PHL 228: Reformational Philosophy

This volume... has emerged from a small scholarly conference... on the relationship between Christianity and Greco-Roman civilization, above all, that civilization's characteristic patterns of philosophical thought... The field of investigation [is] the neo-Calvinist current within Dutch protestantism and the elaboration in the 1920s and 1930s of 'Calvinistic' philosophy as one of its most distinctive effects... this 'parish tale' has more to recommend it than might appear at first blush. For there is a good argument to be made why such a thoroughly local study can benefit a much broader segment of contemporary Protestantism.

Kuyper's remarkable legacy lives on today in the tradition of Dutch Calvinism that he developed. As his writings become more widely available, this tradition continues to find new adherents attracted by his comprehensive vision of Christian faith. But what defines the Kuyperian tradition? Renowned South African theologian and philosopher Craig Bartholomew has written the first systematic introduction to this tradition. Drawing on Kuyper's entire corpus, Bartholomew has identified the key themes and ideas that define this tradition, including worldview, sphere sovereignty, creation and redemption, the public square, and mission. He also goes beyond Kuyper to show how later thinkers developed these ideas.

A compilation of thirty-seven essays outlining and exemplifying Reformed views on the major Christian doctrines and practices. As editor Donald McKim notes, this volume constitutes the only substantial theological reference tool for studying the major emphases of Reformed theology.