Reformed Ethics, Volume One: Created, Fallen, and Converted Humanity by Herman Bavinck is edited by John Bolt and published by Baker Academic.
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This is a significant publication that will prove to be a great blessing to those who speak English (Bavnick wrote in Dutch). We have quite recently been given the gift of Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics translated into the English language, and we now have its twin discipline, Reformed Ethics. This is the first volume of a projected three-volume set.
RELATED: {Book Review} Reformed Dogmatics
Volume One is divided into two books:
- Humanity before Conversion, and
- Converted Humanity
Bavinck’s work begins (prior to book one) with an introduction that discusses the historical overview, terminology, organization of ethics, and foundation/method of ethics. Book one is then Bavinck’s teaching on topics such as essential human nature, power of sin, the fallen image of God, human conscience, and more. Book two then contains teachings on topics such as life in the Spirit, church history’s account of life in the Spirit, the shape and maturation of the Christian life, and restoration and consummation of the Christian life.
Reading through volume one, I was amazed at the depth of the teaching that Bavinck provides. Many contemporary ethics books (or systematic theology books that cover many of these issues) often devote a chapter or two to some of these topics, but Bavinck’s material adds up to 500 pages worth! This is a marvelously thorough treatment of humanity!
I also want to mention how readable Bavinck is in this work (as well as his Reformed Dogmatics). Perhaps some will shy away from Bavinck for fear of the difficulty of reading it, but there is no reason for fear in this instance. I found this book very easy to understand (shout out to the translators who were working with digitized handwritten manuscripts by Bavinck). The reader is sure to be encouraged by Bavinck’s excellent treatment of moral theology!
I think that pastors and scholars will find this book to be an precious treat, and many laypersons who enjoy diving deeper into theology will likewise greatly enjoy this book. The church is blessed to have Bavinck’s works at her disposal. I highly commend this particular work of his to you. 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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