What is Christianity?

What did Bavinck see as the basic background of Christianity? In What is Christianity? Herman Bavinck presents a brief theological and historical sketch of Christianity.

What does one make of Christ?

Published by Hendrickson Academic, this 128-page softcover book includes Bavinck’s “Christianity” (1912) and “The Christian Faith” (1883) for the first time in English. Together they paint a picture of the nature of Christianity and the primacy of Christ.

The question that echoes throughout the book is “What does one make of Christ?” In subsequent chapters, Bavinck presents the Jesus of Christianity, the Confession of Christianity, the Diversity of Christianity, the Rise of Modernity and Christianity, and the Respite of Christianity.

Christ Calms our Cultural Storms

I was most interested in Bavinck’s description of the three streams of the Protestant Reformation: Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli. They all tackle the law in different ways, and Bavinck ultimately lands on Calvin as the heart of the Reformation.

I was most moved to see Bavinck describe his times using language that would be fitting of our own. He regrettably says that “the main question is not what is permitted but what is possible, not what is good but what is useful.” I was reminded that Christianity and Christ will weather any storm. In fact, Christ will calm them. And what we must make of him is to see him in awe, and bow down in worship.

I received a media copy of What is Christianity? and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.