In December of 1888, a young Herman Bavinck stepped down as rector of the Theological School in Kampen and delivered a farewell address. Most such speeches are forgotten by the next morning. This one became a manifesto.
We’ve just published the full text of “The Catholicity of Christianity and the Church” on the site, with a short introduction to set the scene. In it Bavinck argues that the church is catholic, truly universal, in three distinct senses, and that the gospel lays hold of the whole of life rather than one people or one corner of it.
Why host it? Theological treatises like this are easy to hear about and hard to actually read. We wanted it sitting somewhere clean, easy to read, and free, so it can be read well. Whether Bavinck is old company to you or a new name, this piece is a bracing reminder of how large the Reformed faith really is.
What Bavinck argues
- What “catholic” really means and why it belongs to the Reformed
- The church as catholic in three distinct senses
- How the gospel claims the whole of life and every people
- Why this 1888 address became a neo-Calvinist landmark
It’s a rewarding read, and a short one by Bavinck’s standards.
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