Our Reasonable Faith: A Survey of Christian Doctrine

by Herman Bavinck

Book by

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Reference

Paperback

First published May 1, 1907

About the author

Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) succeeded Abraham Kuyper as professor of systematic theology at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1902.

His nephew was Johan Herman Bavinck.

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for importance; 3 stars for how much I learned. I'm sure I'd be blown away by the full set. Read in a church group.

This 2019 edition is a newly typeset version of the 1956 book Our Reasonable Faith (here), a U.S. publication of Bavinck's own condensed version of his 4-volume Reformed Dogmatics (1909). I've heard that one should read this WWoG edition instead of the editor-abridged edition (here).

Here are some TGC articles on Herman Bavinck:
- Matthew Crocker on why you should read Bavinck (2022)
- James Eglington on 100 years after Bavinck's death (2021)
- James Eglington and Brian Mattson on celebrating Bavinck's legacy (2020)
- Brian Mattson on this particular volume (2019)
- Derek Rishmawy on why you should read Bavinck (2014)

Bavinck (1854–1921) taught at The Free University of Amsterdam for about 20 years, following the university's founder, Abraham Kuyper, as the chair of theology. Bavinck also served as a representative in the Dutch Parliament and even dined in the White House with Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. Bavinck's insistence on no "pre-suppositionless investigation" of God's revelation paved the way for Vos's biblical theology and Van Til's apologetics. Lig Duncan has said that Berkhof's Systematic Theology is basically a mediation of Bavinck's thought. Bavinck writes in his forward that he intended this work for "the ordinary members of the congregation who are preparing for admission to the Lord's Supper by means of catechization or who, after admission, remain interested in the knowledge of the truth."

The comments below aren't summaries, just parts that I found interesting.

Ch. 1: Man's Highest Good
Man's highest good is God, and "[a]ny science, philosophy, or knowledge which presupposes that it can stand on its own pretensions, and can leave God out of its assumptions, becomes its own opposite, and disillusions everyone who build his expectations on it" (4). References to Augustine and Pascal.

Ch. 2: The Knowledge of God
The knowledge of God differs from the knowledge of created things in its origin, object, essence, and effects. References to Calvin's Genevan Catechism and the WSC (Q1).

Ch. 3: General Revelation
Man's knowledge is limited, and any knowledge of another person is limited by the extent of that person's self-revelation. We cannot know God unless He reveals Himself to us (generally or specially). Scripture helps us read nature and history aright, but nature and history do provide some evidences for God's existence: the cosmological, teleological, ontological, and moral arguments, plus the sociological facts that no cultures have been without religion or the sense that a supreme being governs all things. Reference to Calvin. Some allusions to Anselm and Schleiermacher.

Ch. 4: The Value of General Revelation
History (especially what we see in Genesis 4–11) teaches us neither to over- nor under-value general revelation. Based on the historical record, the earliest human civilizations, even without worshipping God, were highly developed cultures, including the antediluvian world. (After the Flood, God's providence is based on covenant obligation, not simply His good pleasure.) Despite having a certain amount of wisdom regarding God's world, instead of worshipping God, most nations have turned to idolatry and image-worship, mingling truth with error (especially in their anthropology) and prioritized human effort (including magic) in attempts to achieve salvation. References to Hammurabi, Welstanschauung, Zarathustra, Confucius, Buddha, and Mohammed.

Ch. 5: The Manner of Special Revelation
Because general revelation is insufficient for salvation, we need special revelation. Bavinck's study of special revelation is not "pre-suppositionless" (46); there are no "sheer facts" requiring no "interpretation" (50). Whereas general revelation provokes man to seek God and leaves him without excuse, special revelation shows God's compassion in seeking man. Special revelation has an external and objective character (manifestation) as well as an internal and subjective character (inspiration). Externally, God uses miracles, including the person of Jesus Christ. Internally, God uses personal revelations (e.g., to Moses), dreams, visions, and inspiration by God's spirit (e.g., Scripture).

Ch. 6: The Content of Special Revelation
Beginning immediately after the Fall, not with Abraham, special revelation can also be traced throughout redemptive history, starting with the families of Seth and later Shem, through whom Abraham comes. The historical reality of the early presence of special revelation is important since it pushes back against modern conceptions of Israel's ethical monotheism as something that evolved. God's law functioned to fulfill the promise of the covenant, especially during national Israel's infant condition after slavery in Egypt. The classification of moral, civic, and ceremonial laws is good, but remember that all laws are moral. Love permeates the Mosaic law, seen clearly in its mercy to the oppressed. The law assumes pre-existing relationships, such as households and tribes. Special revelation sometimes came through judges, the lot, the urim and thummim, and the prophets. OT revelation converges upon the person of Christ, and it is now time for the content of that revelation to come to all nations. References to Homer's Iliad and Hammurabi.

Ch. 7: The Holy Scriptures
Scripture is not the same as revelation (e.g., revelation isn't always written), but Scripture is revelation (i.e., we shouldn't say that Scripture contains the Word of God). Manuscripts have benefits that oral cultures lack. Scriptures claims to be the Word of God: prophets were commanded to write down revelation; they were aware that God was speaking through them ("thus saith the Lord"); the New Testament refers to the Old Testament as God's written word; and Jesus commanded His apostles to be witnesses. Inspired writers of Scripture maintained their personalities, styles, etc. Moses likely made use of prior written and unwritten sources, and it's possible that his writings were edited and added to later. The authority of the biblical canon was acknowledge, not determined—a formal list was made in the 4c. References to Nietzsche and Augustine.

Ch. 8: Scripture and Confession
NT believers accepted the OT as Scripture, and we have evidence that in the second century Christian churches were reading NT writings, appealing to them as sources of truth, and putting them on the same level as OT writings. Confessions and creeds help to guard against heresies. They don't push down Scripture, but rather protect them against individual interpretations and are checked by them. Many divisions in the church have arisen, but the biggest two were the East/West separation in 1054 and the 16c Protestant Reformation. Major Catholic errors include the elevation of tradition to a higher status than Scripture, losing the heart of the Gospel (justification by faith alone), and the separation of clergy and laity. The Lutheran Reformation focused on salvation, but other branches extended reform to all areas of life. References to Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Augustine, Pelagius, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin.

Ch. 9: The Being of God
We can study Christian doctrine in two main ways: catechesis (questions/answers) or confession. Bavinck will go with the latter The knowledge of God "makes us wiser, better, happier" (113) and not only helps us to die blessedly but also live blessedly. Some deny the knowledge of God on empirical grounds, and others from a false sense of humility. But if God has revealed Himself, then He can be known, and God's unfathomableness does not mean that He is unknowable. God is both transcendent (guarding against pantheism) and immanent (guarding against deism). The two types of God's attributes are incommunicable (showing His transcendence) and communicable (showing His immanence). God is His attributes—He doesn't merely have them. God's name Elohim shows His transcendence, and His name Jehovah shows His immanence. Human attributes are not identical to divine attributes, but they are similar [analogous].

Ch. 10: The Divine Trinity
The Trinity is a central Christian doctrine, attested to by both the Old and the New Testaments. The doctrine is important for maintaining other doctrinal areas such as creation, salvation, and sanctification; it guards against Arianism, forms of modalism (e.g., Sabellianism), deism, pantheism, Judaism, and paganism; and it has practical value for the spiritual life. Coining theological terms is not problematic as long as we recognize the limited use of anything of human origin. References to the Heidelberg Catechism, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Athanasius, the three Cappadocians [Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus], Augustine, and Hilary.

Ch. 11: Creation and Providence
God is sovereign even over the sinful thoughts and deeds of men. He ordains both means and ends. Evolution theorists can't provide an adequate explanation of origins—they often go in directions of materialism (matter was primary and eternal) or pantheism (energy was primary and eternal). Creation out of nothing [ex nihilo] guards against these heresies. Time and space are creations. Angels were most likely created in Genesis 1:1. The first three days of creation reveal major forms, which the latter three days fill. Bavinck leans away from six literal days of creation. Earth and man constitute the religious and moral center of the universe. Providence resists deism. As the first cause, God uses secondary causes. References to Augustine, Kant, Darwin, the Heidelberg Catechism, the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and Leibniz (obliquely).

Ch. 12: The Origin, Essence, and Purpose of Man
Man and woman together bear the image of God. Genesis 2 is not a second creation story. The institution of marriage began with the creation of humans. Evolutionary theory depends on a materialist framework, which describes the moral law as a product of circumstances. In a way, man is positioned between animals and angels. Bavinck doesn't believe that fallen angels have anything to do with pagan mythology. A soul is a spirit that is made for a body. Bavinck doesn't believe in guardian angels. The Reformed understanding of the image of God differs from Lutheran or Roman understandings. Reference to Darwin, Linnaeus, the Heidelberg Catechism, and (obliquely) Hobbes and Marx.

Ch. 13: Sin and Death
As the creation of angels preceded that of man, so the fall of angels preceded that of man. Man used fig leaves to hide from each other and forest foliage to hide from God. People don't oppose the law of inheritance if it benefits them. Not all sins are equal. Woman is punished as a woman, and man is punished as a man. References to Pelagius, Calvin, Buddhism, Napoleon, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Articles against the Remonstrants.

Ch. 14: The Covenant of Grace
"Grace is not a legacy which is transferred by natural birth, but it does flow on in the river-bed which has been dug out in the natural relationships of the human race. The covenant of grace does not ramble about at random, but perpetuates itself, historically and organically, in families, generations, nations" (259).

Ch. 15: The Mediator of the Covenant
The biblical testimony doesn't support the claim that Jesus didn't think of himself as God. References to Buddha, Confucius, Zarathustra, Mohommed, and Calvin.

Ch. 16: The Divine and Human Nature of Christ
Christianity is both historical and eternal, and the label "Jesus Christ" reflects both of those realities. Lots of Christological details. Issue of Mary's human nature. References to Arius, Sabellius, Nestorius, Eutyches, the Council of Chalcedon (451), and the Synod of Constantinople (680).

Ch. 17: The Work of Christ in His Humiliation
Christ shows His humiliation through His three offices. Mary was not immaculately conceived. Christ was humiliated lower than Adam in numerous ways, including birth, baptism, and execution. Christ's divine nature was not given to him at His baptism. Christ fellowships with us in physical/nature, juridical/legal, and ethical/moral senses. Reference to Chiliasm.

Ch. 18: The Work of Christ in His Exaltation
Atonement (cf. reconciliation) is the principal benefit from Christ's humiliation. Other Christian traditions claim that Christ's exaltation began with His descent into Hell, but Reformed confessions hold that it began with His resurrection, because Scripture says nothing about a spatial descent. Reformed folks argue that any descent into Hell refers to His agony on the cross or the state of death while in the grave. "[T]here is no forgiveness without a preceding reconciliation" (351). "Because [Christ] has been given all power in heaven and on earth, Jesus lays claim to the discipleship of all nations" (358). Christ is a sufficient priest, so we no longer need priests, sacrifices, altars, or temples on earth. As Mediator, Christ triumphs over all His enemies.

Ch. 19: The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Jesus "is" or "has become" the Spirit, in the sense that he "obtained the full and free command over the Holy Spirit and over all the gifts and powers of that Spirit" (368–69). What the Spirit formerly did independently and temporarily, it has now done in a more universal and permanent way. Speaking in tongues at Pentecost was a unique event.

Ch. 20: The Christian Calling
God's common grace is not the same as the effectual call. Neither separate nor identify law and gospel. Regeneration includes faith and repentance. Not all faith is saving faith. Catholics externalize repentance too much (sacrament of penance). References to Pelagius, Socinianism, Arius, the Canons of Dordt, Calvin, Socrates, Plato, Caligula, Nero, Buddhism, Montanists, Novatians, Luther, and the Heidelberg Catechism.

Ch. 21: Justification
We must possess the righteousness of Jesus to enter the kingdom of God. Justification is both judicial and gracious. The benefits of justification are forgiveness of sins and the right to eternal life. While we are freed from the curse of the law, we are still bound to the law by gratitude.

Ch. 22: Sanctification
"Justification delivers a man from his guilt; sanctification delivers him from the pollution of sin. By the former his consciousness is changed, and by the latter his being is changed. By means of the first, man comes to stand in a right relationship again; by means of the second, man becomes good again and able to do good" (451). Christ's being in hell refers to the grave. Grace restores nature. In sanctification, we are God's co-laborers. Moral laws of the OT and NT remain in force and can be summarized as loving one's neighbor (see both tables of the Decalogue—the first table is the ground for the second table). The Reformation rejected Rome's distinction between commandments and advices (e.g., advices were additional moral positions taken by clergy such as celibacy and poverty). We will not achieve perfection in this life. We are called to cultural reformation, not just personal piety. References to the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, Pelagians, the Council of Trent, Buddhism, Lutherans, and the Remonstrants.

Ch. 23: The Church of Christ
If God is our Father, then the church is our mother. The church is an organism. Peter didn't have a higher rank than the other apostles. There are two church offices: elders (teaching and ruling) and deacons. Elders and bishops are the same thing in the Bible. The Reformation pushed literacy so that everyone could read the Bible. Bavinck briefly touches on the sacraments, church discipline, and mercy ministries. References to Nero, Anabaptists, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Calvin.

Ch. 24: Eternal Life
Some references to (criticisms of) Purgatory (537–39). The body isn't a prison of the spirit. Reasons against annihilationism. Degrees of reward.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best one volume systematic theology I’ve ever read. Felt like this was the cliff notes version of his Reformed Dogmatics…but this is also more pastoral, more devotional, and way more accessible. I will sorely miss reading this daily cause it made me love God more.

This belongs on the book shelf of every believer. And a great entrance into the Bavinck world of theology!

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were ever to teach a systematic theology class, I would use Our Reasonable Faith by Herman Bavinck to do it. A condensation of his massive, four-part Reformed Dogmatics, Our Reasonable Faith is a fantastic introduction to theology.

Opening the book with the simple statement, “God, and God alone, is man’s highest good,” Bavinck devotes the first eight chapters of his book to the knowledge of God. How does man come to know God? In what does that knowledge consist? He begins by talking about the nature and value of general revelation. I particularly appreciated his emphasis here, as many Reformed Christians today push the idea of antithesis so far that there is no value in general revelation whatever. As someone who teaches things like Homer, Euripides, Plato and Aristotle at a Christian school, I sometimes like to ask my students why we want to read all these pagan writers. The duly trained and dutiful Van Tillians among them respond with, “So we can show what’s wrong with them.” However, I believe, and Bavinck would agree, that there are beauties and truths to be found in the writings of the pagans that cannot be found elsewhere and are due to the common grace of general revelation, an idea which I think is needed as a corrective for a misapplied or excessive view of antithesis.

After discussing general revelation, Bavinck spends several chapters detailing the nature and value of special revelation culminating in Holy Scripture. He does a good job balancing the two forms of God’s revelation of Himself, and in fact if I had to pick one thing about this book that I liked so much it would be its balance in all things. Concerning the two forms of revelation, he writes, “When we have our attention fixed upon the richness of the grace which God has given in His special revelation, we sometimes become so enamored of it that the general revelation loses its whole significance and worth for us. And when, at another time, we reflect on the good, and true, and beautiful that is to be found by virtue of God’s general revelation in nature and in the human world, then it can happen that the special grace, manifested to us in the person and work of Christ, loses its glory and appeal for the eye of our soul.”

From this point, he moves on to what we might call “theology proper,” the being of God and the divine Trinity. He continues quite naturally to the doctrine of creation and God's divine providence over His creation. This leads in to a chapter on the creation of man, and man’s essence and purpose. He then deals with sin and death, and what they mean for mankind. He then discusses the covenant of grace that God made with mankind for the redemption of the world.

The latter half of the book proceeds from this point to detail how the salvation of the world is implemented and applied. He spends a few chapters on the person of Christ and his work. He moves on to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit brings us to share in the person of Christ. Finally, he talks about the people who share in the salvation which Christ has achieved, the new humanity, the Church. The book ends with a chapter on eternal life and the future of the world.


There were several things about this particular book that made it stand out as a good introduction to Christian theology. First of all, a book like this could easily be dry and academic. In Bavinck’s hands, it is anything but. In many places he demonstrates a poetic deftness in his prose that makes the book a joy to read. This is especially welcome as academic theologians are not necessarily known as brilliant stylists; try picking up a theological journal or modern academic commentary sometime. But above and beyond this is the fact that this book is devotional. Very early in the book Bavinck writes that, for ancient Israelites, “God was for them not at all a cold concept, which they then proceeded rationally to analyze, but He was a living, personal force, a reality infinitely more real than the world around them.” He goes on to emphasize this again and again throughout his book. “To profess theology is holy work,” he says. “And a theologian, a true theologian is one who speaks out of God, through God, about God, and does this always to the glorification of His name.” This fact, that the whole point of the theological endeavor is worship rather than to gain “an abstract concept of God, such as the philosopher gives us.”

Next this book is erudite but accessible. As Bavinck wrote his Reformed Dogmatics first, he had a huge amount of scholarship behind this shorter book. However, he manages to hit on science, philosophy, various strains of theology in the Christian world, and history in ways that, without dumbing down the content, are accessible to readers with no background in these areas of study. That is a pretty impressive feat. It struck me again and again reading this book that Bavinck was a very well-informed man. He wasn’t the sort of theology wonk who only reads theology books. He also wrote books on psychology, politics, science, women’s rights, family life, and a number of other subjects. Finally, throughout the book he is interacting with viewpoints other than his own. As a Reformed theologian that means that he is regularly speaking to Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy, explaining the sometimes fine nuances in their theological differences while defending his own view. This is particularly a joy for me because, unlike many Reformed writers, he is not polemical in his tone and charitably tries to state every position fairly. I found it fascinating, for instance, to see the traditional differences between Reformed, Catholic, and Lutheran theologians about the image of God and how it affects other parts of theology.

Finally, the book is supremely Biblical. Everything he teaches is copiously footnoted with Scripture for further reading and support. I understand that in writing Our Reasonable Faith, he did this on purpose. He cut down on the academic footnotes in Reformed Dogmatics and supplemented with Scripture proofs, once again to make it accessible for the average reader. Consequently this is not a book that will be used for frequent reference purposes. For that you may want to get something more traditionally and rigidly organized with a huge index like Millard Erickson’s Christian Theology. However, as an introduction to theology and a Christian worldview, I have never read a book as perfectly suited to the task as Our Reasonable Faith. It was fully worth all the time I took to read it, highlight it, mark in it, and copy out passages from it.

5 out of 5 stars

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is vintage Bavinck. Reformed catholic systematics in conversation with history and the biblical storyline. Brilliant, clear, and Christ-centered. I'd highly recommend this resource to anyone.

[Loraena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wordy and slow, but this is a beautiful book. Bavinck answered many of my complex theological questions.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous book of sound theology with a devotional flavor. Upper high school students could handle it, the only difficulty being the length.

[Joseph Leake]

I read this in installments as part of a monthly discussion group, and am left with the odd feeling of having had two different and contradictory reading experiences. If I were writing a review based on my own private reading, it would describe the book as containing occasional flashes of brilliance and insight amidst much that was ponderous, tedious, and (at its worst) pedantic.

But if I were writing a review based on the perspective I gleaned from the group discussions, I would characterize the book more sympathetically: invariably these discussions would bring out ways in which others found the chapters meaningful or helpful or useful. I also benefited from others in the group being more conversant with Bavinck's other writings and more knowledgeable about the larger intellectual and theological context in which this book was written. (My marginal annotations contain more than one "According to Mike..." or "Kevin says..." added during the course of discussion.)

What you get from this book hinges, as so often, upon a priori factors: your preexistent knowledge (or lack thereof), or even your temperament and personality. (I may not be, by temperament, background, or inclination, the kind of person best suited to benefit from this kind of book without the aid of others helping me see it as they do.)* I think I have to say the book is a mix, at times banal and tedious, at others illuminating and edifying; but also that the degree to which you experience one or the other of these qualities may depend on what you bring to the table.

*The Christian writings I have most recently found most powerfully stirring or illuminating are Charles Williams' decidedly non-systematic Descent of the Dove and the 14th century mystical Revelations of Divine Love of Julian of Norwich.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I think that if, alongside the Bible, you have Bavinck’s “The Wonderful Works of God,” and J.C. Ryle’s “Practical Religion,” you probably have all you need to live a full, mature and impactful Christian life in this world. This introductory systematic theology was written for “ordinary members of the congregation” (p.xxxiii), but honestly, it might seem a little heavy for today’s ordinary Christian. Nevertheless, I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and believe that with a little patience, all Christians can benefit greatly from its contents. I heard someone once say that Bavinck is not someone you read, but someone you drink. That sounds about right, and you must drink him slowly to get the full benefit of all he has to offer.

The book goes through the usual topics you would expect from a systematic theology — revelation, scripture, God‘s attributes, Trinity, creation, sin and death, covenant, the person and work of Christ, Holy Spirit, justification, sanctification, the church and eschatology. But what makes Bavinck unique is that he writes as if he knows that non-Christians might be listening in on the conversation. It’s like an apologetic systematic theology.

For instance, Bavinck writes early in the book: “Man yearns for rest and throws himself from one diversion upon another. He pants for a permanent and eternal bliss and seizes on the pleasures of a moment. He seeks for God and loses himself in the creature . . . Science cannot explain this contradiction in man. It reckons only with his greatness and not with his misery, or only with his misery and not with his greatness. It exalts him too high, or it depresses him too far, for science does not know of his divine origin, nor of his profound fall. But the Scriptures know of both, and they shed their light over man and over mankind; and the contradictions are reconciled, the mists are cleared, and the hidden things are revealed. Man is an enigma whose solution can be found only in God.” (p.7).

Profound, beautifully written, warmly devotional and theologically rich. That pretty much sums up this magnificent book.

[Christian Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book that illustrates the beauty of the God of the Bible and how He works. This book is essentially a systematic theology that is to be used as a devotional piece. Bavinck is a brilliant writer that goes the extra mile to articulate in the most precise ways his thoughts about God. This book isn’t like the intense theological work of Calvin or Frame, but presents key theological doctrines and walks through them biblically and expounds on how they apply to the readers life. Often times the first sentence of a paragraph presents the beautiful doctrine at hand, but reader do not stop there! For it is after doing this that he shows how important the doctrine is and just how it applies to ones life. This may be a book I return again just for the devotional aspects of it.

[Jeremy Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiritually enriching, emotionally affecting, and theologically stimulating. If you’re a Christian, this book is for you! Far from being reserved exclusively for pastors or theology students, Bavinck’s condensed systematic is accessible to all, yet stimulating to those who want to go deeper. And its best quality is its devotional nature. Christian, read, and behold your God!

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bavinck has proven to be one of the most helpful guides for me. In large part, this is because of his expansive knowledge of Scripture and the nature of its dispensations. In addition to this, he always has an eye to how the history of the Church has spoken on a variety of issues, and often spends a significant amount of his time discussing those topics where there has been a divergence of viewpoints. Finally, he was clearly a man who understood his times, and could write not only about how the world had attempted to solve problems without the light of Scripture in his own day, but also how that thought developed and how and where it fell short.

Oftentimes, Bavinck will spend a significant time on a topic discussing errant views before arriving at what he believes to be the correct one. He often does this to great rhetorical effect: not only do you see what Scripture says about any given topic, but you are more satisfied by the resolution Scripture gives to a problem after having felt the weight of it.

Bavinck's 4-volume work is superb, but it is truly impressive how helpful this volume is despite its abridgment. There were few times that I felt the length was insufficient to get the main things across.

[Kevin V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blessing Bavinck has been and now continues to be to the church. This devotional distillation of his own systematic thought in the Reformed Dogmatics is arguably the most important systematic yet written. Bavinck excels in his careful balance between breadth and depth, between the lofty and the accessible.

The Wonderful Works of God is devotional systematic writing at its absolute finest.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bavinck was a big thinker. So big that I began jotting down Bavinck’s Big Idea of the Day each time I picked it up. The book is filled with mind-stretching concepts and yet remains highly readable. No jargon. No nonsense. Just a good bit of mental exercise.

[Samuel James · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first entree into Bavinck, and I can’t believe I didn’t read him sooner. Magisterial theology with a poetic accent. Worshipful, philosophical, and biblical.

[Nick Carrico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply phenomenal. Bavinck has to be the most quote worthy theologian out there.

[Ethan Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Excellent. Amazing.

This is the best book that I have ever read.

This is a systematic theology and even though it's my first I think I can confidently say it's the best single-volume ST I will ever read. By any means necessary please read this book!

Every aspect of this book is perfect: the cover, the texture, the organization, the content, the coverage, the prose (oh, the prose!), the scholarship, the brilliance, the humility.

This book is a standard ST but where this book stands out heads and shoulders above the rest is in style and aim. Bavinck writes this ST in a devotional and apologetic tone. Every truth of God's word he connects with our need as humans. He almost writes as if both are listening: the atheist and the layman.

And don't get me started on the writing. You don't read Bavinck, you drink him. Every sentence is perfectly placed. He's as smooth as Lewis, as Biblical as Edwards, and as devotional as Tripp.

Every chapter will give you some new insight into a topic that you never had before whether by his use of Church history, exegesis, or pastoral insight. Ranging all the way from topics like sin, the fall, humanity, the image of God, the trinity, justification, to even things like Darwinism, family worship, confessions, and animal typology.

I read this book because I asked my Pastor "If you could recommend me one book to read, what would it be?" and he said this. I am so thankful I asked that question. Now whenever anyone asks me that question, I will have a new answer. This book can give you everything you need for the head and heart of your Christian life.

Tolle legge, tolle legge!

[Ben Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps the best 1-volume systematic theology on offer right now

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great work of systematic theology. It is super accessible but also doesn't water down truths about God. It is an absolute unit of a book though.

[Tyler Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best work of theology I’ve ever read. I didn’t want it to end.

[Jonathan Josey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent. The best companion to Holy Scripture that I’ve come across. Naturally, as a Baptist, I find a few of his points regarding baptism and ecclesiology unconvincing.

However, the remaining 98% of the book is absolutely wonderful. Bavinck does an exceptional job in communicating deep truths in a readable manner without veering from biblical texts. He also does so in a way which makes one want to worship!

This is not a dry, academic book. By reading this, you can sense that Bavinck has experienced the joy of being a Christian and wants to share the knowledge that leads to heartfelt praise.

It took me nearly 6 months to finish this book. This is mostly due to the fact that nearly every sentence grips your mind and heart to consider what is being read. A slow, thoughtful reading is the best way to navigate this book. I can’t recommend it enough, and I truly hope others will consider reading it, even if it’s only a few pages at a time. It is worth it. Soli Deo Gloria!

[Eric Yap · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. If you only ever read one theology book, this is it, seek no more. Since I've written a succinct review on another platform, I will just share my favourite out of all my favourite parts of Bavinck's Magnalia Dei, which that other review is also based on:

"When Jesus speaks in this connection of the knowledge of God, He has in mind a knowledge which is similar in kind to the knowledge which He Himself possesses. He was not a theologian by profession, nor was He a doctor or professor in divinity. But He knew God by direct, personal sight and insight; He saw Him everywhere, in nature, in His word, in His service; He loved Him above all else and was obedient to Him in all things, even in the death on the cross. His knowledge of the truth was all of a piece with His doing of it. The knowledge and love came together.

Indeed, to know God does not consist of knowing a great deal about Him, but of this, rather, that we have seen Him in the person Christ, that we have encountered Him on our life's way, and that in the experience of our soul we have come to know His virtues, His righteousness and holiness, His compassion and His grace.

That is why this knowledge, in distinction from all other knowledge, bears the name of the knowledge of faith. It is the product not of scientific study and reflection but of a childlike and simple faith. This faith is not only a sure knowledge but also a firm confidence that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits. Only those who become as little children shall enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3). Only the pure of heart shall see the face of God (Matt. 5:8). Only those born of water and of the Spirit can enter the Kingdom (John 3:5). Those who know His name will put their trust in Him (Ps. 9:10). God is known in proportion to the extent that He is loved.

If we understand the knowledge of God in such a way, it need occasion no surprise that its operation and effect is nothing less than eternal life. True, there seems to be little relationship between knowledge and life. Does not the Ecclesiat say truly: In much wisdom is much grief; he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow; of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh (Eccles. 1:18 and 12:12)?

Knowledge is power – so much we understand, at least to a certain extent. All knowledge is a triumph of the spirit over matter, a subjection of the earth to the lordship of man. But that knowledge should be life – who can understand that? And yet, even in the natural order, the depth and riches of life are increased by knowledge. The more comprehensive the awareness, the more intense the life. The inanimate creatures do not know, and they do not live. When consciousness develops in the animals, their life also gains in content and scope. The richest life among men is the life of him who knows the most. What, indeed, is the life of the insane, the naive, the simple, the underdeveloped? It is poor and limited compared with that of the thinker and poet. But, whatever difference may be noted here, it is only a difference of degree. Life itself is not changed by it. And such life, whether in the most distinguished scholar or in the simplest working man, must necessarily end in death, for it is fed only by the limited sources of this world.

But the knowledge that Christ speaks of is not that of a creature but of the one, true God.

If the knowledge of visible things can enrich life, how much more will the knowledge of God make for life? For God is not a God of death and of the dead, but of life and the living. All those whom He recreated after His image and restored to His fellowship are by that fact raised above the level of death and immortality. He that believes on me, said Jesus, though he were dead, shall live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25-26). Knowing God in Christ brings with it eternal life, imperturbable joy, and heavenly blessedness. These are not merely effects, but the knowing of God is itself immediately a new, eternal and blessed life.

In accordance with this teaching of the Holy Scriptures the Christian church determined the character of that body of knowledge or science which from old times has been called Theology or Divinity. Theology is the science which derives the knowledge of God from His revelation, which studies and thinks into it under the guidance of His Spirit, and then tries to describe it so that it ministers to His honour. And a theologian, a true theologian, is one who speaks out of God, through God, about God, and does this always to the glorification of His name. Between the learned and the simple there is only a difference of degree. Both have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph.4:57).

In this spirit, Calvin began his Genevan Catechism with the question, What is the chief end of man? And the answer came, clear and resounding: To know God by whom he was created. In the same way the Westminster Catechism began its lessoning with the question: What is the highest and chief end of man? And it gave a brief and rich reply: To glorify God and enjoy Him perfectly unto all eternity."

[Jack Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible. By far one of best work of theology I’ve read to date. Lots of ways Bavinck fine tuned and grew my understanding of God and his wonderful works through this book. My whistle has been even more whetted to one day read Reformed Dogmatics.

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9 Stars

Incredible and magisterial! Still soaking so much of this in, full review coming soon...

[Scotty Leandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book peaks with his reflection on the work of Christ. At times I felt the Bavinck explored too many caveats that made it difficult to follow some arguments, but I learned a ton and enjoyed this beast!

[Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last two “semesters” pouring over this book was made great by it being done with friends. The book compared and contrasted various themes of the Bible and used Scripture to capture the entirety of the Bible and what is has to say about each topic. This is not like other systematic theology books in that it is written in narrative form, quite wonderfully at that, and had me reveling in the wonderful works of God through each chapter.

[Eddie Mercado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. I went from reading the first 300 pages in a month, to finishing the book slowly over the last 8. Recommend the latter. Highly devotional. Excited to read the Bavinck bio now.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnalia Dei. The wonderful works of God.
Herman Bavinck stands as a high, solid, and stellar tower in the reformed tradition. I’m really glad to accomplish my Goodreads yearly reading challenge with this amazing book. My first encounter with Bavinck was on his small treatise about christian worldview (which I hope to revisit again in near future), it was a like a small tiny and spicy chilli pepper that burned my mind and heart.

This treat is actually a very delightful intercontinental dinner that I enjoyed very much. It is as enjoyable and devotional as Calvin’s institute (I read the 1541 edition from Banner of Truth). If you think Bavinck’s dogmatic is taller than the mount Everest to climb, then I suggest you to dive into this calm and wonderful lake of Bavinck.
I am not planning to read his dogmatics cover to cover in near future because I am aiming his small snack of christian family until the end of this year before jumping into his reformed ethics next year.

Bavinck started by explaining the highest good of all men is God, he said “Man is an enigma whose solution can be found only in God.” (p. 7). He then continued the reason why we can do theology and should do theology is because God has revealed Himself both through general revelations and special revelations, and the grand crescendo of God’s revelation is the beauty of Christ. The purpose of our study of God is led through creatures to the Creator and to cause us to rest in the Father’s heart. And we can be completely rested in the Father’s heart through the Son since no knows the Son except the Father, no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.

My most favourite chapters of this books are ch 17-18.
Chapter 17 he talked about the works of Christ in His humiliation.
“Christ put Himself into fellowship with us, not merely in a physical (natural) sense, by putting on our nature, our flesh and blood, but also in a juridical (legal) sense, and in an ethical (moral) sense, by entering into the fellowship with our sin and death. He stands in our place, puts Himself into that relationship to the law of God in which we stood, He takes our guilt, sickness, griefs, and punishment upon Himself…. This is the mystery of salvation, the mystery of the Divine love. We don’t understand the substitutionary suffering of Christ, because we, being haters of God and of each other, cannot come anywhere near calculating what love enables one to do, and what eternal, infinite, Divine love can achieve. But we do not have to understand this mystery either. We need only believe it gratefully, rest in it; and glory and rejoice in it.” (p.337)
Chapter 18 he talked about the works of Christ in His exaltation.
“ At the end of times, when the whole history of the world, and that of each individual person, will have ended, everyone will in his own conscience have to agree with Christ on seeing all that God, for the sake of the Mediator has given in the way of spiritual gifts. Willingly or unwillingly every knee will bow to Him, and every tongue confess, that Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:10-11).?And one day, as the Son of man, Christ will pronounce the final judgment over every creature. And He shall condemn none save those who in their own conscience, convicted by the Holy Spirit, are condemned already (John 3:18; 16:8-11)”. (p.366)

[Alex McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wonderful Works" is often referred to as the condensed counterpart to Bavinck's more extensive "Reformed Dogmatics." It serves as a succinct systematic theology, covering the main areas you’d expect from a volume like this.

This was an approachable introduction to Bavinck that almost any layperson with little knowledge of theology could reasonably approach. I think this was a wonderful specimen of Bavinck’s theology. However, it was a poor example of Bavinck’s signature style of doing theology. Bavinck is known for his Reformed Catholicity and his unique approach to Biblical Theology across systematic subjects, yet this work lacks his customary depth. Unlike in "Reformed Dogmatics," where he extensively examines each subject through the lens of extensive church history and the full breadth of Scripture, "Wonderful Works" only offers brief glimpses into either church history of Biblical Theology. As a practical tool, each chapter could be used as an introduction to its respective systematic topic.

My favorite chapter was the one on Ecclesiology. I appreciate Bavinck’s high esteem of the sacraments. Bavinck not only extrapolates the theology of the sacraments but carefully explains how they transform the life of the believer. Then Bavinck makes a very convincing argument for the Presbyterian form of Church government. He talks about the historic importance of both offices of elder and deacon and talks about how both are needed for a healthy church. Interestingly he marries the Presbyterian 2 Kingdoms theology with the Dutch cultural transformation view of Church and State. Bavinck reminds us that these two views of doing church in a pluralistic society don’t have to be at odds with each other. And finally he articulates the classic Dutch view of the church as both institution and organism.

The edition by Westminster Seminary Press is great, featuring an easy to read translation, a durable cover and spine, and a heavy paper weight that can withstands heavy use and thick enough to take notes without bleed.

This would serve as a great first introduction to Bavinck’s theology. However, it would be a shame to let this be your only Bavinck read. The theologian really shines when he has the space to flesh out his unique historical and Biblical theological approach to doing theology.

[curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intended to be a more approachable treatment of the material set forth in Bavinck's massive (and magisterial!) Reformed Dogmatics, this book's greatest accomplishment is bringing Bavinck's deep sense of holy fear and reverent, awe-filled joy to a broader audience. While Bavinck's style can feel wooden and dense at times, he always repays the persistent reader. The chapters on the Trinity and upon Creation and Providence are among my favorite treatments of these subjects anywhere.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and accessible systematic. My biggest gripe is the short shrift given to the sacraments. Justification gets 30 pages and Baptism and the Lord’s supper get 2? C’mon, Herman.