What Is Christianity? translated and edited by Gregory Parker Jr. and Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion, translated and edited by Gregory Parker Jr. and Cameron Clausing
Hendrikson Publishing, 2022
The Bavinck renaissance continues! Herman Bavinck—perhaps the most prolific Christian thinker of the 20th century—was not only well-known in his Dutch homeland but had a degree of international renown for his trenchant and winsome defense of the Christian faith. Few others had his ability to articulate and vindicate the Christian worldview while also critically examining competing worldviews.
In the past twenty years or so, this titan of the faith has been discovered by another generation. John Bolt translated his systematic works, which are now required reading in any Reformed seminary. More recently, James Eglinton wrote a superlative biography that reminded us that Bavinck’s life was just as important as his work. Now, Gregory Parker Jr. and Cameron Clausing have brought Bavinck’s work to the broader church.
Parker translated What Is Christianity?—a combination of two short works of Bavinck dealing with the person and work of Christ. Parker was joined by Clausing in translating Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion, which condenses and simplifies Bavinck’s prodigious systematic works for lay readers. With these translations, the scholars admirably fulfill Bavinck’s lifelong hope to not only equip scholars in the faith, but the laity as well.
It is hard to categorize the first work, What Is Christianity? It explains the basics of the Christian faith against the backdrop of Scripture, church history, and the confessions. The preface is remarkably helpful in this regard, as Parker helps us understand both the cultural backdrop of this work and what Bavinck is trying to accomplish. This backdrop and purpose are summarized well by Bavinck partway through this work:
But this is certain: that the aversion to supernaturalism has been inherent in it to a great extent, and that the whole of modern culture is geared toward only taking account of immanent forces and laws. Philosophy, physics, and history alike have worked in this direction. The inductive method, causality, which gradually gained the upper hand, was noticed everywhere in phenomena, and the idea of evolution, which consciously or unconsciously served as the guiding principle in all research, have narrowed the supernaturalistic world-and life-view of Christianity to such an extent that there seemed to be no room left for it. (53)
In explaining this backdrop, Bavinck also offers the Christian a poignant reminder: “Humanity may progress along its course, but man always remains the same, his nature appears to be the same everywhere, and his heart can only be satisfied by God.” (59)
This first work was meant for students, but its historical situatedness might make that hope a bit of a stretch for contemporary Western students. Rather, it is probably best suited for those looking for unique ways to instruct the laity in the church—perhaps through adult education.
Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion is the more substantive work of the two and brings systematic theology to the masses. It is a clear presentation of the basics of the Christian faith that bears both the brilliance of Bavinck as a thinker and the sublimity and wisdom that comes to shepherds of the flock in their waning years.
Again, Parker—now alongside Clausing—provides a helpful introduction that serves as an interpretive key for the book. It gives the reader a sufficient understanding of Bavinck and his times to not get distracted by terms and concepts unique to both. By clearing away the clutter, these esteemed translators free the reader to enjoy Bavinck on his own terms.
And on its own terms, this book has the potential to do for Christians what Bavinck’s systematic works did for a generation of seminary students: To learn how to think as Christians and love the Lord with the mind. So much of what we call a “Christian worldview” comes from Bavinck and this book shows the Christian why it’s important for Christians to build their faith intellectually upon the rock of Christ and how this worldview alone enables us to comprehend the world and walk by faith.
This is evidenced by the structure of the book. A full quarter of the book is devoted to the knowledge of God, revelation, and Scripture. This reflects Bavinck’s four systematic works, which begin with his Prolegomena of the Christian faith. Most critiques of the Christian faith can be reduced to “How do you know that this is true?” and many struggles of the Christian heart can be summed up with “How can I trust this to be true in the present storm?” As Christians, we must know God and know that he can be trusted in all circumstances. Bavinck helps us explain how we can do this.
“In order for our hearts to find rest in God, naturally we must possess some of knowledge of him, for the unknown is unloved,” Bavinck writes on page 14. With this Augustinian reference, Bavinck gives the reader an animating purpose to read what comes after. In order to love God, I must know him. If I wish to love him more, I must know him more. It is this pastoral framing of theology that makes reading Bavinck such an enjoyable task.
Bavinck is also supremely relatable to us Christian postmodernists who stubbornly insist on talking about our feeling while fixed upon Christian truth. God reveals himself to all of creation through feelings—that “they should seek out God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.” (Acts 17:27). “The fool may say in his heart, ‘There is no God’ (Ps. 14:1), but deep in every human soul is the feeling of absolute dependence on an almighty power, a feeling of divinity—just as Calvin called it thereby; also a seed, a principle of religion and morality.” (23)
Bavinck will never be confused with Chesterton for his eloquence, nor with Kuyper for his ability to impact the culture, but it is his profound and perspicuous teaching on the Christian faith that will undergird our attempts at articulation and crusades to consecrate the culture to the glory of Christ. I highly commend this latter work to the church—particularly for those Christians of college age who are looking to understand and articulate their faith in a winsome manner.
I would also like to commend Gregory Parker Jr. and Cameron Clausing who, standing upon the shoulders of John Bolt, James Eglinton, Nathanial Sutanto and others, have gifted the church with more great works by a giant of the faith. “To edify the church” should be the animating cry of all Christian scholars. It was embodied by Herman Bavinck and is now reflected in those who translate these works. May we all carry the same passion for Christ and for his church.
