Eglinton, James

Burton, Simon

Guerrero Leiva, Israel José

2023-12-01T11:32:13Z

2023-12-01T11:32:13Z

2023-12-01

Despite the considerable growth of research on Bavinck’s theology in recent years, there has yet to be a detailed investigation of the place of piety in Bavinck’s neo-Calvinism. This study fills that gap in Bavinck’s studies, prompted by the reality that piety has been a significant element of the Reformed tradition from its earliest stages. In his recent dissertation, Cory Brock has described the orthodox yet modern approach of Bavinck’s understanding of general piety by using Schleiermacher’s grammar for what John Calvin (1509-64) described as the sensus divinitatis. This study continues to focus on the concept of subjective religion more specifically. That is, in elucidating the understanding of the principles and certain practices that make up Bavinck’s Christian and Reformed piety. This is done through five chapters. Chapter one introduces the place of subjective religion within the history of the Reformed tradition by analysing the interpretation of piety in figures such as Calvin and Jan Bavinck (1826-1909) and movements such as the Nadere Reformatie and the Secession of 1834. The chapter concludes by arguing that because of the central place in the Reformed tradition occupied by piety, one cannot fully understand Herman Bavinck’s neo-Calvinism as a theological movement without paying proper attention to the essential role of piety therein. Chapter two analyses Bavinck’s description of piety in his Reformed Dogmatics and Ethics, and in articles that deal explicitly with the concept of piety, such as ‘Christelijke vroomheid’ I and II (‘Christian piety,’ two articles written in 1900 and 1902) and ‘Godsvrucht en wetenschap’ (‘Piety and science,’ 1907). Chapter three focuses on two of Bavinck’s manuscripts that have thus far received no scholarly attention: ‘De Godsvrucht in het Studentenleven’ (‘Piety in the student life’ - 1890) and ‘Exercitia Pietatis’ (‘Exercises of Piety - 1896). The telos of godliness is explained through the analysis of three further articles, which illustrates the significance of a covenantal view of Bavinck’s doctrine of the beatific vision. Ultimately, chapters two and three define the nature of Reformed piety as trinitarian, covenantal and holistic. Chapter four describes a prominent aspect of praxis pietatis: the cultus Dei as the practice of piety towards God by exploring the first four commandments of God’s law. It also explores the difference between pietism and Reformed piety in Bavinck’s thought. Finally, the last chapter describes Bavinck’s view of theological training as a means of promoting the practice of piety towards God and others. Bavinck’s reception of Calvin’s and Voetius’ ideas of the relationship between piety and science is described here to show how experiential and holistic piety is the root of morality and cultural development for Bavinck. This research concludes by considering a retrieval of Bavinckian ideas of praxis pietatis for contemporary neo-Calvinism. At the same time, it also proposes some ideas to explore for future Bavinck scholarship (pneumatology, ecclesiology, Reformed orthodoxy and public theology) by assuming the essential place of subjective Christian religion in Bavinck’s theology.

https://hdl.handle.net/1842/41250

http://dx.doi.org/10.7488/era/3986

en

The University of Edinburgh

Guerrero, Israel. Herman Bavinck: una vida y teología para la gloria de Dios. Brentwood: B&H Publishing Group, 202 4

Guerrero, Israel. ‘Neo Calvinism and Post Reformation Reformed Orthodoxy’ in T&T Clark Handbook of Neo Calvinism . Edited by Nathaniel Gray Sutanto & Cory Brock. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 202 4

Herman Bavinck

neo-Calvinism

Reformed theology

Piety

Christian subjective religion

covenant theology

Trinitarian Theology

Holistic theology

Reformed Orthodoxy

Nadere Reformatie

Piety in the theology of Herman Bavinck: trinitarian, covenantal and holistic

Thesis or Dissertation

Doctoral

PhD Doctor of Philosophy