The Foremost Problems of Contemporary Dogmatics

In The Foremost Problems of Contemporary Dogmatics, Herman Bavinck highlights the primary challenges facing Protestant theologians in the early twentieth century. The edited translation by Gert de Kok and Bruce R. Pass is smooth and clear, making Bavinck’s ideas easy to follow.

Originally delivered as a series of lectures at the Free University shortly after Bavinck’s move to Amsterdam in 1902, the work explores the theologies of the Reformation. Of particular interest is Bavinck’s insightful analysis of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, offering compelling contrasts.

Neo-Calvinism as a Championed Worldview

Bavinck also engages with the ideas of Kant, Schleiermacher, and Hegel, revealing how they frame their faith in terms of moralism, mysticism, and rationalism. The final lectures delve into the influence of art and science on various theological frameworks.

A rigorous yet rewarding read, The Foremost Problems of Contemporary Dogmatics offers a rare glimpse into the mind of an exceptional thinker, teacher, and theologian. Reading this book is like catching Bavinck candidly in the classroom, taking Neo-Calvinism to work and passionately presenting it as a championed worldview.


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