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Bavinck: A Critical Biography
2020 Book Award Winner, The Gospel Coalition (History & Biography)
2020 For the Church Book Award
Dutch Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck, a significant voice in the development of Protestant theology, remains relevant many years after his death. His four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century.
James Eglinton is widely considered to be at the forefront of contemporary interest in Bavinck's life and thought. After spending considerable time in the Netherlands researching Bavinck, Eglinton brings to light a wealth of new insights and previously unpublished documents to offer a definitive biography of this renowned Reformed thinker.
The book follows the course of Bavinck's life in a period of dramatic social change, identifying him as an orthodox Calvinist challenged with finding his feet in late modern culture. Based on extensive archival research, this critical biography presents numerous significant and previously ignored or unknown aspects of Bavinck's person and life story. A black-and-white photo insert is included.
This volume complements other Baker Academic offerings on Bavinck's theology and ethics, which together have sold 90,000 copies.
2020 For the Church Book Award
Dutch Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck, a significant voice in the development of Protestant theology, remains relevant many years after his death. His four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth century.
James Eglinton is widely considered to be at the forefront of contemporary interest in Bavinck's life and thought. After spending considerable time in the Netherlands researching Bavinck, Eglinton brings to light a wealth of new insights and previously unpublished documents to offer a definitive biography of this renowned Reformed thinker.
The book follows the course of Bavinck's life in a period of dramatic social change, identifying him as an orthodox Calvinist challenged with finding his feet in late modern culture. Based on extensive archival research, this critical biography presents numerous significant and previously ignored or unknown aspects of Bavinck's person and life story. A black-and-white photo insert is included.
This volume complements other Baker Academic offerings on Bavinck's theology and ethics, which together have sold 90,000 copies.
480 pages, Hardcover
Published September 29, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
October 20, 2020
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Herman Bavinck's fame as a theologian has been steadily growing in my circles—especially since the Dutch Translation Society began putting out his Reformed Dogmatics in English in 2003. All four volumes sit proudly on my own shelves along with the first volume of his Reformed Ethics.
I like to know the stories and circumstances of my theologians. I like to know what concerns drove them, what conversations they found themselves in. And this book delivers. It's not a warm-hearted book (more on that in a moment), but it reads as eminently careful. The footnotes and the discussions very strongly suggest that Eglinton has made himself the master of Bavinck's writings—in Dutch, no less. He is a servant to Bavinck, not a lord: he helps readers of today understand who Bavinck was in his own mind and in his own times.
I received a review copy from the publisher, but I don't review books I don't choose: I chose this one, and I'm glad. My opinions were not affected in any way that I'm aware of.
This is about to be the squishiest criticism I've ever given of a book, the most subjective: I did feel that Bavinck failed to come alive for me in Eglinton's work. He was treated as a third party about whom it was helpful for us all to have a discussion but who didn't himself get to speak much. His relationships to key people in his life, namely his wife and Abraham Kuyper, felt as if they were taking place somewhere very distant from the reader. Bavinck's friendship with Snouck Hugronje was well rounded, but I come away from this book feeling like I still haven't met Bavinck. This is a "critical" biography, but I still feel a little sense of loss. David McCullough makes his subjects seem alive; somehow that makes a deeper impression on me.
Nonetheless, I received a truly excellent and rigorous summary of his life and views, a set of considered and (it sure seems to me) reliable judgments on some significant areas of dispute among Bavinck biographies, and a picture of the man and his times that will most certainly aid me greatly as I embark on reading through his works in the coming year or so. Bavinck's early biographer Hepp comes in for regular and—again it seems to me, though I have only Eglinton's word to go on—just critique. Experienced readers know when an author has done his or her homework; Eglinton surely has.
Certain things clicked into place for me. Bavinck, I've long known, was a key Neo-Calvinist thinker. He was a key popularizer of the concept of "biblical worldview." I am his direct heir in two books. I see better now, however, the soil from which his views grew. And it's so interesting to me that the soil was similar to my own. He was a "son of the secession"; I was nurtured in "separatism." He was Reformed; so was I (without initially knowing it very well). He wanted to bring the Bible to bear on all of life; I've always wanted that, too. At the very simplest levels, I identify with Bavinck—and I hope I don't flatter myself too much in doing so.
One of the things that most impressed me about Herman Bavinck from this biography was the combined dependence and independence of his mind. He was dependent on Scripture and Christian theology and not on his times. He was able to see his culture as only one among many. He applied his theology of grace restoring nature to his own tribe. This comes out most markedly—in Eglinton's telling—in Bavinck's views on women's suffrage. Kuyper was distinctly unhappy with Bavinck at this point, but Bavinck was able to think both in ideal terms and in practical ones. He was able to hold onto his Bible while traversing the hidden barrier between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Bavinck was a truly great man, and this is a worthy biography. It wasn't a page turner, exactly, but I never felt bored, either. The pace was stately. A good fit for its subject.
Herman Bavinck's fame as a theologian has been steadily growing in my circles—especially since the Dutch Translation Society began putting out his Reformed Dogmatics in English in 2003. All four volumes sit proudly on my own shelves along with the first volume of his Reformed Ethics.
I like to know the stories and circumstances of my theologians. I like to know what concerns drove them, what conversations they found themselves in. And this book delivers. It's not a warm-hearted book (more on that in a moment), but it reads as eminently careful. The footnotes and the discussions very strongly suggest that Eglinton has made himself the master of Bavinck's writings—in Dutch, no less. He is a servant to Bavinck, not a lord: he helps readers of today understand who Bavinck was in his own mind and in his own times.
I received a review copy from the publisher, but I don't review books I don't choose: I chose this one, and I'm glad. My opinions were not affected in any way that I'm aware of.
This is about to be the squishiest criticism I've ever given of a book, the most subjective: I did feel that Bavinck failed to come alive for me in Eglinton's work. He was treated as a third party about whom it was helpful for us all to have a discussion but who didn't himself get to speak much. His relationships to key people in his life, namely his wife and Abraham Kuyper, felt as if they were taking place somewhere very distant from the reader. Bavinck's friendship with Snouck Hugronje was well rounded, but I come away from this book feeling like I still haven't met Bavinck. This is a "critical" biography, but I still feel a little sense of loss. David McCullough makes his subjects seem alive; somehow that makes a deeper impression on me.
Nonetheless, I received a truly excellent and rigorous summary of his life and views, a set of considered and (it sure seems to me) reliable judgments on some significant areas of dispute among Bavinck biographies, and a picture of the man and his times that will most certainly aid me greatly as I embark on reading through his works in the coming year or so. Bavinck's early biographer Hepp comes in for regular and—again it seems to me, though I have only Eglinton's word to go on—just critique. Experienced readers know when an author has done his or her homework; Eglinton surely has.
Certain things clicked into place for me. Bavinck, I've long known, was a key Neo-Calvinist thinker. He was a key popularizer of the concept of "biblical worldview." I am his direct heir in two books. I see better now, however, the soil from which his views grew. And it's so interesting to me that the soil was similar to my own. He was a "son of the secession"; I was nurtured in "separatism." He was Reformed; so was I (without initially knowing it very well). He wanted to bring the Bible to bear on all of life; I've always wanted that, too. At the very simplest levels, I identify with Bavinck—and I hope I don't flatter myself too much in doing so.
One of the things that most impressed me about Herman Bavinck from this biography was the combined dependence and independence of his mind. He was dependent on Scripture and Christian theology and not on his times. He was able to see his culture as only one among many. He applied his theology of grace restoring nature to his own tribe. This comes out most markedly—in Eglinton's telling—in Bavinck's views on women's suffrage. Kuyper was distinctly unhappy with Bavinck at this point, but Bavinck was able to think both in ideal terms and in practical ones. He was able to hold onto his Bible while traversing the hidden barrier between the 19th and 20th centuries.
Bavinck was a truly great man, and this is a worthy biography. It wasn't a page turner, exactly, but I never felt bored, either. The pace was stately. A good fit for its subject.
January 20, 2023
Superb. Exactly what I hoped it would be.
January 18, 2021
Summary: A biography tracing the origins, significant life events and theological scholarship of Dutch neo-Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck.
Interest has grown in recent years in the life and work of Herman Bavinck. In 2008, the four volumes of his Reformed Dogmatics, published in Dutch in 1905 was finally published in English translation. It became more widely apparent that Bavinck was one of the most significant theological minds of the 20th century. The arrival of James Eglinton’s Bavinck: A Critical Biography only enhances our understanding of this key theological figure.
Eglinton begins with Bavinck’s family of origin, so significant in the shape of his career and thought. His father, Jan, was part of the group of those who seceded from the Dutch Reformed Church in 1834, pastoring a seceding churches, facing the opprobrium of the first generation, and preceding Herman in teaching at the Theological School at Kampen.
Yet in the education of Herman, his parents avoided the parochial bubble, a temptation with a group seceding to affirm doctrinal orthodoxy. It began in sending Herman to the gymnasium at Zwolle. Then after a year at Kampen, Herman got permission to study at the much more “modern” Leiden. It reflected an early sense on the part of Herman of wanting to preach and teach a neo-Calvinism at once orthodox and engaging the modern and scientific currents in the wider society. He completed in 1880 his thesis under two of Leiden’s leading lights, Scholten and Kuenen, although still formally recognized as a student at Kampen. Many cast aspersions on Bavinck’s bona fides yet he passed his ordination exams and received a call to a large congregation in Franeker that grew during his year as pastor.
A year later, in 1882 he joined the faculty at Kampen, along with his rival Lucas Lindeboom. Lindeboom challenged his efforts to do reformed theology in a modern context, and his increasing efforts with Abraham Kuyper to realize a Reformed vision in Dutch society. During this period, Bavinck refuses several attempts to recruit him to Kuyper’s Free University. Eglinton explores the tension between Bavinck’s loyalty to the Christian Reformed Church and his scholarly ambitions. Eventually, as Lindeboom’s forces pushed him and a colleague out, he was able to complete his migration to the Free University, succeeding Abraham Kuyper in the chair of theology at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1902.
Even before this, with diminished teaching loads, Bavinck was able to realize his scholarly work of a theological work that reflected his vision, the Reformed Dogmatics, as well as scholarly articles, and an unfinished Reformed Ethics (currently being translated into English). Eglinton also digs into his view of scripture. One one hand he affirmed a high commitment to the divine inspiration and authority of scripture. At the same time, his understanding of this fully divine and fully human document also raised doubts for him that two of his students took further to the detriment of their careers.
The Amsterdam period reflected a broadening out of his influence as he brought theological principles to bear in the spheres of education, psychology, and politics. He served briefly as party leader during Kuyper’s absence and was elected to the first chamber of the Dutch government. In 1908, he is honored in America with a meeting with Teddy Roosevelt and the invitation to give the Stone Lectures. His insights on America both during this and his earlier visits make interesting reading. The text of his account of his first visit is included as an appendix.
One of the interesting aspects of Bavinck’s life was his marriage to Johanna. She was a strong partner who probably both encouraged and extended Bavinck’s efforts to recognize the rights and roles of women in society. Most of her children engaged in resistance against Hitler, a number at the cost of their lives. She wasn’t his first choice. He kept a flame for a number of years for Amelia den Dekker but was refused by her father and rebuffed by her. My sense is that Johanna was the better partner.
This is an outstanding biography. Having read a bit of Bavinck, I wondered about the readability of this work. My wonderings were unfounded. One encounters at once both an extensively researched and flowing narrative of Bavinck’s life. If you are interested in exploring the work of this theologian, Eglinton’s Bavinck is a great place to begin.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Interest has grown in recent years in the life and work of Herman Bavinck. In 2008, the four volumes of his Reformed Dogmatics, published in Dutch in 1905 was finally published in English translation. It became more widely apparent that Bavinck was one of the most significant theological minds of the 20th century. The arrival of James Eglinton’s Bavinck: A Critical Biography only enhances our understanding of this key theological figure.
Eglinton begins with Bavinck’s family of origin, so significant in the shape of his career and thought. His father, Jan, was part of the group of those who seceded from the Dutch Reformed Church in 1834, pastoring a seceding churches, facing the opprobrium of the first generation, and preceding Herman in teaching at the Theological School at Kampen.
Yet in the education of Herman, his parents avoided the parochial bubble, a temptation with a group seceding to affirm doctrinal orthodoxy. It began in sending Herman to the gymnasium at Zwolle. Then after a year at Kampen, Herman got permission to study at the much more “modern” Leiden. It reflected an early sense on the part of Herman of wanting to preach and teach a neo-Calvinism at once orthodox and engaging the modern and scientific currents in the wider society. He completed in 1880 his thesis under two of Leiden’s leading lights, Scholten and Kuenen, although still formally recognized as a student at Kampen. Many cast aspersions on Bavinck’s bona fides yet he passed his ordination exams and received a call to a large congregation in Franeker that grew during his year as pastor.
A year later, in 1882 he joined the faculty at Kampen, along with his rival Lucas Lindeboom. Lindeboom challenged his efforts to do reformed theology in a modern context, and his increasing efforts with Abraham Kuyper to realize a Reformed vision in Dutch society. During this period, Bavinck refuses several attempts to recruit him to Kuyper’s Free University. Eglinton explores the tension between Bavinck’s loyalty to the Christian Reformed Church and his scholarly ambitions. Eventually, as Lindeboom’s forces pushed him and a colleague out, he was able to complete his migration to the Free University, succeeding Abraham Kuyper in the chair of theology at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1902.
Even before this, with diminished teaching loads, Bavinck was able to realize his scholarly work of a theological work that reflected his vision, the Reformed Dogmatics, as well as scholarly articles, and an unfinished Reformed Ethics (currently being translated into English). Eglinton also digs into his view of scripture. One one hand he affirmed a high commitment to the divine inspiration and authority of scripture. At the same time, his understanding of this fully divine and fully human document also raised doubts for him that two of his students took further to the detriment of their careers.
The Amsterdam period reflected a broadening out of his influence as he brought theological principles to bear in the spheres of education, psychology, and politics. He served briefly as party leader during Kuyper’s absence and was elected to the first chamber of the Dutch government. In 1908, he is honored in America with a meeting with Teddy Roosevelt and the invitation to give the Stone Lectures. His insights on America both during this and his earlier visits make interesting reading. The text of his account of his first visit is included as an appendix.
One of the interesting aspects of Bavinck’s life was his marriage to Johanna. She was a strong partner who probably both encouraged and extended Bavinck’s efforts to recognize the rights and roles of women in society. Most of her children engaged in resistance against Hitler, a number at the cost of their lives. She wasn’t his first choice. He kept a flame for a number of years for Amelia den Dekker but was refused by her father and rebuffed by her. My sense is that Johanna was the better partner.
This is an outstanding biography. Having read a bit of Bavinck, I wondered about the readability of this work. My wonderings were unfounded. One encounters at once both an extensively researched and flowing narrative of Bavinck’s life. If you are interested in exploring the work of this theologian, Eglinton’s Bavinck is a great place to begin.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
June 17, 2021
An astounding achievement for this generation's leading Bavinck scholar. I've been trying to read all of Bavinck's work in English for the past few years, as well as articles published by up-and-coming Bavinck scholars. Eglinton has already done incredible work through the "Edinburgh school" of Bavinck studies overseeing important doctoral dissertations and scholarly articles. His work *Trinity & Organism* is a watershed for Bavinck studies.
With this new biography, he has outdone himself. Eglinton has clearly immersed himself in the primary and secondary literature on Bavinck and has presented Bavinck in all of his splendor. Through this biography, we learn about Bavinck's tenuous relationship with Kuyper, Bavinck's stance toward culture throughout his life, the development of Bavinck's thought over his illustrious career, and even Bavinck's rumination on America. This book was a feast for people who have found in Bavinck a fellow traveler—one who is fully orthodox, yet seeking to be faithful within modern life and culture.
Some biographies are hagiography and leave you feeling the subject to be unapproachable or otherworldly; other biographies disabuse you of the subject's righteousness and leave you feeling jaded. This biography does what all good biography seeks to do: present the person in all of their subjectivity, context, and place, yet show the reader the greatness that nevertheless remains. I come away from this biography loving Bavinck more, not because it was an exercise in flattery, but that we see Bavinck as he was: an orthodox Calvinist, modern Christian, faithful witness to the triune God.
With this new biography, he has outdone himself. Eglinton has clearly immersed himself in the primary and secondary literature on Bavinck and has presented Bavinck in all of his splendor. Through this biography, we learn about Bavinck's tenuous relationship with Kuyper, Bavinck's stance toward culture throughout his life, the development of Bavinck's thought over his illustrious career, and even Bavinck's rumination on America. This book was a feast for people who have found in Bavinck a fellow traveler—one who is fully orthodox, yet seeking to be faithful within modern life and culture.
Some biographies are hagiography and leave you feeling the subject to be unapproachable or otherworldly; other biographies disabuse you of the subject's righteousness and leave you feeling jaded. This biography does what all good biography seeks to do: present the person in all of their subjectivity, context, and place, yet show the reader the greatness that nevertheless remains. I come away from this biography loving Bavinck more, not because it was an exercise in flattery, but that we see Bavinck as he was: an orthodox Calvinist, modern Christian, faithful witness to the triune God.
March 16, 2022
Excellent biography of a great Christian theologian.
December 12, 2025
This felt toilsome to get into at first, with some of the historical context, but I actually really enjoyed working through this biography. I haven't read many biographies, but after this, I'm looking forward to reading many more. This one gave me way deeper admiration for a theologian I already enjoyed reading, Herman Bavinck.
There were quite a few things that stood out to me from Bavinck's life: one was how he maintained friendships with people he principally disagreed with. Some of his friends would be his intellectual "sparring partners," corresponding quite frequently with them about theology, philosophy, and other worldview questions. Though often disagreeing fundamentally, they never ceased to maintain respect while seriously considering the other side's argument. Something it feels like we (including myself) could learn from today. Nevertheless, through all this Bavinck cherished the orthodox Reformed faith. A faith which he repristinated into the Dutch & European culture, which (due to modernism and later Nietzschean atheism) was shifting beneath his feet.
His two visits to the United States were extremely fascinating to read about. His observations on American culture in the early twentieth felt quite relevant even for today: commenting on the overwhelming nature of New York City (which it seems to him was a microcosm of the overambitious American spirit), materialism, the carelessness of teenagers, etc. His wife Johanna quite frustratingly commented that Americans "never tire of hearing sermons, but when it comes to scientific lectures, you cannot get an audience. Even though you do your best to be simple and clear, they are afraid of learnedness and having to make an effort to think about something." (p. 246). I'd like to hope that has changed a bit in the past century, but it's a good dig!
It was interesting to hear Bavinck, a Dutchmen, talk about southern racism, outright condemning it. Also, I found it ironic that in his visit with Theodore Roosevelt, Roosevelt noted that Bavinck “did not strike [him] as a particularly refined or remarkable man”. That's a wild thing to say about someone like Bavinck, but not surprising lol.
All this aside, what shined forth in the book for me was how beautiful and good Bavinck saw the revelation of God in the gospel was for the whole world. He thoughtfully listened to objections from a skeptical generation against the faith and sought to meet the modernizing culture of the Netherlands with the truth, beauty, and goodness of the gospel. What he so often defended was that the Lordship of the Risen Christ subsumed everything underneath it: art, politics, science, philosophy. Theology was the regina scientiarium, the queen of the sciences. He had a big view of God. Through his life, you see how this shaped everything that he did.
Even over a century ago, the author notes that "to save Western culture from its eventual post-Christian demise, Bavinck insisted that Christ's lordship had to be brought to bear on every area of modern life." A timely word for today.
Before I read, but especially because I read this biography, I plan to be reading more Bavinck over the next several years!
There were quite a few things that stood out to me from Bavinck's life: one was how he maintained friendships with people he principally disagreed with. Some of his friends would be his intellectual "sparring partners," corresponding quite frequently with them about theology, philosophy, and other worldview questions. Though often disagreeing fundamentally, they never ceased to maintain respect while seriously considering the other side's argument. Something it feels like we (including myself) could learn from today. Nevertheless, through all this Bavinck cherished the orthodox Reformed faith. A faith which he repristinated into the Dutch & European culture, which (due to modernism and later Nietzschean atheism) was shifting beneath his feet.
His two visits to the United States were extremely fascinating to read about. His observations on American culture in the early twentieth felt quite relevant even for today: commenting on the overwhelming nature of New York City (which it seems to him was a microcosm of the overambitious American spirit), materialism, the carelessness of teenagers, etc. His wife Johanna quite frustratingly commented that Americans "never tire of hearing sermons, but when it comes to scientific lectures, you cannot get an audience. Even though you do your best to be simple and clear, they are afraid of learnedness and having to make an effort to think about something." (p. 246). I'd like to hope that has changed a bit in the past century, but it's a good dig!
It was interesting to hear Bavinck, a Dutchmen, talk about southern racism, outright condemning it. Also, I found it ironic that in his visit with Theodore Roosevelt, Roosevelt noted that Bavinck “did not strike [him] as a particularly refined or remarkable man”. That's a wild thing to say about someone like Bavinck, but not surprising lol.
All this aside, what shined forth in the book for me was how beautiful and good Bavinck saw the revelation of God in the gospel was for the whole world. He thoughtfully listened to objections from a skeptical generation against the faith and sought to meet the modernizing culture of the Netherlands with the truth, beauty, and goodness of the gospel. What he so often defended was that the Lordship of the Risen Christ subsumed everything underneath it: art, politics, science, philosophy. Theology was the regina scientiarium, the queen of the sciences. He had a big view of God. Through his life, you see how this shaped everything that he did.
Even over a century ago, the author notes that "to save Western culture from its eventual post-Christian demise, Bavinck insisted that Christ's lordship had to be brought to bear on every area of modern life." A timely word for today.
Before I read, but especially because I read this biography, I plan to be reading more Bavinck over the next several years!
April 30, 2021
The good:
+ The most important part, to my mind, is that Eglington presents Bavinck as a theologian of unitary mind, as opposed to the orthodox/modern split-personality that has long been attributed to him.
+ Although I usually hate endnotes, I appreciate them here because they are made up mostly of Dutch quotations translated in the main body of the text.
+ Eglington is very careful to avoid overstatement and apocryphal details.
+ The author writes in a very clear style that is easy to follow.
+ Eglington helpfully casts Bavinck's life against Kuyper's, comparing and contrasting them as he goes.
The bad:
+ The book borders on hagiography. Only one major failing of Bavinck's is really acknowledged, and despite how awful his actions were in that moment, and the implications they have for Kuyperian neo-Calvinistic politics, Eglington appears to gloss over them as a minor misstep.
+ I think more space should have been given to Bavinck's specific views on theological issues. Eglington does this, to a decent extent, with his opinions on Scripture, but not on other subjects. We are not told how but only only that Bavinck's ideas differed from his liberal professors, his Vermittlungstheologie dialogue partners, his hyper-conservative colleagues, etc.
All in all, this is a good biography, and I'd certainly recommend it to anybody looking to understand more about my favorite theologian and polymath.
+ The most important part, to my mind, is that Eglington presents Bavinck as a theologian of unitary mind, as opposed to the orthodox/modern split-personality that has long been attributed to him.
+ Although I usually hate endnotes, I appreciate them here because they are made up mostly of Dutch quotations translated in the main body of the text.
+ Eglington is very careful to avoid overstatement and apocryphal details.
+ The author writes in a very clear style that is easy to follow.
+ Eglington helpfully casts Bavinck's life against Kuyper's, comparing and contrasting them as he goes.
The bad:
+ The book borders on hagiography. Only one major failing of Bavinck's is really acknowledged, and despite how awful his actions were in that moment, and the implications they have for Kuyperian neo-Calvinistic politics, Eglington appears to gloss over them as a minor misstep.
+ I think more space should have been given to Bavinck's specific views on theological issues. Eglington does this, to a decent extent, with his opinions on Scripture, but not on other subjects. We are not told how but only only that Bavinck's ideas differed from his liberal professors, his Vermittlungstheologie dialogue partners, his hyper-conservative colleagues, etc.
All in all, this is a good biography, and I'd certainly recommend it to anybody looking to understand more about my favorite theologian and polymath.
November 6, 2024
A remarkable biography of a remarkable man.
October 28, 2025
Excellent! Eglington has produced an engaging account of Bavinck's life and work, aptly placing him in his context and demonstrating the development of his thought. The main argument, that Bavinck needs to be understood as an orthodox, confessionally Reformed theologian yet one who emphasized engagement with the modern context of the late 19th early 20th century is effectively presented and argued in a compelling manner. (the orthodox yet modern thesis on Bavinck) When necessary, Eglington critically engages previous Bavinck scholarship and biographers, while remaining focused on the task of engaging with Bavinck himself. A must read for any interested in Reformed theology and the development of neo-Calvinism.
Check out my video about this book here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9FSk...
Check out my video about this book here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9FSk...
December 29, 2021
Man what to say, this book was so so good! I was sad to put it down. Bavinck is such a thoughtful, careful thinker and the evidence of God’s work in his life and family is remarkable. Eglinton did a meticulous and beautiful job in telling his story.
December 25, 2022
Loved reading this book. Party due to my own theological upbringing; but Bavinck’s life has a forceful and quiet attraction. Eglinton has given us a readable, researched, and relevant biography on one of Christianity’s best dogmaticians.
October 31, 2020
James Eglinton is as superb a biographer as Chernow and McCullough. Already a respected interpreter of Herman Bavinck's writing, he provides a vivid yet sensitive portrait of a most worthy subject.
As noted by many, the strengths of the book include: establishing Bavinck as an orthodox Reformed Calvinist faithfully engaging a modern world on its terms; correcting or reframing popular misunderstandings of Bavinck's upbringing, training, and relationship to Abraham Kuyper; connecting Bavinck the man to his scholarship, brilliantly illuminating the latter. It is particularly this last quality I appreciate most. (This work has already added depth to my return to *Reformed Dogmatics*.) On rare occasions I wished Eglinton had more directly connected assertions about Bavinck's sociological/cultural views to primary sources (particularly those produced in the closing decade of his life).
I won't summarize every chapter or section, but will note the chapters exploring Bavinck's response to Nietzsche were particularly compelling. Also, included in the appendices is Bavinck's reflection on his first journey to America. This hybrid travel diary/cultural commentary is richly insightful and quite often convicting.
As noted by many, the strengths of the book include: establishing Bavinck as an orthodox Reformed Calvinist faithfully engaging a modern world on its terms; correcting or reframing popular misunderstandings of Bavinck's upbringing, training, and relationship to Abraham Kuyper; connecting Bavinck the man to his scholarship, brilliantly illuminating the latter. It is particularly this last quality I appreciate most. (This work has already added depth to my return to *Reformed Dogmatics*.) On rare occasions I wished Eglinton had more directly connected assertions about Bavinck's sociological/cultural views to primary sources (particularly those produced in the closing decade of his life).
I won't summarize every chapter or section, but will note the chapters exploring Bavinck's response to Nietzsche were particularly compelling. Also, included in the appendices is Bavinck's reflection on his first journey to America. This hybrid travel diary/cultural commentary is richly insightful and quite often convicting.
February 18, 2021
Incredible. Please do Kuyper next!
April 4, 2024
A good biography has a maturing effect on the reader. You don’t just learn more, you become wiser. The perspectives and triumphs and especially the failures of the people in the biography make you better able to process your own life.
This is a good biography.
I adore Bavinck’s theology. He articulated Calvinist Christianity in such a beautiful, peaceful, and thoughtful way. Eglinton’s biography helps me appreciate even more the intellectual struggle Bavinck had to go through in order to produce his work.
Eglinton did a great job respecting Bavinck without idolizing him. For me, what I admire most about Bavinck after reading this is his commitment to integrity when it comes to the pursuit of truth. He may have had a few missteps in his life, but he often seemed willing to change his mind and speak against his own tribe in order to stand on the side of truth as he saw it.
This is a good biography.
I adore Bavinck’s theology. He articulated Calvinist Christianity in such a beautiful, peaceful, and thoughtful way. Eglinton’s biography helps me appreciate even more the intellectual struggle Bavinck had to go through in order to produce his work.
Eglinton did a great job respecting Bavinck without idolizing him. For me, what I admire most about Bavinck after reading this is his commitment to integrity when it comes to the pursuit of truth. He may have had a few missteps in his life, but he often seemed willing to change his mind and speak against his own tribe in order to stand on the side of truth as he saw it.
January 10, 2021
Excellent. Bavinck is indeed a needed voice and example for our time. It is incredible how little of Bavinck was available in the English world until recently.
I think I was most impressed by Bavinck's vision of the university and of theology's place in its center as the queen of the sciences.
I had questions/concerns in a few places, mainly in sections where the author dealt with the development of Bavinck's thought with regards to Scripture. Those events and quotes may need a better and clearer interpretation.
The comparisons with Kuyper were informative and helpful, and the author's view on the two figures transpires as the book progresses, but as someone who does not know him very well, I was left wondering whether there was another side to some of the author's takes.
I think I was most impressed by Bavinck's vision of the university and of theology's place in its center as the queen of the sciences.
I had questions/concerns in a few places, mainly in sections where the author dealt with the development of Bavinck's thought with regards to Scripture. Those events and quotes may need a better and clearer interpretation.
The comparisons with Kuyper were informative and helpful, and the author's view on the two figures transpires as the book progresses, but as someone who does not know him very well, I was left wondering whether there was another side to some of the author's takes.
February 5, 2023
An excellent biography on one of the most important reformed thinkers of our time.
November 20, 2025
A model biography. Gave me an even deeper appreciation for this giant of a theologian.
March 14, 2022
The way forward for American Evangelicalism.
October 24, 2022
Who was Herman Bavinck? In Bavinck: A Critical Biography, James Eglinton shares the story of the beloved Dutch Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck.
Family and Childhood
Eglinton wastes no time sharing about Bavinck’s family history, and we see the pivotal role his parents – particularly his father – played in his faith. Against the backdrop of the Secession Church in Scotland, we meet Jan Bavinck and Geziena Magdalena Holland. From his own autobiography, we learn of Jan Bavinck’s deep personal piety. “Jan’s particular influence on Herman – and lifelong support for his son‘s efforts to be an Orthodox Calvinist in late modern culture – was a far greater significance that has previously been recognized.” The cultural shift and the Seceder impulse to find one’s own place in the modern world would leave a crucial impact on the young Herman Bavinck.
Jan Bavinck served as Herman’s father and pastor during his childhood. Herman remained close with his father and his ministry. And unlike most Dutch children in the mid-19th century, he did not work in labor factories or on farms. He enjoyed a relatively privileged education with lessons in Latin, English, music, and accountancy. At the age of 17, with insight from his Dagboek journals, we learn of his close knit family and his love for a 22 year old woman -- Amelia den Dekker. We see his academic success alongside his rising professional and social ambitions. This biography chronicles Bavinck’s younger years with warmth and insight.
Academic Achievement and Pastoral Calling
On March 24, 1874, 19-year-old Bavinck would hear a 34-year-old Kuyper speak. Bavinck was dissatisfied by his education at Kampen, and was not particularly enthusiastic about his professors. He wanted to study Modernist theology, and his older, less-educated classmates did not pass as his academic peers. After one year at Kampen, he would transfer to Leiden. His first year as a student in Leiden found him drawn to the sermons of J. H. Donner and, most notably, Kuyper -- the rising star of Dutch Calvinism who was battling against the post-Christian, secularized, atheistic culture. These would be formative years for Bavinck, and this biography helps us see his educational aspirations.
Having completed his doctorate, marriage to his beloved Amelia had proven impossible without permission from her parents, and he declined the chance to work with Kuyper at Free University. Upon returning home from his studies, he was lonely. He accepted a call to the city culture of Franeker, a local Christian Reformed congregation. He would make friends, but remain focused on his ambitions. His story would come full circle when he became a Professor at Kampen.
The Rise of Neo-Calvinsim and Beginning his Life’s Work
His accomplishments would be met with disappointment and discouragement upon the death of friends and further romantic rejection. He gave himself to his work -- the beginnings of Reformed Dogmatics and Ethics. He would be linked to the newly coined term neo-Calvinism as it took shape during his lifetime as the result of different Calvinist revivals in Amsterdam and Kampen. His contacts would grow internationally.
Getting married to Johanna A. Schippers, visiting America, and fatherhood would begin a new phase in Bavinck’s life. Publishing Dogmatics and Biblia would change his relationship with Kuyper and the theological world. These works would start him on the path to more prolific publication, even assuming editorship of the newspaper De Bazuin.
Orthodox and Modern
He would resign from Kampen and become a professor at Amsterdam and face the death of his father. This would propel him to complete Reformed Dogmatics and find a place to work in Parliament. His life would continue to intertwine with Kuyper’s, and we see how these two were destined to change the theological landscape. But this biography does not present Bavinck as having lived in Kuyper’s shadow. Bavinck has his own brilliance.
The end of the war marked the beginning of Bavinck’s final years. Kuyper passed obviously in terminal decline at the age of 83, while Bavinck was 63 and still still being productive. But Bavinck would suffer a heart attack in 1820, marking his final days. Born December 13, 1854 in Hoogeveen, Netherlands, he would die in Amsterdam, Netherlands on July 29, 1921 at the age of 66.
The Definitive Biography of Bavinck
This is the definitive biography of Bavinck that belongs alongside his masterworks of Reformed Dogmatics and Reformed Ethics. You will see God’s sovereign hand mingled with the heart of a studious saint. And you will be inspired to live your entire life – every sphere – under the sovereign grace of God.
I received a media copy of Bavinck: A Critical Biography and this is my honest review.
Family and Childhood
Eglinton wastes no time sharing about Bavinck’s family history, and we see the pivotal role his parents – particularly his father – played in his faith. Against the backdrop of the Secession Church in Scotland, we meet Jan Bavinck and Geziena Magdalena Holland. From his own autobiography, we learn of Jan Bavinck’s deep personal piety. “Jan’s particular influence on Herman – and lifelong support for his son‘s efforts to be an Orthodox Calvinist in late modern culture – was a far greater significance that has previously been recognized.” The cultural shift and the Seceder impulse to find one’s own place in the modern world would leave a crucial impact on the young Herman Bavinck.
Jan Bavinck served as Herman’s father and pastor during his childhood. Herman remained close with his father and his ministry. And unlike most Dutch children in the mid-19th century, he did not work in labor factories or on farms. He enjoyed a relatively privileged education with lessons in Latin, English, music, and accountancy. At the age of 17, with insight from his Dagboek journals, we learn of his close knit family and his love for a 22 year old woman -- Amelia den Dekker. We see his academic success alongside his rising professional and social ambitions. This biography chronicles Bavinck’s younger years with warmth and insight.
Academic Achievement and Pastoral Calling
On March 24, 1874, 19-year-old Bavinck would hear a 34-year-old Kuyper speak. Bavinck was dissatisfied by his education at Kampen, and was not particularly enthusiastic about his professors. He wanted to study Modernist theology, and his older, less-educated classmates did not pass as his academic peers. After one year at Kampen, he would transfer to Leiden. His first year as a student in Leiden found him drawn to the sermons of J. H. Donner and, most notably, Kuyper -- the rising star of Dutch Calvinism who was battling against the post-Christian, secularized, atheistic culture. These would be formative years for Bavinck, and this biography helps us see his educational aspirations.
Having completed his doctorate, marriage to his beloved Amelia had proven impossible without permission from her parents, and he declined the chance to work with Kuyper at Free University. Upon returning home from his studies, he was lonely. He accepted a call to the city culture of Franeker, a local Christian Reformed congregation. He would make friends, but remain focused on his ambitions. His story would come full circle when he became a Professor at Kampen.
The Rise of Neo-Calvinsim and Beginning his Life’s Work
His accomplishments would be met with disappointment and discouragement upon the death of friends and further romantic rejection. He gave himself to his work -- the beginnings of Reformed Dogmatics and Ethics. He would be linked to the newly coined term neo-Calvinism as it took shape during his lifetime as the result of different Calvinist revivals in Amsterdam and Kampen. His contacts would grow internationally.
Getting married to Johanna A. Schippers, visiting America, and fatherhood would begin a new phase in Bavinck’s life. Publishing Dogmatics and Biblia would change his relationship with Kuyper and the theological world. These works would start him on the path to more prolific publication, even assuming editorship of the newspaper De Bazuin.
Orthodox and Modern
He would resign from Kampen and become a professor at Amsterdam and face the death of his father. This would propel him to complete Reformed Dogmatics and find a place to work in Parliament. His life would continue to intertwine with Kuyper’s, and we see how these two were destined to change the theological landscape. But this biography does not present Bavinck as having lived in Kuyper’s shadow. Bavinck has his own brilliance.
The end of the war marked the beginning of Bavinck’s final years. Kuyper passed obviously in terminal decline at the age of 83, while Bavinck was 63 and still still being productive. But Bavinck would suffer a heart attack in 1820, marking his final days. Born December 13, 1854 in Hoogeveen, Netherlands, he would die in Amsterdam, Netherlands on July 29, 1921 at the age of 66.
The Definitive Biography of Bavinck
This is the definitive biography of Bavinck that belongs alongside his masterworks of Reformed Dogmatics and Reformed Ethics. You will see God’s sovereign hand mingled with the heart of a studious saint. And you will be inspired to live your entire life – every sphere – under the sovereign grace of God.
I received a media copy of Bavinck: A Critical Biography and this is my honest review.
September 28, 2020
Eglinton, James. Bavinck: A Critical Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020. $44.99
Knowing a critical commentary on Herman Bavinck is one of the events I most anticipated this year. Hearing such critical acclaim throughout the year created an even great sense of hopefulness. All of it lived up to expectations!
James Eglinton sets an example of understanding a modern, complex theologian in Bavinck: A Critical Biography. His premise surrounds taking another look at Herman Bavinck while setting aside the “Jekyll and Hyde” assumptions resulting from the apparent contradictions between the orthodox and modern sides of Bavinck. Eglinton’s biography argues Bavinck had the capacity to “as a creative thinker whose theological imagination allowed him to envision a distinctive articulation of the historic Christian faith within his own modern milieu.”
Bavinck contains 11 chapters broken into five parts chronologically progressing through his life. Part 1, consisting of the first three chapters, provides background and begins Bavinck’s childhood and early schooling. Part 2 dives further into his life as a student and part 3 at his life as a pastor. Parts 4 and 5 examine at his time as a professor at both Kampen and Amsterdam respectively. Each chapter is broken into sections ranging anywhere from a half-page to 3-4 pages. Approaching each chunk of text allows Bavinck to be considerably more attainable.
The first chapter inundates the reader with so much information and background. This is all relevant and necessary for understanding Herman Bavinck’s environment, but it is difficult to process and retain the unfamiliar Dutch traditions. I found myself bookmarking what I presumed to be important details in order to refer back. For example, knowing the difference between the Reformirte Kirche and the Old Reformed Church will help in the next chapter.
Chapter two is much the same way as it turns to the subject’s parents. I increasingly saw the relevance in the little details; each little piece shaping and building the Bavinck family and Jan’s (Herman’s father) values and perspective. The third chapter approaches Herman as a youth and his early schooling. Eglinton challenges the romanticized understanding of Herman’s childhood as being a “diamond in the rough” and sees Herman as receiving a good education for the time and capable of receiving class prizes at the conclusion of the high school equivalent. Chapters 4 and 5 each look specifically at his time as a student at the Theological School of Kampen and the University of Leiden.
Herman Bavinck served as a pastor from 1881-82 and chapter 6 surveys this period. Eglinton devotes chapters 7-8 to his tenure as a professor in Kampen where he moved to in 1882 to be a professor. He would remain there until 1902, during which time he would also publish the well known four volumes of Reformed Dogmatics.
Chapter nine focuses on Bavinck's move to Amsterdam and his early years there including his response to Nietzsche as he moves. We get a close view of Bavinck's shift from writing to his engagement in broader political and cultural affairs of the time. These themes continue in Chapter 10 as we see Bavinck continue engaging in apologetics and evangelism in the public sphere along with his time during WWI. Chapter 11 brings a somber close to the life of Herman Bavinck.
The depth of the material necessitates rereading at times to grasp Bavinck’s background. Eglinton’s contribution cannot be understated — however challenging the meticulous background details may be. He approaches Bavinck with humility. While the overall outlook is favorable towards Herman Bavinck, Eglinton treats him fairly, not assigning motive where we do not have clear and guiding information. He engages other biographies and critiques them along the way. We see Herman Bavinck humanly, as a Christian and churchman finding a path in a changing political and cultural environment.
The praise this volume has received is well deserved. I look forward to having a copy on my shelf and reading this volume again soon.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review purposes. My comments are independent and my own. Quotations could change in the finished book. Pages for quotations are not provided due to receiving an unfinished manuscript.
Knowing a critical commentary on Herman Bavinck is one of the events I most anticipated this year. Hearing such critical acclaim throughout the year created an even great sense of hopefulness. All of it lived up to expectations!
James Eglinton sets an example of understanding a modern, complex theologian in Bavinck: A Critical Biography. His premise surrounds taking another look at Herman Bavinck while setting aside the “Jekyll and Hyde” assumptions resulting from the apparent contradictions between the orthodox and modern sides of Bavinck. Eglinton’s biography argues Bavinck had the capacity to “as a creative thinker whose theological imagination allowed him to envision a distinctive articulation of the historic Christian faith within his own modern milieu.”
Bavinck contains 11 chapters broken into five parts chronologically progressing through his life. Part 1, consisting of the first three chapters, provides background and begins Bavinck’s childhood and early schooling. Part 2 dives further into his life as a student and part 3 at his life as a pastor. Parts 4 and 5 examine at his time as a professor at both Kampen and Amsterdam respectively. Each chapter is broken into sections ranging anywhere from a half-page to 3-4 pages. Approaching each chunk of text allows Bavinck to be considerably more attainable.
The first chapter inundates the reader with so much information and background. This is all relevant and necessary for understanding Herman Bavinck’s environment, but it is difficult to process and retain the unfamiliar Dutch traditions. I found myself bookmarking what I presumed to be important details in order to refer back. For example, knowing the difference between the Reformirte Kirche and the Old Reformed Church will help in the next chapter.
Chapter two is much the same way as it turns to the subject’s parents. I increasingly saw the relevance in the little details; each little piece shaping and building the Bavinck family and Jan’s (Herman’s father) values and perspective. The third chapter approaches Herman as a youth and his early schooling. Eglinton challenges the romanticized understanding of Herman’s childhood as being a “diamond in the rough” and sees Herman as receiving a good education for the time and capable of receiving class prizes at the conclusion of the high school equivalent. Chapters 4 and 5 each look specifically at his time as a student at the Theological School of Kampen and the University of Leiden.
Herman Bavinck served as a pastor from 1881-82 and chapter 6 surveys this period. Eglinton devotes chapters 7-8 to his tenure as a professor in Kampen where he moved to in 1882 to be a professor. He would remain there until 1902, during which time he would also publish the well known four volumes of Reformed Dogmatics.
Chapter nine focuses on Bavinck's move to Amsterdam and his early years there including his response to Nietzsche as he moves. We get a close view of Bavinck's shift from writing to his engagement in broader political and cultural affairs of the time. These themes continue in Chapter 10 as we see Bavinck continue engaging in apologetics and evangelism in the public sphere along with his time during WWI. Chapter 11 brings a somber close to the life of Herman Bavinck.
The depth of the material necessitates rereading at times to grasp Bavinck’s background. Eglinton’s contribution cannot be understated — however challenging the meticulous background details may be. He approaches Bavinck with humility. While the overall outlook is favorable towards Herman Bavinck, Eglinton treats him fairly, not assigning motive where we do not have clear and guiding information. He engages other biographies and critiques them along the way. We see Herman Bavinck humanly, as a Christian and churchman finding a path in a changing political and cultural environment.
The praise this volume has received is well deserved. I look forward to having a copy on my shelf and reading this volume again soon.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review purposes. My comments are independent and my own. Quotations could change in the finished book. Pages for quotations are not provided due to receiving an unfinished manuscript.
January 2, 2021
Eglinton has created a very readable account of Bavinck's life that sheds light on his important contributions to theology, education, politics, and overall culture. I particularly appreciated understanding how Bavinck identified the terrible influences of Nietzsche on European culture and by extension the world. Bavinck and Kuyper were used by God as a temporary bulwark against a secularizing tide sweeping the West. It's sad to read that even late in his life, Bavinick had to defend against challenges to the authority of scripture in his own church.
After his seminal four-volume "Reformed Dogmatics" was translated into English in 2008, Bavinck's influence in biblical Christian circles has only increased.
The postscript describes how his grandchildren were active in the Dutch resistance against Nazi rule and some gave their lives. Fifty years after Bavinck's death the eventual rot in the GKN would result in it revising its historical confession.
After his seminal four-volume "Reformed Dogmatics" was translated into English in 2008, Bavinck's influence in biblical Christian circles has only increased.
The postscript describes how his grandchildren were active in the Dutch resistance against Nazi rule and some gave their lives. Fifty years after Bavinck's death the eventual rot in the GKN would result in it revising its historical confession.
April 18, 2022
A few years ago, I would've never expected two reformed Dutch theologians from over 100 years ago to be the models of hope and cultural engagement that I'd need to get me through some serious challenges in my faith. Yet here we are.
Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper lived through a period of tremendous change in the late 1800s and early 1900s. And in the midst of that shifting ground, they were both orthodox and modern in ways that demonstrate a beautiful faithful presence.
This biography itself is no cakewalk. It's definitely an intellectual biography, as it tracks Bavinck's theology throughout his life. But if either Kuyper or Bavinck have affected you, then this biography is a fun step further into their lives and influence.
Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper lived through a period of tremendous change in the late 1800s and early 1900s. And in the midst of that shifting ground, they were both orthodox and modern in ways that demonstrate a beautiful faithful presence.
This biography itself is no cakewalk. It's definitely an intellectual biography, as it tracks Bavinck's theology throughout his life. But if either Kuyper or Bavinck have affected you, then this biography is a fun step further into their lives and influence.
December 8, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of one of my favourite theologians. Eglinton does an excellent job at covering the course of Bavinck's life, paying attention to the successes and failures, with a sensitivity to Bavinck's theological concerns. Drawn from extensive research conducted in the Netherlands, Eglinton proves himself to be one of the leading--if not the leading--experts on Bavinck. I came away from this book regretting that it I had completed it, which is always a good sign for a writer. I certainly have a greater understanding of who Bavinck was, beyond what had been gleaning from his theological and psychological writings over the years. Anyone who has an appreciation for Bavinck needs to read this book.
April 24, 2024
This biography, like all good biographies, is a window into the life and times of an individual. Bavinck is a worthy character. His life promtps reflection. As a theological leader in the Netherlands, his life is particularly interesting to the seminarian and Christian student. Reading the life of another gives perspective and perhaps insight into the patterns of providence. Bavinck's achievements summited in his Dogmatics, yet his teaching career felt incomplete. Kampen was not ideal, but neither was his eventual move to the professorship at the Free University. So, too, we can expect to feel our lives incomplete.
Bavinck's is a worthy life to read and James Eglinton has done a grewat job of making that accessible to us.
Bavinck's is a worthy life to read and James Eglinton has done a grewat job of making that accessible to us.
May 23, 2025
This book is a CRITICAL biography...that being said, this book focuses on analyzing and comparing Bavinck's theology with other prevailing and arising views in Europe and America in that day. A biography of his life is a distant 2nd. This book is more academic than a casual read.
It should be noted that the biography itself is 299 pages with an additional 149 pages of cited references.
if you have heard of Hermann Bavinck and wish to look into his heart of love for the Triune God, I recommend most heartily his book "The Wonderful Works of God". If you are in seminary and or working on a doctorate, this Critical Biography is just the ticket for you.
It should be noted that the biography itself is 299 pages with an additional 149 pages of cited references.
if you have heard of Hermann Bavinck and wish to look into his heart of love for the Triune God, I recommend most heartily his book "The Wonderful Works of God". If you are in seminary and or working on a doctorate, this Critical Biography is just the ticket for you.
April 25, 2024
A good read for anybody interested in the church or church history or reformed theology. The writer keeps you interested, I never felt like there was a lull. I did find that he seemed to bury the lead a few times where he would give the death date of same new character as he was introducing them and then go on to tell the story of how they died young. Overall very good, scholarly and tediously researched.
December 20, 2020
What a wonderful book. Don’t let the adjective “critical” deceive you. This is a well written and penetrating book. Thoroughly engaging from beginning to end. I found it to be an encouragement to be “orthodox, yet modern.” We may not be as brilliant as Bavinck, but we should seek to bring to bear our faith into all aspects of life as Bavinck did.
September 21, 2024
This is a very good book. It manages to be thorough without getting too deep into the minutia of Bavinck’s life.
But if you become interested in some of the minutia, the endnotes will lead you down the path you want to go. For me, the minutia I want to follow is Bavinck’s views on pedagogy and psychology. I had no idea he wrote on these topics, I thought he was “just” a theologian.
But if you become interested in some of the minutia, the endnotes will lead you down the path you want to go. For me, the minutia I want to follow is Bavinck’s views on pedagogy and psychology. I had no idea he wrote on these topics, I thought he was “just” a theologian.
March 22, 2021
Very interesting story about a man who tried to "bring" his convictions into the modern age. This hasn't been a very successful endeavor throughout modernity, but Herman Bavinck is quite an exceptional man. He possessed a towering intellect and a love for orthodoxy. There has been a revival in his popularity, and I imagine that this will only continue. There are a lot of interesting ideas in here, and I hope to read more from Bavinck after being introduced to him in this critical biography.
June 7, 2022
Fantastic. A wonderful encouragement. Eglinton wonderfully sets out the tensions that Bavinck constantly has to wrestle with, presenting a man rarely at rest in life yet at rest in the grace that is his in Christ.
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