New book on Bavick: Trinity and Organism by James Eglinton

Trinity and Organism: Towards a New Reading of Herman Bavinck’s Organic Motif

(T&T Clark Studies in Systematic Theology Edited by John Webster, Ian A. McFarland and  Ivor Davidson Volume 17)
T&T Clark, 2012
ePub ISBN: 978-0-5676-3271-5
ISBN: 9780567124784
240 pp
James Eglinton

This book is based on Eglinton's Edinburgh PhD, supervised by David Fergusson.

Abstract. This book provides a new reading of the organic motif as found in the works of the Dutch neo-Calvinist theologian, Herman Bavinck (1854–1921). Noting the recent collapse of the previously dominant ‘two Bavincks’ hypothesis, it explores the impact of this now defunct hermeneutic on the normative reading of Bavinck’s organic motif in the work of Jan Veenhof. In probing Veenhof’s general reliance on the failed ‘two Bavincks’ model and view of the motif through this lens, it becomes evident that a new general reading of Bavinck (which will be used to interpret specific portions of his theology) is required. One must ‘reunite’ the ‘two Bavincks’ by tracing the basis for conceptual unity in his thought.

This basis for unity is located in Bavinck’s doctrine of God. In handling the divine paradigm of unity-in-diversity via both triadic and non-triadic emphases, one argues that Bavinck attempts to understand all of nature and history as a broad sweep of Trinitarian divine self-revelation. The redemption and modification of the Augustinian notion of the vestigia trinitatis enables Bavinck to see the Trinity revealed in all of life. He thus commandeers the common organic language of nineteenth-century Europe and, in so doing, loads it with Trinitarian meaning. The working hypothesis developed is that, for Bavinck, a theology of Trinity ad intra leads to a cosmology of organism ad extra.

Such a hypothesis is probed in chapters on Bavinck’s doctrines of God, general revelation, Scripture and ecclesiology. In all of these, one finds that Bavinck invokes the organic motif to explain the sense in which the archetypal unity of the Godhead acts as the foundation for all consequent ectypal unity in the creation. As such, the organisch is understood to be Bavinck’s motif of choice when accounting for the triniformity which abounds in all created reality.

In this exploration, it becomes apparent that as Bavinck uses the organic motif, he draws on the heritage of both Patristic and Reformation theology. However, he does not merely repristinate this tradition. Rather, his use of the motif is a highly creative development in the intellectual context of the late nineteenth-century.

Contents
1. Where was Herman Bavinck?
2. How many Herman Bavincks?
3. Bavinck's Organic Motif
4. The Organic Motif and the Doctrine of God
5. The Organic Motif and General Revelation
6. The Organic Motif and Special Revelation
7. The Organic Motif and Ecclesiology
Conclusion

Mouw hits the spot - again

Some great thoughts from Richard Mouw [HT Antony Billington]

“My pastor has no idea of the kind of world I live in six days a week.” That came from a prominent businessperson, a venture capitalist, during a lunch we had together when I visited the city where he works.

And even though that particular comment was clearly a complaint, it was expressed in a larger context in which he was speaking quite warmly about his involvement in the local church.

His congregation has good programs for his children, and he and his wife are involved in a small group they find spiritually nurturing. His pastor preaches good, biblically based sermons. All of that is very positive in his mind. What is missing, though, is any sort of connection to his actual daily work experience.

Mindmap of Kuyper's Wisdom and Wonder Ch 1-4

My first draft of a mindmap of the chapters on science from Abraham Kuyper's Wisdom and Wonder - click on the image to enlarge it.

Groen van Prinsterer on politics

Groen van Prinsterer's approach to politics:

To engage in politics as a Christian meant for him ... not just to work from a personal inspiration based on the Bible, but to pursue a Christian politics, a Christian state, a Christian public school. For Groen, politics and government were not neutral, technical areas where Christians too, motivated by their personal beliefs, could be active. Politics, government, education were institutions that ought to fall entirely under the law of God.

From Gerrit J. Schutte Guillame van Prinsterer: His Life and Work (translated by Harry van Dyke), Publisher's imprint

Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer - a time line

Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876) was a statesman, an aristocrat, a historian - he was the Royal Archivist - politician and journalist - he published De Nederlandsche Gedachten and Nederlandsche Gedachten.
He was extremely influential upon Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper took up Groen's mantle in the setting up of the Anti-Revolutionary Party as the first Dutch national political party
A recent important article by Harry van Dyke has described Groen as the godfather of Kuyper and Herman Bavinck (Calvin Theological Journal 47 (1) (2012)).

Many of Groen's works in Dutch and French are available here.

1797 Groen's parents Pieter Jacobus Groen van Prinsterer and Adrinana Hendrika Caan marry
1799 Birth of eldest sister Cornelia Adriana (aka Keetje)
1801 Birth
1805 Spends winter season in mansion on Korte Vijverberg
1806 Birth of youngest sister Maria Clazina
1808/9 attends private school run by the Hague chapter of the Society for the Common Utility
1813 Spends short time at a boarding school in Haarlem
1815 Hieronmymus School, Utrecht
1816 Saves girl from drowning
1817 Enrols at Leyden University to study both law and letters
1817 Poet Willem Bilderdijk comes to live in Leyden
1818 Attends Bilderdijk’s private seminar
1821 Sister Keetje marries Mari Hoffman
1822 Touched by the baptism of Da Costa
1823 Passes qualifying exams – decides to do two doctorates
1823 Defends two doctorates dissertations
1924 Barrister in The Hague
1826 General History of Netherlands invitation by the King issued
1827 Appointed to post of Secretary in King’s Cabinet
1828 Marries Elizabeth Maria Magdalena van der Hoop (b 1807) (21 May)
1829 Moves to small house on Haagse Voorhout, The Hague
1829 First issue of De Nederlandsche Gedachten published (122 issues in total published in its 3 year life)
1830 Belgium revolt
1832 Moves house to Plein Square, The Hague
1832 De Nederlandsche Gedachten ceases publication (July)
1832 Writes to Minister pointing out the inherent injustice of the Education Act.
1833 January mother dies
1833 January seriously ill
1833 July travels to Switzerland for convalescence – meets Merle d’Aubigne
1833 December discharged from role of Secretary to the King – but charged with supervision of family archives
1833 Becomes a Christian
1834 Secession (Afscheiding) movement begins
1835 March first volume of Archives ou correspondance inédite de la Maison d'Orange-Nassau published. He edited 13 volumes, covering the period 1552 to 1688
1837 Father dies
1837 Tract: Measures Against the Seceders Tested Against Constitutional Law
1838 Lives in mansion on Korte Vijverberg
1840 Elected to the Double Chamber of parliament
1841 First instalment of Handboek der Geschiedenis van het Vaderland [Handbook of the History of the Fatherland] published
1842 May wrote an open letter to the Synod with 6 others
1845 Begins to deliver the lectures that became Unbelief and Revolution to an invited audience in his home
1845 The Christian Friends begin to meet in Amsterdam
1846 Handbook completed: over 1100 numbered paragraphs
1848 Writes a series of pamphlets: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Explanation of the Slogan of the Revolution
1848 Essays on Constitutional Revision and National Concord
1849 January takes up seat in the lower house of parliament
1850 Begins editorship of daily De Nederlander and becomes co-owner
1850 Surrenders manorial rights in the village of Ursem
1853 Leyden history teacher, Robert Fruin, launches a written attack on Groen
1855 De Nederlander ceases publication
1855 Re-elected to a seat in Second Chamber
1855 Visits England and Scotland with wife
1857 Second Chamber passes the Primary Education Act (votes 47 to 13)
        Groen resigns his seat in protest by walking out of the chamber
1860 Devotes energy to Association for Christian National Primary Education
1862 Returns to Second Chamber
1862 December becomes ill
1864 Election year
        Begins correspondence with Abraham Kuyper
1865 Resigns seat in Second Chamber because of illness
1861 Publishes the French tract The Anti-Revolutionary and Confessional Party in the Reformed Church of the Netherlands.
1866 Groen’s friend Levinus Keuchenius. Keuchenius previously secretary-general of the Department of Colonial Affairs and a member of the Council of the Netherlands East Indies takes seat in Second Chamber
1867 Writes two brochures condemning Prussian Chancellor Otto van Bismark’s politics and the idolatry of nationalism
1869 He begins a new series of Nederlandsche Gedachten
1871 Elections – he  endorses only Kuyper, Van Otterloo and Baron van Wassenaer
        Resigns from the post of Royal Archivist
        Fourth edition of Handbook – distributed free to hundreds of school teachers
1872 Kuyper begins De Standaard. Groen had contributed 3000 guilders towards the set up.
1875 Publishes Maurice et Barnevelt
1876 Published a collection of letters related to the conflict with Van der Brugghen over the 1857 Education Bill
1876 19 May death. Buried in Ter Navolging cemetery.
1879 14 March Betsy, his wife, dies

Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer's view of history

Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, was a journalist, politician and historian.  Schutte in his biography of Groen has this to say about Groen's approach to history:

For Groen van Prinsterer, the study of history was a matter of great importance as well as practical usefulness. "In the past lies the present," as Bilderdijk had said, giving voice to a common notion of the time that was also warmly affirmed by Groen. The study of history is a means of getting to know one's own time; it is a school for everyone who wants to become familiar with the processes and structures of human affairs. It also helps one to gain insight into the power of evil and the limits to what man can do. But besides these practical lessons, the study of history in particular had religious value for Groen. History realizes God's plan with the world. He guides earthly events to their appointed end, and along the way He does not withhold trials and hardship from his children. He also punishes those who go their own way—for those who depart from God can expect griefs and sorrows. History, therefore, is the story of God's guidance of and God's involvement with humankind; it is the confirmation of the promises and threats which Revelation has attached to His covenant with man. To study history, therefore, is for Groen not just a pleasant pastime that can yield many interesting things. It is an essential work for a Christian, who should leave no means unused to learn to know God better. It stands written! It has come to pass! That is how Groen loved to summarize his Christian-historical world-view. Notice how Groen's aphorism puts Holy Scripture first, as God's indisputable proclamation of the truth. But God also reveals himself in what comes to pass in history, although on that score human knowledge is limited and imperfect, which is why the book of history will always have to be read while constantly testing it against the written Word. What has happened is not good just because it happened. That was the view, basically, of many of Groen's contemporaries, the conservatives of the so-called Historical School. They accepted the existing order as having been realized in the historical process under God's providential rule and therefore as good. Those conservatives forgot about evil and about testing history against fixed norms. Thus they were often uncritical admirers of the status quo and, by the same token, terribly afraid of the continuation of the historical process. The distinctiveness of Groen's position was that he wanted to apply the standards of God's law to the historical process—in which, after all, anti-godly, diabolical forces are active as well. 

In this way Groen in principle freed himself from many difficulties and took up a special place over against the conservative worshippers of the status quo as the product of a sacrosanct historical development. Groen would always be different. Neither conservatism nor progressivism appealed to him. While he fought a life-long battle against what passed for progress and renewal, on the other hand he shocked conservatives more than once by his surprisingly modern standpoints on all sorts of practical questions. That he took distance from a conservatistic wish to preserve everything as is, without change, is all the more striking because that attitude was widespread precisely among his Christian friends. But neither did he fall into the trap which, then and later, amounted to a belief in a progressive evolution of human society. Groen held that those who believed in progress might differ among themselves about the question whether economic developments alone determined the course of history or whether people of good will could exert some influence over it, nevertheless they too arrived at a misreading of historical reality. 

Given his view of history, it was inevitable that an engaged historian like Groen should want to share the results of his journey into the past with as many people as possible, precisely for the sake of the present. He wanted to share his findings not just with fellow professionals who were able to read the Archives, but also with ordinary people.

From Gerrit J. Schutte Guillaume van Prinsterer: His Life and Work (translated by Harry van Dyke), Publisher's imprint, 2005, pp. 41-42.

As well as editing Archives et Correspondance de la Maison d'Orange (12 vols., 1835-1845) Groen wrote an influential history book for teachers and school children: Handboek der Geschiedenis van het Vaderland. The first instalment was published in 1841 and was finally completed in 1846. It comprised of over 1100 numbered paragraphs and almost as many pages. The book is still in print.

Music for a Sunday morning

WYSOCS: Religious Roots for Secular Law

PROGRAMME 

10.15 Registration and coffee 

10.45 On being a Christian in Law 

Christians worship a law-giving God who is faithful and just, as revealed throughout the Bible and supremely in the wisdom of Jesus of Nazareth. How, then, might a relationship with Jesus influence our study and practice of law? What does it mean to be called to work in law? 

11.45 Refreshments 

12.00 Shari’a in the West 

In a multicultural society, we may find communities living by principles that conflict with the established legal system. How should true justice be administered in such situations? Prof. Aroney will share perspectives from his co-edited book (copies of which will be on sale). 

 13.00 Close 

 NICHOLAS ARONEY is professor of law at the University of Queensland and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow at its Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law.  This year he is in the U.K. as a MacCormick Fellow at Edinburgh University's Europa Institute and a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of European and Comparative Law at Oxford 

University. He has published widely on constitutional law and is co-editor, with Rex Ahdar, of Shari'a in the West (2010).

Venue: OUTWOOD HOUSE.

Please download the FLYER, and BOOK here

Philosophia Reformata volume 77 (2012), no. 1

The most recent issue of Philosophia Reformata is out, included is my review of E. M. Conradie's book:   

Articles
Lambert Zuidervaart, How Not To Be an Anti-realist: Habermas, Truth, and Justification
Sander Griffioen, On worldviews
Jacob Klapwijk, Nothing in Evolutionary Theory Makes Sense Except in the Light of Creation

Book reviews

Andrew Basden, Philosophical Frameworks for Understanding Information Systems (Marc J. de Vries)

Ernst M. Conradie (editor), Creation and Salvation: Dialogue on Abraham Kuyper’s Legacy for Contemporary Ecotheology (Steve Bishop)

Daniel Strauss, Philosophy: Discipline of the Disciplines (Alan M. Cameron)

A newly found image of Kuyper c. 1910

Kuyper Photo - 2009 - Historical Documentation Centre for Dutch Protestantism (1800-present), VU University Amsterdam

HT @georgeharinck

Jamie Smith on "The fall of interpretation'

Exploring the World of Mathematics by John Hudson Tiner

Exploring the World of Mathematics
From Ancient Record keeping to the Latest Advances in Computing
John Hudson Tiner
Master Books, 2004 (third printing 2008)
ISBN 978-0-89051-412-2
157pp, pbk


This book is part of a series by Tiner "Exploring the world of ..."; others are on Medicine, Planet Earth, Chemistry, Physics and The World Around You. The book is obviously written for the Christian market and the American market.

In a sense this book aims to do too much. It covers a wide historical period and a wide range of mathematical concepts for 'students of several different ages and skill levels'.

Tiner starts off by looking at measuring the years and then the hours. Measurement is dependent upon number, so I would have thought a better first place to start would be the numerical aspect but that isn't dealt with until chapter 7.

There are one or two math errors: eg 'Every time a number is multiplied by 1,000, three zeros are added, and a new name is given'. Not if the number is 1.3! Such an approach destroys place value concepts - not a great idea in an introductory maths book!

Bible verses are interspersed - sometimes without apparent reason. This approach tends to view Christianity as an icing on the mathematics cake. There are side boxes on topics such as Hebrew and Jewish Calandar of the Old Testament and Cubit in the Bible. Peter's catch of 153 fish (Jn 21:11) is examined - 153 = 1^3 + 5^3 + 3^3. However, little attempt is made to fully integrate Christianity and mathematics.

There are a number of missed opportunities. For example, on the decimal system, Tiner applauds the United States for being the first country to adopt a decimal money system and showed its advantages and yet they haven't embraced full metrification - it would have been interesting to have explored why not. And in the context of decimals how are we, in light of a Christian worldview, to  interpret Tobias Dantzig's assertion in Number The Language of Science (1930):

... man counts by tens, his ten fingers will remind him of the human origin of this most important phase of his mental life. So may the decimal system stand as a living monument to the proposition: Man is the measure of all things."

There is a helpful discussion on the Golden ratio - Tiner noted that the dimensions of Noah's Ark in (Gn 6:15) and the Ark of the Covenant are close to the Golden ratio; but why is 1.618 so prevalent in creation?

Pythagras' absolutisation of number and the Greek rationalisation of proof are not really explored - this would have been a good opportunity to show how worldviews shape mathematics.

The Christian faith of mathematicians is also largely absent. Some mathematicians who are Christians are mentioned, but little is made of their faith and in the portrayal of Newton one could be forgiven for thinking that Newton was an orthodox evangelical rather than a unitarian.

I have perhaps been a little over critical; and it is undoubtably much better than the Christian maths book I haven't written!! There is much of use in this book and it may provide the Christian teacher with some useful ideas. It is well laid out and illustrated with line drawings and photographs. It would make for a good resource for the school library or Christian teacher.

Music for a Sunday morning

With by Skye Jethani

With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God

Skye Jethani
Thomas Nelson, 2011
ISBN 978-1595553799


The Barna group recently did an extensive survey and found that the youth are leaving the church. What has previously happened is that they then come back when they get married and have children, however, that trend doesn’t seem to be happening. Nothing we didn’t previously know! But they identified several reasons why. One of which is that their experience of Christianity is shallow and another is that the churches seem overprotective.

This book may well present something of a solution for these issues.

Skye Jethani, editor of Leadership Journal, in this book makes an interesting observation: he sees all religions are based on the idea that the world is a dangerous place. Because it is a dangerous place, this leads to fear. We want to protect ourselves, so this means some sort of control. However, control leads to conflict and so more danger. This may explain why churches want to protect. All religion, Jethani claims is some sort of control based on fear.

In different ways we try and control God. This leads to four postures. In the first half of the book Jethani explains these four postures. Each of the postures contain an element of truth but are parasitic on the truth of the Gospel. But many are passing them off as gospel, which may be why the experience of Christianity for many is shallow.

The first posture is life under God. The best way to maintain control is to try and control the God who created the world. This posture looks to rituals and morality to do that. If we do the right things then God will cooperate. If we obey, God will bless.
It’s the drop the virgin in the volcano approach to religion. We adhere to the rules and rituals, but God won’t cooperate. Christianity then doesn’t seem to work.

The second posture is life over God. In this posture we don’t need to follow divine commands, rituals or morality, we don’t even need God we can get control through science, through laws and principles. The more extreme version of this posture is atheism – we can take God out of the picture. A god-version is deism, god is a clockmaker – he’s set the world up so now it runs according to laws.

For Christians who adopt this posture the principles in the Bible, rather than science, can give us control and help us find success. What happens is that we then have a relationship not with the God of the Bible but with the Bible as god.

Life from God is the third posture. This is perhaps the most popular today, it sees the issue as unmet desires and pleasures. It’s a consumerist gospel, a gospel that’s all about me. God is there to give us our needs and desires, to give us what we want.

We’ve made God into a divine butler or a divine cosmic therapist.

What happens to Christians who adopt this posture when God doesn’t meet our desires? They walk away form the shallow alternative to the gospel, mistakenly thinking that they have tried the real thing.

The fourth posture reverses this approach – rather than life from God it’s life for God. It puts mission or transformation at the centre. God doesn’t exist for us; we exist to serve God. We need to figure out what God’s purpose is for us and do more for God. The more we do for God the better we feel about ourselves.

Jethani points out have produced an activist generation – we want to end world poverty, we want to reach the lost, we want to go out on the streets to heal, we want to see people saved, we want to see culture transformed. But why are we doing it? We are driven not out of compassion but out of a search for significance.

This is a brilliant analysis of false gospels often promulgated as the Gospel. It is no longer people’s experience of Christianity is so shallow – they have been inoculated against the truth.

The second part of the book looks at the posture of the Gospel: life with God.
In all the other postures we use God to achieve some end: it may be success, wealth or it may be significance. But once we get a revelation of who Jesus is – we no longer want to use God. He isn’t the means to an end – he is the end, He’s the beginning and the end, the all and in all.

I found the first half of the book fascinating and insightful – the second less so, it’s hard to write about how we can get a revelation of God, it’s something that’s ‘caught rather than taught’. This is an important book. It may well change your view of God and the Gospel.

Odds and sods

Here are some recent links worth visiting:

• Grooveshark - much better than Spotify - for most of your music needs
• Gregory Baus Sanctifying the common 2
• Scot Miller on Reading Gagnon
• Preaching Christ in Genesis
• Jon Swales on Leviticus 1
• Christian mathematicians: Bernhard Riemann
• Dr Erik Hoekestra is the new Dordt College President
• Dropbox - a brilliant cloud storage and sharing system
  

Chuck Colson at the Legacy of Abraham Kuyper & Leo XIII Conference

Tim Keller on sermon preparation

HT Denny Burk

Kuyper's works online

The Digital Library of Abraham Kuyper is now freely online. The digital library contains most of his published works as well as his unpublished archives.

How to identify a first edition book

Music for a Sunday morning: Nik Bartsch's Ronin

George Washington Carver by John Perry

George Washington Carver
Christian Encounters Series
John Perry
Thomas Nelson, 2011
vii + 161 pp
ISBN 978-1-59555-026-2


This book is one in a series of short biographies in the Christian Encounter series published by Thomas Nelson. Others include familiar subjects such as Tolkein, Bach, D L Moody, Jane Austen and Galileo; others more unfamiliar such as William F. Buckley, Anne Bradstreet and George Washington Carver.

The two previous volumes I've reviewed were ebooks, this was a hard copy. I was pleased to see the small format and the well-designed book covers, including flaps.

Perry is well placed to write this short, accessible biography as he has previously written Unshakable Faith (Multnomah Books, 1999) - a 400 page biography of Carver and his Booker T. Washington. He has also written biographies of General Lee, Mrs Robert E. Lee, Sargent York, Charles Colson and for this Christian Encounter series Sargent York and Winston Churchill.

Carver is best known as the 'peanut man'. (He discovered over 265 uses for peanuts.) But as this biography shows he was so much more. Franklin D Roosevelt described him as “One of world’s most significant scientists”.

Carver was born into slavery as the son of a slave woman, but after his mother was kidnapped was bought up by his owner Moses Carver. Brought up in a Christian environment he soon found faith and often taught Bible at the Sunday school. He also showed great aptitude for geology and botany. Through much hardship and subsistence living he manage to work his way through school - but because of his exceptional ability soon out grew his teachers.

He found a post at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, where he met Booker T. Washington. Washington encouraged Carver, but there was often friction and tension, despite the great mutual respect, between the two. Despite many threats to resign Carver remained at Tuskegee all his teaching years.

Carver excelled at teaching and research but administration was his shortfall. Perry presents us with Carver wart and all.

What shines through in this biography is Carter's love for and dependence upon his Lord. He credited all his 'admirable characteristics accomplishments to God' (p. 116). He believed that his scientific discoveries 'were a product of divine revelation' (p. 105). He wrote: "I didn't make these discoveries, God worked through me to reveal to his children some of his wonderful providence". Carter never let his colour hold him back - despite living in a place where segregation was legalised. Carver had the ear of government and the president, but was unable to dine in the same room as whites. He dealt with such injustices with kindness, patience and humility. He let his work speak for itself and demonstrated he was 'the white man's equal' (p. 104).

This is an excellent and highly readable introduction to the life and times of Carver. Perry ably places Carver in his cultural context and shows how Carver's faith helped him through and shaped his science: 

Binding all the threads of his life into one cord was carver's overarching belief in a Creator who has made everything he studied so intently, and gave him and his students the insights to understand and appreciate them". (p. 75)

It is an inspiring and inspirational story well told by Perry.

The parts of a book explained

"The Last Enemy" by Michael Wittmer

Mike Wittmer discusses the topic of his recent book The last Enemy

Kuyper's Wisdom & Wonder @ Patheos Book club

Abraham Kuyper's recently translated wisdom and Wonder has been the subject of the Patheos Book Club.

Brief pieces on the book have included:

• Wisdom and Wonder by James McGrath
• Common Grace and Saving Revelation by Bruce Epperlyhas
• Wisdom, Wonder and the Nature of Creation by Joanne Brokaw
• Wisdom & Wonder: Engaging Science, Art & Grace by David Swartz

Well worth checking out.

Christian mathematicians

My series on Christian mathematicians has another post over at Josh Wilkinson's God and Math 
The series so far has included:

• Cauchy
• Babbage
• Hamilton
• Bayes
• Nightingale
• Pascal
• Leibniz
• Euler

Kuyper in America: "This is where I was meant to be"

Kuyper in America: "This is where I was meant to be" is a new book from Dordt College Press. Edited by George Harinck.

ISBN: 978-0932914934
100 pages.
Details are here.

In 1898, Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) travelled from the Netherlands to the United States to deliver the Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary. He was gone for more than four months; during which time he wrote twenty-two letters to his wife Jo (and seven children) back home. These sometimes hastily penned personal letters allowed his wife and children to share his adventures, and also his thoughts and feelings while traveling. These are typical travel letters. For Kuyper scholars and students of American history and culture these letters contain fascinating details, and for the lover of the epistolary genre and the petit histoire this publication offers the opportunity to get close to the enigmatic figure of Abraham Kuyper.

Tom Wright: Rethinking life after death

Spot the King - slides from a talk

Spot the King - 4 false postures

View more presentations from Steve Bishop.

Kuyper and the Ribbon affair

Mark Roques: James Bond and rat worship

Music for a Sunday morning - Portico Quartet

Neo-Calvinism and the French Revolution Conference, Paris August 2012

Theme

The French Revolution was the scene of much intellectual and social upheaval. Its impact touched a wide range of subjects: the relationship of the church to the state, social relationships, science, literature, fashion, philosophy and theology. Although the French Revolution’s momentum was felt across Europe and North America, it met a particularly interesting response in the Netherlands, at that time the scene of a burgeoning neo- Calvinist movement. In that context, the likes of Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck responded to the French Revolution’s ideals and influence in a variety of intellectual and practical ways.

This conference will focus on the historical and theological aspects of this neo-Calvinist response to the French Revolution.

Call for Papers

The conference organisers welcome proposals for short papers. Proposals (approximately 300 words) should be sent to jeglintontukampen.nl by May 4th. Conference papers will be in English.

Registration

The conference registration fee is €40. Conference places must be reserved by email (jeglintontukampen.nl) by May 30th.

Location and Accommodation

The conference will be held at:

The Library The American Church in Paris 65 quai d’Orsay 75007 Paris France

Participants are responsible for finding their own accommodation. The organisers suggest the Adveniat Youth Hostel (http://www.adveniat-paris.org/) as a well-priced, comfortable and convenient option.

For further details see here.

Music for a Sunday morning: EST + Pat Metheny

Christian mathematicians on Godandmath.com

Over at the God and math website, maintained by Josh Wilkinson, I have begun a sereis on Christin mathematicians.

Appeared so far are short biographies on:

• Leonhard Euler
• G. W. Leibniz
• Blaise Pascal and 
• Florence Nightingale

Soon to appear are:

• Thomas Bayes
• Sir William Rownan Hamilton
• Charles Babbage

Abraham Kuyper from George H. Dryer History of the Christian Church Vol. V

Abraham Kuyper, born in 1837, is the other evangelical leader in Holland. He was educated at Leyden - under Scholten and Kuenen. He knew from personal experience the lack of vitality and spiritual power in their teachings, and he represents the strongest reaction against them. This came from his finding, studying, and winning a prize for an edition of the works of John a Lasco, the Polish Reformer of the sixteenth century. From that time he has been a sturdy Calvinist. As pastor at Beest and Utrecht he stood by the side of Groen as leader of the Old Reform party in the State Church from 1869. On Groen's death in 1876, he succeeded to the leadership of the party. He became editor of the Standard in 1870, and later founded the Herald.

Since 1874 he has been Deputy in the National Legislature. In 1878 he founded a Union to support free Christian schools. It has an income of $50,000 a year. In 1880 he founded a free university, independent of the State. Preachers who followed him were excluded from the National Synod; but in 1885 one hundred and fifty Churches followed the example of Amsterdam in welcoming these preachers as their pastors. They have their independent organization but there is no formal breach with the State Church.

These Churches, under the lead of Kuyper, have entered into an alliance with the Roman Catholics. Their point of contact is religious instruction in the schools of the land. The opening of the new century saw this leader of the Calvinistic reaction against the naturalism and Free Religion of Scholten and Kuenen the Prime Minister of Holland.

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Michael Schutt: Vocation the Mask of God

Mike Schutt on Vocation the mask of God

Schutt looks at why Luther called vocation the 'mask of God' and how we can be disciples over all of life.

How do we know what we are called to? "Listen to the Caller. It's not about being fulfilled or self-actualisation. It's about following a Caller".

Well worth checking out.
Mike blogs regularly here.

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More of Kuyper's children

 Jan Frederik Hendrik Kuyper 1866-1933
Fredrick moved to Michigan and attended Hope College. He became a dentist and practised dentistry in the Badung and Padang in the East Indies.






 
Abraham Kuyper Jr. b. 1872
Married Miss H. Van Oort in March 1899. He was a Reformed Church pastor in Makkum (1899-1906), Vlissingen (1906-1910) and Rotterdam (1910-1939).
He wrote a book on Johannes Maccovius (Leyden: D. Donner, 1899), a Polish reformed theologian.






 Hendrika Johanna Kuyper (1875-1948)
Became a nurse.

Catharina Maria Eunice Kuyper (1876-1955)
A nurse and became director of nursing at the Vrije Universiteit (1927-1932).
She wrote a short piece on her father Abraham Kuper’s  early years.

Guillaume Kuyper (1878 -1941)
Guillaume was named after Guillaume Groen Van Prinsterer. He married Henrietta van Leeuwen Storm. They had three daughters. The second daughter was named Johanna (b. 29 Dec 1909).
Guillaume became a major in the Dutch army (1902-1932) and then became mayor of Stedum (1932-1941).






Wilhelm (1883-1892)
Willy died aged 9. According to Praamsma, he was named after Levinus Wilhelminus Keuchenius.

Source: Source: Jan de Bruijn Abraham Kuyper—leven en wek in beeld ((Amsterdam: Passage, 1987)

See also H. H. Kuyper
and  Henrietta Kuyper

For a diagram of the Kuyper family tree.

The three sisters:

Kuyper's family

Kuyper’s seventieth birthday photograph

Sitting from left to right: Henriëtte S. S. Kuyper, C. M. J. Kuyper-Heyblom (wife of H. H. Kuyper), C. M. E. (Cato) Kuyper. Standing from left to right: J. H. (Jo) Kuyper, Abraham Kuyper (son of H. H. Kuyper), Adriana Kuyper (daughter of A. Kuyper Jr.), Guillaume Kuyper, Abraham Kuyper, Willem Kuyper (son of H. H. Kuyper), H. H. Kuyper, Abraham Kuyper Jr., and his wife, the writer H. Kuyper-van Oordt.

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March of the unqualified

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Revealing Arithmetic - a review

Revealing Arithmetic
Math Concepts from a Biblical Worldview
Katherine A. Loop
2009
Fairfax, VA: Christian Perspective


In a sense this book fills out some details and builds upon Loop's earlier book Beyond Numbers . This is not quite a full-blown Christian mathematics curriculum but it provides hints and helps towards a Christian approach to mathematics education. Loop describes it as 'a supplemental handbook', it focuses on elementary arithmetic. It will be invaluable to home-schoolers and Christian educators.


Four main 'tactics' are used to develop a Christian approach:

• Rewording the presentation
• Sharing the history of the concept
• Applying the concept in a real-life situation
• Using the concepts to explore an aspect of creation.

Each chapter follows a similar format. There is an introduction, usually looking at historical examples and thus emphasising, rightly, that the symbols or names we give concepts are only one way to express things. This helps undermine the idea that maths is a human creation. The emphasis is continually on the idea that we can only do mathematics because God has created a consistent universe and that God is faithful in keeping his covenant. Maths is seen as a God-given tool, dependent upon God and not as independent facts.

The teaching suggestions and ideas have an objective and specific points to communicate. Usually one of these is to stress the idea that mathematics is dependent upon God and not independent of him.

An example from a textbook is shown and then reworded so that the children see maths as a language system to describe aspects of creation.

Ideas are then provided. These usually contain some real-life example and historical aspects to look at.

Two key points pervade this approach: mathematics is dependent upon God and that we can do mathematics only because God has created a consistent universe. As she states:

Counting, written numbers, comparing and grouping numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, proportions, number sets, exponents, roots—all the concepts we refer to as “arithmetic” are useful methods to help us count and work with quantities! These methods only work because a faithful, all-powerful God holds all things together predictably.

The book is aimed at Christian home schoolers and so these points need no justification. She rightly states that:

Teaching math from a biblical worldview means so much more that saying over and again "God created and sustains a consistent universe and math records it". 

And yet at times, there is a tendency for Loop to do exactly that.

Occasionally she overstates the point; for example: "Most modern math books present fractions exclusively as ways of representing partial quantity, without letting students know they also represent division." This is certainly not the case in the UK. Here the emphasis has been on a connectionist approach to maths that stresses the connections between different areas of maths (see for example Mike Askew et al.  Effective Teachers of Numeracy in Primary Schools: Teachers' Beliefs, Practices and Pupils' Learning).

The use of manipulatives are continually encouraged here, particularly the abacus and Napier's bones. Worksheets on using and making an abacus are included as well as on using and constructing Napier's bones.

I was particulalry pleased to see that a number of different approaches to the four rules were discussed and advocated. For example, eight different methods for multiplication were examined. This book provides a great starting point for all those who want to think Christianly about mathematics education. It is explicitly Christian and is aimed at Christian homeschoolers and for those working in Christian schools. The ideas will take some adapting and modifying to make it applicable for Christian teachers in schools that are not explicitly Christian.

Reflecting on the book it did make me wonder how much of this approach is distinctively Christian -  would a Jews or Muslim happily concur with the approaches here (and does that matter)? What difference does Jesus make to mathematics? As G. K. Chesterton so brilliantly put it:

You cannot evade the issue of God, whether you talk about pigs or the binomial theory, you are still talking about Him. Now if Christianity be. . . a fragment of metaphysical nonsense invented by a few people, then, of course, defending it will simply mean talking that metaphysical nonsense over and over. But if Christianity should happen to be true - then defending it may mean talking about anything or everything. Things can be irrelevant to the proposition that Christianity is false, but nothing can be irrelevant to the proposition that Christianity is true.

Mathematics is relevant because in Jesus everything matters.


Contents
  Preface   
  Acknowledgements          
Math Concepts from a Biblical Worldview?    
Counting   
Written Numbers         
Place Value               
Comparing Numbers           
Addition: Foundational Concept       
Subtraction: Foundational Concept      
Addition & Subtraction: Multi-Digit Operations         
Multiplication: Foundational Concept   
Division: Foundational Concept   
Multiplication: Multi-Digit Operations   
Division: Multi-Digit Operations    
Fractions: Foundational Concept      
Fractions: Operations          
Decimals    
Percents     
Ratios & Proportions  
Types of Numbers (Number Sets)
Exponents & Roots     
Conclusion    
Math & the Gospel 
Worksheets  
Answer Key  
Appendix A: Mathematicians
Appendix B: Different Number Systems 
Appendix C: Abacuses
Appendix D: Math Methods
Appendix E: Resources for Further Study  
Bibliography  
Index

Mathematics and the Divine - a brief review

Mathematics and the Divine

A Historical Study

Edited by Teun Koetsier, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and 

Luc Bergmans, University of Paris IV Sorbonne, Paris, France

Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2004

hbk, 716 Pages

ISBN  978-0-444-50328-2

In 35 chapters, with 34 authors and 716 pages this is book explores history, philosophy, theology and the metaphysics of mathematics. I know of no other book that does just that.

Most of the usual suspects are here: Descartes, Pascal, Kepler, Galileo, Euler and Cantor. Others less 'usual' are  Nicomachus of Gerasa, Nicholas of Cusa, Johannes Faulhaber, Athanasius Kircher, John Wallis, Gerrit Mannoury and René Guénon. The emphasis is on people and movements rather than topics in maths  - except where individuals are involved, e.g. infinity in the context of Cantor. The one exception is on 'divined proportion' which takes a look at the Golden ratio. The chapters are in topic chronological order.

It is good to see that it is not only Western mathematicians that are included; so we have chapters on Chinese number mysticism, mathematical models in Indian cosmology and geography in Islam. 

Contents

Introduction 

1. Ho Peng-Yoke, Chinese Number Mysticism 

2. Kim Plofker, Derivation and Revelation: the Legitimacy of Mathematical Models in Indian Cosmology 

3. Reviel Netz, The Pythagoreans 

4. Ian Mueller, Mathematics and the Divine in Plato 

5. Jean-François Mattei, Nicomachus of Gerasa and the Divine Arithmetical Ladder 

6. Dominic J. O'Meara, Geometry and the Divine in Proclus 

7. Marie-Pierre Terrien, Religious Architecture and Mathematics during Late Antiquity 

8. David A. King, The Sacred Geography of Islam 

9. Faith Wallis, 'Number Mystique' in early medieval computus texts

10. Maurice-Ruben Hayoun, Is the Divine Universe Divisible 

11. Charles Lohr, Mathematics and the Divine: Ramon Lull 

12. Hugue Garcia, Christian Gnosis 

13. Edith Dudley Sylla, Swester Katrei and Gregory of Rimini: Angels, God and Mathematics in the Fourteenth Century 

14. Jean-Michel Counet, Mathematics and the Divine in Nicholas of Cusa 

15. Teun Koetsier and Karin Reich, Michael Stifel and his Numerology 

16. Ivo Schneider, Between Rosicrucians and Kabbala - the Mathematics of the Biblical Numbers of Johannes Faulhaber 

17. Eberhard Knobloch, Mathematics and the Divine: Athanasius Kircher 

18. Volker R. Remmert, Galileo, God and Mathematics 

19. André Charrak, The Mathematical Model of Creation According to Kepler 

20. Jean-Marie Nicolle, The Mathematical Analogy in the Proof of God's Existence by Descartes

21. Donald Adamson, Pascal's Views on Mathematics and the Divine 

22. Ger Harmsen, Spinoza and the Geometrical Method of Proof 

23. Philip Beeley and Siegmund Probst, John Wallis (1616-1703): Mathematician and Divine 

24. Kees de Pater, Newton and the Ocean of Truth 

25. Herbert Breger, Leibniz: Mathematics and the Divine 

26. Wolfgang Breidert, Berkeley's Defence of the Infinite God in Contrast to the Infinite in Mathematics 

27. Ruediger Thiele, Leonhard Euler and the Divine 

28. Ruediger Thiele, Georg Cantor and the Divine 

29. Luc Bergmans, Gerrit Mannoury and his Fellow Significians on Mathematics and Mysticism 

30. Teun Koetsier, Arthur Schopenhauer and L. E. J. Brouwer: A Comparison 

31. Sergei S. Demidov and Charles E. Ford, On the Road to a Unified View: Priest Pavel Florensky - Theologian, Philosopher and Scientist 

32. François De Gandt, Husserl and Impossible Numbers: a Sceptical Experience 

33. Bruno Pinchard, Symbol and Space According to René Guénon 

34. Teun Koetsier, Eddington: Science and the Unseen World 

35. Albert van der Schoot, The Divined Proportion

Everything matters

Gordon Spykman: "Nothing matters but the kingdom, but because of the kingdom everything matters".

Kuyper on Science

In this way, then, we obtain three truths that fit together. First, the full and rich clarity of God’s thoughts existed in God from eternity. Second, in the creation God has revealed, embedded, and embodied a rich fullness of his thoughts. And third, God created in human beings, as his image-bearers, the capacity to understand, to grasp, to reflect, and to arrange within a totality these thoughts expressed in the creation.

The essence of human science rests on these three realities.

 Abraham Kuyper 2011. Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art. Grand Rapids: Christian's Library Press (translated by Nelson Kloosterman)

Journal of Markets & Morality Vol 14 (2) Fall 2011

This issue contains articles by and on Kuyper - as well as one on Bavinck and Dooyeweerd:
(For the full contents click on the image above):

Eduardo J. Echeverria "Review Essay: The Philosophical Foundations of Bavinck and Dooyeweerd"
David W. Hall "Review of "The Kuyper Center Review, Volume 1: Politics, Religion, and Sphere Sovereignty" edited by Gordan Graham"
John Halsey Wood Jr. "Review of "Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction" by Richard Mouw"
Harry Van Dyke  "Abraham Kuyper and the Continuing Social Question"
Abraham Kuyper "Christ and the Needy (1895)"

Einstein on new and neo-Calvinism

Music for a Sunday morning - Oliveray