Baker Academic has published a wonderful new biography on Herman Bavinck. The book is titled Bavinck: A Critical Biography by James Eglinton. Dr. Eglinton is the Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at the University at Edinburgh.
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Bavinck: A Critical Biography
Herman Bavinck is theological giant that has contributed much to Reformed theology. We have been newly exposed to his writings in English as they’ve been recently translated into English. If you’re like me, the more one reads about a man’s theology, the more one will desire to know more about the man and context in which he lived. Enter James Eglinton who provides that very information.
Eglinton breaks the critical biography into five parts. Each part has multiple chapters that adds up to a total of 11 chapters (and 3 appendices). Part one is called “Roots” and deals with Herman’s upbringing, family, and schooling. Part two is called “Student” and discusses his time in Kampen and Leiden. The remaining three parts deal with his time as a pastor and professor.
I want to mention how readable and enjoyable Eglinton’s book is. He is surely an expert on the life and work of Bavinck, as his previous work/scholarship has proven. This biography is even further proof of that as it is incredibly well-researched and documented. If you have read and studied any of Bavinck’s work, you are sure to enjoy reading the story of his life and the way that he interacted with the times and culture that he lived in.
There is so much that we can learn from Bavinck that needs to be implemented in our current time and culture, whether it be theology or engagement with politics, liberalism, evangelism, racism, etc. He is a world-class theologian that is a blessing to the church today!
This book is also, aesthetically speaking, very beautiful! I love the hardcover which contains gold lettering on the spine as well as the nice design of the dust jacket. It’s a nice-looking book all around (admittedly only book lovers will care about this).
I want to highly recommend this biography to you, as I’m sure that you’ll find it to be a treat. May we learn much from this excellent man and theologian that is finally coming into the spotlight after many years of not being interacted with. Tolle lege, take up and read!
Disclaimer: My thanks to Baker Academic for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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