Abraham Kuyper (1837 - 1920) is a significant figure in the history of the Netherlands and one of the most remarkable figures in the annals of Calvinism. Kuyper celebrated the Reformed founders, subscribed heart and soul to their teachings, and worked ceaselessly to restore their authority in an age that had either forgotten them or contradicted their word. From their theology, Kuyper extruded a whole worldview, and by that worldview he hoped to refashion the politics, scholarship, art, and social arrangements of his time. "Calvinism" was his soul and system, the purest form of Christianity, the treasure of the past, the hope of the future. This anthology, published in the centennial year of Kuyper's famous Stone Lectures, gathers sixteen key writings by Kuyper never before available in English. Included are his definitive statements on politics, education, culture, and the religious currents and social problems of his time. Also included are Kuyper's own conversion narrative, his critiques of Modernism and of Holiness theology, his proposals on common grace and Calvinist politics, his reflections on a culture in thrall to pantheism and evolution, and his classic address on "sphere sovereignty." In his introduction, editor James Bratt sets Kuyper's work in its 19th century context and shows the relevance of his ideas to contemporary debates on modernism, evangelicalism, and fundamentalism. Bratt also provides helpful explanatory notes and a brief introduction to each piece. Photographs, cartoons, and short excerpts from some of Kuyper's better-known works make this an attractive volume that will stand as the definitive Kuyper anthology for years to come.
Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was a Reformed pastor and theologian who dominated the religious and political life of the Netherlands for nearly half a century and whose ideas continue to inspire an international school of thought. He founded the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, organized the first major Christian political party in Europe, and served as prime minister of the Netherlands. Kuyper lectured and wrote many books on Reformed theology and generally sought to show the public relevance of Christian faith to modern life. James D. Bratt is professor of history at Calvin College.
Biblical Theology Bulletin "Abraham provides a helpful discussion of life after death in Christian faith traditions as grounds of hope for the believer. . . . [An] outstanding work of heart, mind and spirit: '" Church History "Bratt is a skilled editor, and his selections from Kuyper have the advantage of representing both different periods in Kuyper's development and the major themes in the Dutch conservative's thought. . . Although it has been a century since Kuyper presented his ideas to an American audience in the Stone Lectures at Princeton Seminary, many American religious historians are just beginning to appreciate his impact on American evangelicalism. Yet, much of neo-evangelical as well as present-day evangelical theology is inexplicable without Kuyper in the background. Bratt has done American religious historians a major service by publishing these texts in a single volume." Library Journal "Bratt not only sets Kuyper's work in its 19th-century context but shows the relevance of his ideas to contemporary debates on modernism, evangelicalism, and fundamentalism." The Weekly Standard "The appearance of a new hefty volume . . . is consequently a major event. The essays in the collection, skillfully edited and introduced by James Bratt, display the range of Kuyper's intellectual contributions. . . Kuyper's writings deserve sustained attention. . . As a successful politician, Abraham Kuyper may provide a model of Christian statesmanship. But it is as a thinker that he offers what we need most: a way for theologically informed Christians to grasp both what they should seek, and what they should not seek, from politics in a democracy."
