; unrestrained agitation by both sides in local and regional church papers; and similar all-too-familiar sins that tend to mark dissension in ecclesia. Bavinck campaigned at synods, in committees and by private correspondence, but the difficult, protracted and at times acerbic negotiations were a trial for his irenic soul. A hot issue was: Who would control the unified seminary? In his final compromise draft Bavinck proposed that the new theology department function as an integral part of the Free University but that the appointment of professors for the department be the prerogative of the churches. He felt strongly that the latter could not be left to a private association such as operated the Free University. Predictably, “Amsterdam”—its professors, supporters and the association—refused to accede to such an arrangement because, after all, the Free University was founded “free of state and church.” At the same time, the supporters of “Kampen” could not abide the thought that “our beloved school” would be absorbed into a university over which the church had no control, and so they accused their own Professor Bavinck of conceding far too much and selling out to the competition.

It would have been helpful if Gleason had quoted Bavinck’s deepest motive during this protracted struggle. It is right there on page 124 of Bremmer’s biography: “At stake is keeping theology pure and keeping the churches on the path of truth.” Without explicitly mentioning this motive, Gleason’s account creates the impression that Kuyper, Rutgers and others, in their exchanges with Bavinck, were tilting at windmills (no pun intended, as Gleason would say).

For all that, I applaud Gleason for not being afraid from time to time to draw lessons from the history he recounts—for example, that churches and church leaders should avoid party spirit and not draw caricatures of their opponents’ position. Obvious enough, but still worth saying. Throughout these years, Bavinck for the most part emerges as an exemplary churchman: fair, patient and conciliatory, courteous but persistent. Gleason’s account at times borders on hagiography. Still, he does not hesitate to record how even Bavinck could run out of patience and pass harsh judgments. His vacillation and indecision was another character flaw and could exasperate colleagues and critics alike. Gleason also deplores the fact that Bavinck, though teaching and publishing balanced views concerning election and covenant, nevertheless did not put up more vigorous resistance to Kuyper’s doctrine of presumptive regeneration in reports he helped draft for the church assemblies (194, 339–42).

Bavinck’s disappointment at failing to achieve a unified centre for Reformed theological study ran deep. Bremmer indicates that Bavinck saw it as weakening the strength of the revived Calvinism of his day. Unity on this score would have made for a stronger basis of operation for addressing the issue of Scripture in the face of Higher Criticism and for developing alternatives to the many secular movements gaining ground in society.

Toward the end of his life, Bavinck called for revisiting the doctrine of Scripture as traditionally applied in the Reformed Churches. Gleason, following Hepp and Bremmer, denies that he was capitulating at last to modernist elements in the biblical criticism to which he had been exposed as a student at Leiden. Rather, Bavinck felt that the churches needed to apply its view of Scripture in a more nuanced way. He may have feared a slide from an infallibility standpoint to one of inerrancy. Would he have approved of the defrocking of Rev. Netelenbos over his view of Scripture? Hepp (338) claims he did and that he said so explicitly to fellow delegates to the synod that had to deal with the case. (Bavinck wrote the pre-advice but was unable to attend any further sessions due to failing health.) Bremmer reports (266) that in his pre-advice Bavinck had urged the improvement and expansion of the confessions with respect to the inspiration and authority of Scripture. Gleason stops his account with Bavinck’s death in 1921, but in this connection one cannot help but speculate what Bavinck’s position might have been in 1926, when Rev. Geelkerken was deposed over a similar issue. Interestingly, at that time Bavinck’s widow, together with his daughter and son-in-law, joined the seceding Geelkerken churches.

For all my appreciation of Gleason’s effort, I must put my finger on some misstatements. The author studied for some years in Kampen and writes about Bavinck growing up and laboring for twenty years in “the bucolic setting” of Kampen. This description may refer to the outskirts of the provincial town, but the late-medieval Hanseatic city with its red-brick buildings, its white-washed city gates and its Gothic basilica can hardly be described as “a small, rural village” (136, 224, 307, 399 et passim). The initial description on page 29 is more to the point. And in case readers wonder, marriages in Holland are performed by a Justice of the Peace (39, 416) only when bride and/or groom are minors and lack parental approval; normally, marriages are performed by the local mayor or his deputy.

I admit that there are times when one does not know whether to take the author seriously. Surely it was not global warming (435) but rather unsanitary conditions in town and country that caused a lack of clean drinking water around 1830. But wait, a similar indictment in a note on page 139—blaming global warming for what has become known in Dutch history as “de barre winter van negentig” (the severe winter of ‘90)—persuades me that the author has planted his tongue firmly in his cheek. Rather odd, for a serious biography.

For the record, readers should be aware of a few instances where the text states the opposite of what was actually the case. For example, Hovy was not president of the VU association “from 1895 on” (176) but until 1895, the year he resigned in protest over the dismissal of Professor Lohman, in which Bavinck was complicit with Kuyper in flouting proper procedure. Keuchenius was not Lohman’s nemesis (217) but rather the other way around. Were Doleantie preachers “experiential” and Afscheiding preachers “less subjective” (261)? If anything, the opposite was the case. Did Bavinck “dismantle” the defence published by a certain Mr. Huisman of some of Kuyper’s theological ideosyncracies (264)? That could hardly be, since Huisman actually critiqued Kuyper, and Bavinck largely agreed with Huisman. Was Bavinck’s colleague Professor Lindeboom the eternal waffler in Bavinck’s eyes, and was Bavinck impossible to work with in Lindeboom’s eyes (296)? No; the relationship was exactly the reverse. And finally, to name no more, it was not Bavinck but Kuyper who became “president of the Council of Ministers” (374); that was the old title for the rotating chairman of the Cabinet, which Kuyper proceeded to have renamed “minister-president” or prime minister. Most of these reversals of meaning are due to misconstruing passages in Bremmer.

In the end, however, these are little more than momentary lapses. They do not affect the overall thrust and sweep of Gleason’s sympathetic account of Bavinck’s life. As mentioned, I was edified and entertained by this important book. I hope it will soon need a reprint, so that with the removal of these lapses it can become an editio castigata.

Harry Van Dyke

Redeemer College

Originally published in Calvin Theological Journal 46.1 (April 2011): 192–197.

Republished here by permission of the author.

Nils Frahm Unter

2011-09-29T17:02:00.001+01:00

Loving this ...

Nils Frahm – Unter (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

Wisdom and Wonder by Abraham Kuyper announced

2011-09-28T22:35:00.000+01:00

The first part of the translation of Kuyper's Common Grace is announced:

Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art is a new and complete translation of two sections that the Dutch Reformed theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper appended to his larger three-volume work on common grace. During his life Kuyper labored tirelessly, publishing two newspapers, leading a reform movement out of the state church, founding the Free University of Amsterdam, and serving as Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Popular in our time for his devotional work, Kuyper’s Wisdom & Wonder displays his talents as a public theologian, focusing on his comprehensive and Reformed vision of science and art, still relevant for Christians today.

Full details here.

There is an excerpt here.

Recent (re)readings on Kuyper

2011-09-25T09:36:00.001+01:00

Edward E. Ericson Jr 'Abraham Kuyper: cultural critic' Calvin Theological Journal (1987) 22 (2): 210-237

In this paper Ericson examines the notion that Kuyper was influenced by the Romantic movement.
He claims two Kuyperians have maintained this position - however, he doesn't name the two.

Ericson's thesis is that Kuyper rejects Romanticism and that Kuyper saw Romantic and Enlightenment thought as allied, the one issuing from the other.

He starts by outlining the contours of Romanticism then examining some of Kuyper's key writings and in particular 'Pantheism destruction of the bondaries' shows how these contours are absent in Kuyper and that he even undermines them.

He focuses on the term 'organic'. A term much loved by the Romantics and much used by Kuyper. Kuyper uses the term imprecisely. Kuyper applied the term to:

the organic unity of the body of Christ
the organic unity of the cosmos
the organic character of Encyclopedia
the organicism of science
the organicism of theology

He notes that for Kuyper 'the notion of organic seems to mean coherence, fittingness. All things fit together coherently. And the reason that things are inextricably intertwined in an overall unity is that God has placed an order in his creation.' (p. 223)

Ericson is Professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the editor of Academic Freedom and Christian Scholarship (Eerdmans, 2000) and author of Solzhenitsyn and the Modern World.

Roger D. Henderson 'How Abraham Kuyper became a Kuyperian' Appendix to Abraham Kuper The Problem of Poverty (Sioux Center, IA: Dordt College Press, 2011)
Previously published in Christian Scholar's Review 22 (1992): 22-35.

Hendrson's aim is to examine why Kuper didn't end up as a liberal theologian as did so many of his University of Leiden contemporaries. He looks at a number of different context: Kuyper's family background, his goals and achievements and his conversion. Their is alos a short biographical introduction.

The paper is a helpful examination of the early life of Kuyper and the early influences that shaped him.

Roger Henderson is a former professor of philosophy at Dordt College. He now lives in The Netherlands.

James C. Schaap 'A writing exercise in identity: Abraham Kuyper's To Be Near Unto God' In J Kok (ed) Celebrating the vision: the Reformed perspective of Dordt College (Sioux Center, IA: Dordt College Press, 2004): 39-54.
Schaap recently rewrote Kuyper's devotional classic To Be Near Unto God. This short piece explains why he came to do that. One thing that he discovered was that 'those who claim that the inheritors of a Reformed or Calvinist worldview have no tradition of piety are, at best, uniformed. No one can read this book and come away believing such nonsense. Kuyper's spirituality is a witness, a century after the devotions were penned' (p. 44).

James Schaap blogs here and is professor of English at Dordt College

George Grant on Kuyper

2011-09-22T06:27:00.001+01:00

Steve Macias has posted a talk by George Grant on Abraham Kuyper here.

Some notes from the talk are available here.

Grant maintains, citing Otto Klassen, that Kuyper was a man feared by Hitler - despite the fact that Kuyper had been dead for almost 20 years!

He also places the blame for the fall from Kyuperianism in Holland on Hitler. Hitler hunted down all the leaders Kuyper had trained and attempted to destory all the institutions. An interesting thesis.

Work as/is worship

2011-09-22T05:53:00.001+01:00

Dooyeweerd's The Crisis in Humanist Political Theory review by Bruce Wearne

2011-09-18T15:54:00.000+01:00

Guest post by Bruce Wearne. This review first appeared in Sight - used here by permission of the author.

The Crisis in Humanist Political Theory: as seen from a Calvinist cosmology and epistemology
Herman Dooyeweerd (Translated M. Verbrugge, edited by D.F.M. Strauss, co-edited Harry van Dyke)
Paideia Press, 2010
ISBN-13 9780888152121

This volume is the translation of an early work of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977), originally written and published in Dutch in 1931. It is the summation of extensive study made while he was a policy researcher for the Abraham Kuyper Foundation, think-tank of the major Calvinist political party in The Netherlands. It contains an initial systematic formulation of the Christian philosophy that is associated with his name.

The term Calvinist in the book's title, will for some suggest a political justification of the doctrine of predestination and the Biblical teaching of the "chosen people". Such a suspicion is not entirely unwarranted, given for example the historic connections between Dutch reformed theology and the apartheid ideology in South Africa. But readers of Dooyeweerd's work will discover that his "reformational" perspective is cut from another cloth. This is no work of Protestant triumphalism. It self-critically maintains a critical distance from the worldly pride that has repeatedly dogged many political contributions of those claiming a Calvinistic inheritance since the 16th and 17th centuries.

Indeed, in his line by line analysis of the then current body of political thought - an incredible library of weighty scholarly tomes from the German historical tradition, in the tradition of humanistic idealism of Kant and Hegel (and many more) - Dooyeweerd presents himself as a reformer of the intellectual tradition. He sifts and evaluates the theories and analyses of those who had formed, and those who were shaping, the contours of political science.

Political theory is assumed to be an important, though not totally indispensable, scholarly contribution to the work of those called to political office in the administration of public justice. Led by the concept of public justice, this is the discussion of a reformer of political theory. He does not proceed to the articulation of his own contribution before "doing yeoman's duty" as one who has mastered the strengths and weaknesses, twists and turns, and most importantly the underlying "ground principles" (what he would later come to refer to as "religious ground-motives"), of the prominent political theories of the day.

It is also important to note that this is a work that was written to be appreciated by a predominantly German post-World War I readership. The Netherlands had remained neutral in the Great War and this analysis was penned during the years of the Weimar Republic, said to have been sympathetic to the neo-Kantian democratic perspectives of Max Weber and Ernst Troeltsch. This was a few years before Hitler became Chancellor of the Reichstag in 1933. Of interest to historians of political theory will be Dooyeweerd's analysis of the apologia for dictatorship from Carl Schmitt (1888-1985). Schmitt's theory, forged in the heat of the inner spiritual crisis of humanism, prepared the way for the Fuhrerstaat.

The second half of the book provides Dooyeweerd's (neo-Calvinist) view of the way the State must function if it is to carry out its calling "under heaven", and "do" public justice. Dooyeweerd, the professor of jurisprudence, was keen to appropriate positive aspects of Abraham Kuyper's vision of "sphere sovereignty". But that also meant avoiding some of the dogmatic concepts implicit in Kuyper's uncritical view of science and scholarship. For Dooyeweerd, political theory in the Calvinistic line (from Johannes Althusius (1563-1638), required its own Christian philosophical critique of the scientific task, and those a radical critique of any theological endorsement of science's autonomy that go all the way back to Aristotle and Plato.

For Dooyeweerd, Christian political theory is born outside any attempt to bring Christian and pagan thought into a synthesis. Such an attempted marriage has diverted Christian scientific endeavour since the days of the early church. That is not to say that Dooyeweerd's argument defaults to a triumphalist view of Calvinism's contribution to world-history. Not at all. Calvinism as much as other strands of Christianity have all been implicated in this attempted "monster marriage". Calvinism's distinctiveness is to be found in its idea of law centred on God's will for His creation. Dooyeweerd's "philosophy of the idea of cosmic law" thus is a signpost to Christians "doing political theory" that they need to exercise self-critical discernment about the concepts they develop and avoid presuming on their "purity".

The significance of Dooyeweerd's contribution to political theory is in his comprehensive definition of the State's task in the promotion and maintenance of public justice. His analysis rejects any view that suggests the State should impose or justify any nationalist, ethno-supremacist or religious community's ideology. This "neo-Calvinistic" political theory also decisively rejects any presumption of its "manifest destiny" to succeed where all other world-views have failed. The implication is that it is not only neo-pagan America which fails but also any neo-pagan Calvinism! Calvinism's decisive contribution to political theory is thus interpreted from the standpoint of a Christian world-view which promotes scientific engagement motivated by the Christian-Biblical ground-motive of creation, fall and redemption in the communion of the Holy Spirit.

Abraham Kuyper by Richard Mouw

2011-09-17T13:49:00.000+01:00

Abraham Kuyper
A Short and Personal Introdction
Richard J. Mouw
Eerdmans, 2011

For my brief review of this excellent book on Abraham Kuyper see here.

Other reviews:

Excerpts available from here.

Contents
Introduction

Section One
Kuyper on Theology and Culture: An Overview

Kuyper’s Calvinism
“Filling the Earth”
Celebrating Many-ness
The Spheres
Cultural “Dykes and Dams”
“Placing” Kuyper Politically
A Third Way
Spheres in the Bible?
Politics and Creation
The Church’s Place
The Antithesis
God’s “Excellent Gifts”

Section Two
Kuyper for the Twenty-First Century

Kuyperian Aggiornamento
Race: Adding Another “Neo”
Kuyper for Evangelicals
World-Viewing
Will the Bell Still Toll?
Enhancing the Church’s Role
Nurturing Cultural Patience
Beyond “Christendom”
When Spheres “Shrink”
The Challenge of Islam
A Kuyperianism “Under the Cross”

J. R. R. Tolkein by Mark Horne

2011-09-17T11:37:00.003+01:00

J R R Tolkein
Christian Encounters Series
Mark Horne
Thomas Nelson, 2011

This book by Mark Horne is a welcome addition to the series of short biographies in the Christian Encounter series published by Thomas Nelson. Others include J. S. Bach, D. L. Moody, Schweitzer, Columbus, Newton and Galileo.

J. R. R. Tolkein (1892-1973) needs no introduction, he is the author of one of the most popular books of the previous century, The Lord of the Rings. In this short, accessible and well-written book we are introduced to Tolkein the man. The biography is chronological and chronicles Tolkein's life from birth in Bloemfontein, South Africa to his death in Oxford.

This book breaks no new ground, but that is not its aim. It's aim is to provide a simple introduction to the life of Tolkein. Horne recognises that 'Tolkein's faith is important to understanding his works.' Unfortunately, this aspect is not fully developed.

We are told that 'Tolkein's faith helped him to persevere in the midst of severe losses and taught his patience as he forced himself to work at his job and support his family.' His father died while Tolkein was young. Horne makes the interesting observation that Tolkein's religious imagination and faith would have been different if his father had lived. Tolkein's mother later converted to Catholicism and brought up her two children as Catholics. The influence of Catholicism was also evident through Tolkein's guardian Father Francis Morgan, who took over his care when his mother died.

The role of the TCBS (Tea Club and Barrovian Society) is expounded in some detail but little is made of the Inklings - the group that comprised Tolkein, C. S. Lewis, etc. The fellowship and camaraderie of small groups was obviously important to him.

As Horne concludes:

While God calls Christians to proclaim his truth in a variety of ways and situations ... we can learn from Tolkein that sometimes a mere story can change lives.

This book provides a good brief introduction to the life of Tolkein. If you like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit then this book will help you understand a little more the man behind them.

There is a helpful short appendix on the bibliographical sources.

Disclosure: This book was provided as part of the BookSneeze program - the views are my own.

Johann Sebastian Bach by Rick Marschall

2011-09-11T05:29:00.000+01:00

Johann Sebastian Bach
Christian Encounters Series
Rick Marschall
Thomas Nelson, 2011

This book is one in a series of short biographies in the Christian Encounter series published by Thomas Nelson. Others include D. L. Moody, Tolkein, Schweitzer, Columbus, Newton and Galileo.

Before I read this book I knew little of the life of Bach. I had enjoyed his cello suites and knew that his Christian faith influenced his work. I wanted to know more about how his faith influenced him and to see how his faith integrated with his music. I read this book hoping to find these answers. Marschall largely succeeds in this. As he notes, 'there have been very few studies on Bach's faith life' and he writes to fill that gap.

Although Bach never travelled more than a few hundred miles from his birthplace his music has global appreciation. It is clear from this book that Bach's faith permeated all of his life and his music in particular as these quotes from the book reveal:

'Bach too, was a preacher, as effective and doctrinally pure as many saints since apostolic times, but he exhorted through his music'.

'He did not preach about music. His music preached about Christ.'

The book shows Bach as an orthodox Lutheran having a close relationship with his saviour. He read the Bible daily and also read Luther's writings. He began almost all his compositions with 'Jesus help me' written at the top left of the first page and 'To God alone the glory' at the bottom right corner of the completed score. Bach wrote for an audience of one: Jesus Christ his saviour.

Marschall shows that we can't understand Bach without understanding his faith and the other main factor on him, his family: he had twenty children!

This is a helpful biography of Bach that does justice to Bach's faith and his music.

Radical Together by David Platt

2011-09-10T09:55:00.000+01:00

Radical Together
David Platt
Multnomah Books, 2011
ISBN: 978-1601423726

Imagine two churches. The first is seeker-sensitve.
Newcomers are welcomed at the door and provided with a latte and croissants. They settle down in a large auditorium, astounded by the hundreds if not thousands of others who have joined them. Their children are taken care of and entertained in an adjoining room. They listen to a professional band play amazing music accompanied by sensational graphics on HD screens around the auditorium. There are no obvious Christian symbols on display, no cross or crucifix, no stained glass windows, no Bibles. It could be any theatre in any town. The pastor then stands up and gives an excellent and inspiring talk again accompanied with amazing projected graphics on the screens.

The second church is also seeker-sensitive.
But for this church it's a different seeker. This seeker is the one one who seeks worshippers (Jn 4:23). There is very little entertainment, but what takes place is worship and praise to the God who is the creator of all things, the music may not be note perfect, but there is honesty, integrity and sincerity in the singing. This church is attempting to show people the love, justice, holiness, grace and character of God - no gimmicks.

In which place is God most glorified? How can we be radical together and not succumb to the American dream? That is the question that David Platt asks in this book. Platt's previous book Radical was a bestseller. This book takes shows the next step - it provides ideas and examples of how we can be radical together.

It is a challenging if not uncomfortable read. It will challenge you to consider how the radical impact of the gospel affects church life. Platt is refreshingly iconoclastic.Here he wants to consider what could happen if 'we apply the revolutionary claims and commands of Christ to our communities of faith'.

He has six key ideas:

1. The good things of church can become the enemy of the best - programmes, as good as they are, may not be the best thing for a church.
2. The gospel saves us from work so that we can work. We don't earn God's acceptance.
3. The Word does the work - the Bible is our guide and motivation. Living according to God's word will mean making big changes.
4. Building the right church depends on using the wrong people - God is interested in people. Dedication to church programs is not the same as 'devotion to kingdom purposes'. The issue is not performance in church, it is not professionalism but as he puts it 'Performance has nothing to do with it. People have everything to do with it'.
5. We are living and longing for the end of the world - by this he means that we need to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Mt 24:14 )
6. We are selfless followers of a self-centred God. All this is done not because God needs us - God is self-sufficient, he needs no ones help - but he wants to involve us because he loves us.

These he claims are radical claims. By following these we can be radical together. I was particularly pleased to see the emphasis on the self-sufficiency of God; otherwise the book can become yet another programme to follow, something more for us to do. But at essence what Platt is calling for is for each of us, for the churches, to seek what God call us to do and to do it - and that my be very different from what his church at Brook Hills, Alabama, or our prevailing culture call us to do.

He provides some concrete examples which his congregation in have followed. These include reducing church budgets so that more money can go to mission, lifestyles rearranged, downsizing, a large adoption programme in the church and reallocating resources.

One needn't agree with all that Platt is advocating, but it makes for an interesting read. It will challenge each one of us and each congregation to think what can we do to make sure that we are being sensitive to the right seeker. It is a message that the rugged individualism of evangelicalism needs to hear.

Resources to support he book are available here

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group sent me this book for free for this review - the views expressed are my own.

The Bavinck Review Vol 2 (2011) now available as pdf

2011-09-09T21:05:00.001+01:00

via bavinck.calvinseminary.edu

Now available as a pdf

God's Renaissance Man by James E. McGoldrick

2011-08-29T14:20:00.001+01:00

God's Renaissance Man
The Life and Work of Abraham Kuyper
James Edward McGoldrick
Evangelical Press: Darlington, 2000
ISBN 0852344465
320 pp.

Kuyper was an incredible man - he seemed to polarise peoples' opinions of him, a bit like marmite you either loved him or hated him. This is the first biography of Kuyper published in English this century. McGoldrick, a church historian, seeks to build upon the previous two English biographies by Vanden Beg and Praamsma. He rightly says that Vanden Berg is far too uncritical, but then seems address this by over stressing the criticisms of Kuyper.

McGoldrick starts by addressing two criticism of Kuyper and ends with two slightly negative chapters. This is rather strange, almost as if he is bracketing Kuyper between these negatives. The penultimate chapter laments the loss of legacy in the Anti-Revolutionary Party and at the Free University. The final chapter 'Conclusion and critique' look at Kuyper's 'superlapsarianism', his views on 'presumed regeneration' and the way his views have been misappropriated and misapplied to support apartheid. These are almost petty in-house Reformed arguments. The criticisms McGoldrick presents could almost be construed as points on which McGoldrick disagrees with Kuyper. This is particularly evident when he accuses Kuyper of mysticism. The mysticism here is because Kuyper maintained that God still speaks (although Kuyper took great care to stress not in a way that adds to scripture) and that God still does miracles.

McGoldrick writes as an admirer of Kuyper but not as one without 'uncritical approbation'. It feels as if McGoldrick is tempering his enthusiasm for Kuyper by focusing on some of the negatives.

Rather more than a biography this book also covers a lot of Kuyper's theological views. Chapters 2 and 3 provide a helpful church and national background, though I think more could have been made of the role and influence of Groen Van Prinsterer.

Biographical chapters are interspersed with those that deal with Kuyper's theology. Well over a third of the chapters are theological.

I enjoyed reading the book. It is written for a popular audience, however, he has drawn upon a wide range of (English) secondary sources - cited in 9 pages of endnotes. As ever little is mention of the role and influence of his family and how he treated them and how he was able to do so much with a large family.

There is a very useful 48-page annotated bibliography which provided me with one or two avenues for further research.

A useful addition to the increasing amount of kuyperania - but the definitive English biography of Kuyper is still to be written.

The Spirit in Public Theology by Vincent Bacote

2011-08-26T16:22:00.001+01:00

The Spirit in Public Theology
Appropriating the Legacy of Abraham Kuyper

Vincent E. Bacote

Baker Academic, 2005
9780801027406

Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2010
978-1608999965
pbk, 172pp

Kuyper's book on the Holy Spirit was a ground-breaking book. It started life as series of articles in De Heraut , these were complied into the book in 1888 (English translation 1900). At the time very few books had been writtten on the Spirit. In this book Bacote looks at the links between Kuyper's theology of the Holy Spirit, common grace and his political perspectives.

Bacote's aim in this book is to 'reveal the interrelated character of the strands of a thread comprised of pneumatology linked to creation and history, public theology and the work of Abraham Kuyper' and 'to articulate a cntemporary formulation of Kuyperian public theology rooted in the Holy Spirit's role in creation and history' (p. 53)

Having got over my problem with the title: Public Theology (Kuyper was a theologian, but it wan't theology - public or not - that he was doing when he was doing politics. He didn't reduce politics to theology) - I was pleased to see that the book had endorsement from top Kuyper scholars including John Bolt, Harry van Dyke, George Harinck and Richard Mouw. So it was with high expectations I staretd this book.

Bacote, in chapter 1, starts by looking at some recent treatments of the Holy Spirit, these include diverse thinkers such as Geiko Muller-Fahrenholz, Sinclair Ferguson, Colin Gunton, Moltmann, Clark Pinnock and Mark Wallace. He then takes a brief look at the public theology of Max Stonehouse and Ronald Thiemann before turning to Kuyper.

Chapter 2 takes a look at the period 1890-1905. During this time Kuyper shaped the Anti-Revolutionary Party, formed the Free University and became primeminister; he also began work on the series on common grace in De Heraut, his Stone lectures on Calvinism were published, the lecture that became The Problem of Poverty was delivered, as was his work on The Holy Spirit.

Chapter 3 focuses on the main thesis of the book, examining in more detail the theological rationale of Kuyper's 'public theology', namely common grace. He also looks at some concerns expressed by sympathetic Kuyperians, Mouw, Klapwijk, van der Kooi and S. U. Zuidema. Bacote maintains, and makes a good case for, the Holy Spirit as the previusly unseen missing link in Kuyper's approach. He identifies three aspects that Kuyer discerns regarding the Holy Spirit's activity in creation:

1. the role fo the Spirit in the creative act;

2. as the animating principle of all life; and

3. in the restraint of sin.

Thus, in Kuyper's theology, the cosmic activities of the Spirit are implicitly linked to common grace.

Having made his case Bacote goes on in chapter 4 to compare Kuyper with A. A. Van Ruler. He also engages with Stanley Grenz, Amos Yong and Clark Pinnock. The final chapter summarises the book.

Bacote has shown that the concept of common grace is bought about by the Spirit and thast common grace is not someething that is a mere intellectual historical curiosity, but has its role today to play in the public square.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

1 Weaving the thread

2. Abraham Kuyper's public theology at its zenith (180-1905)

3. The spirit of Kuyper's public theology

4. The Spirit and creation stewardship

5. Compelled to "go public"

Bibliography

Index

Other Kuyer articles by Bacote include:

Called Back to Stewardship: Recovering and Developing Kuyper's Cosmic Pneumatology
Journal for Christian Theological Research 2:3 (1997).

Common Grace And "Spiritual" Stewardship: Guidance for Development?
Princeton Seminary Bulletin 24.1 (2003): 84-93

Abraham Kuyper's Rhetorical Public Theology with Implications for Faith and Learning
Christian Scholar's Review 37:4 (2008): 407-425.