It is saddening for anyone who is committed to the Christian faith in its Reformed or Calvinist form to contemplate how the influence of this system of Christian truth has declined in the modern world. A thoughtful student cannot help but wonder why this faith that once inspired and dominated the thought and life of large […]
STRANGE FIRE ON THE ALTAR This Spring Calvin College again planned a “Religious Emphasis Week.” It was to be the week terminating in Good Friday and Easter, according to CHIMES of March 20. Actually the program didn’t get off the ground. The scheduled speaker became ill and had to cancel his engagement at a late date. The […]
When one surveys the history of the Christian church he must recognize the significance for the church of its literature. Some works stand out among others as having been of great influence. One recalls, for example. the Confession or On the City of God by St. Augustine, the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, the Summa […]
W. Robert Godfrey’s Inaugural Address as President of Westminster Seminary in California, October 1, 1993 Dr. Carson, members of the Board of Trustees, fellow faculty members, administrators and staff of the Seminary. students, distinguished guests and delegates, family and my good friends. It is a privilege for me to be here and have this opportunity […]
INTRODUCTION At the close of my previous article sketching the life of Abraham Kuyper, I suggested that the key to an interpretation of his labors lies in what Kuyper called the “life system” of Calvinism.1 Kuyper’s engagement in a wide range of reforming activities—as a church reformer and theologian, politician, educator, journalist—can only be accounted […]
In my previous article, I noted that Kuyper has been a controversial figure within the Reformed community. During his own lifetime and afterward, Kuyper’s articulation of a Calvinistic worldview has provoked considerable debate. Evaluations of Kuyper’s position have ranged from enthusiastic approval to vigorous dissent, with any number of positions between these extremes. The number […]
Many writers who reflect on the life of John Calvin are quick to criticize him and his later followers for their spiritual apathy, even coldness. These writers associate the Pastor of Geneva with a cold theology and a steely mind; rarely is he said to demonstrate a life of warmhearted devotion to God. […]