Review of Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction

Brock, Cory C. and N. Gray Sutanto. Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022, pp. 322, $36.99, hardback.

Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction, by Brock and Sutanto, is an important work for anyone studying the theologies of Abraham Kuyper and Hermon Bavinck. It will serve well as a primer to Neo-Calvinism.

Cory C. Brock and N. Gray Sutanto are both Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) scholars. Brock is a minister at St. Columba’s Free Church of Scotland and an adjunct lecturer at Edinburgh Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Orthodox yet modern: Herman Bavinck’s Use of Friedrich Schleiermacher. Sutanto is an associate fellow at the Neo-Calvinism Research Institute, assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and the author of God and Knowledge: Herman Bavinck’s Theological Epistemology of God.

Brock and Sutanto wrote Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction to lay a foundation for understanding Kuyper and Bavinck’s Neo-Calvinism. The book focuses on the theologies of Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) and Herman Bavinck, the two founders of Neo-Calvinism (p. xvi). This book is the first single volume that “treats their distinctive dogmatic theology in an introductory yet summative and textually grounded way” (p. 3). Therefore, the main goal of this book is an exposition and summary of the key dogmatic developments of Kuyper and Bavinck. With this goal in mind, Brock and Sutanto have three “theologically motivated postures” they present in chapter one, which serve as the backbone of the distinct theological loci in each following chapter (pp. 8-9, 291-292). These three postures of Neo-Calvinism, which will be considered later, include: “(1) orthodox yet modern, (2) self-consciously holistic, and (3) organic, not mechanical” (p. 8).

Following chapter one, chapters two through ten explore the innerworkings of Neo-Calvinism. Chapter two seeks to establish the bridge from Calvinism to the Neo-Calvinism of Kuyper and Bavinck. In chapter three, Kuyper and Bavinck are looked at to consider the integrity of the catholicity of the church, while addressing the diverse modern issues of their day. In chapter four, the authors address how Kuyper and Bavinck understood the importance of general revelation and reason. Chapter five looks at their theology of Scripture and how it informs and has authority over all other sciences. In chapters six and seven, Kuyper and Bavinck’s theology of Creation and Re-creation as well as Image and Fall are discussed, respectively. Chapter eight looks at the doctrine of common grace and notes that “both general and special revelation constitute common grace” (p. 222). Chapter nine culminates the distinct theological loci from the previous chapters to show how the united essence of the catholic church as an organism relates to the world in which it exists. Finally, in the chapter ten, Brock and Sutanto remind their readers of the three postures seen throughout this book and then concludes with sixteen theses that summarizes the entire book.

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Brock and Sutanto are successful in their aim because they tie each distinct theological loci to the three “theologically motivated postures.” With each chapter, the reader gains a clearer picture of Neo-Calvinism with Brock and Sutanto satisfyingly tie the bow on the whole project with the sixteen summative theses.

The first posture, orthodox yet modern, is demonstrated through the book. Christians can maintain orthodoxy, while engaging the modern culture as an orthodox Christian. Kuyper and Bavinck “made a clear distinction between the essence of the orthodoxy and its external forms. While the former must be preserved, the latter changes with each passing generation and local reception” (p. 45). They argue that Christians should not be conservative in form and not progressive in essence. In other words, the catholicity of the church is seen in the diverse forms (expressions), while remaining united in its essence. This posture allows Christians to be transformed in the midst of the broken modern world through the power of Christ which in turn renews the world.

The second posture that is seen throughout the book is how Neo-Calvinism is holistic, i.e., it affects everything. “The call toward holism is itself a posture that can lead theologians toward the strenuous effort to do justice to the rich and manifold aspects of reality” (p. 291). In other words, all the doctrines discussed lend themselves in a way that “would produce intellectual virtues required for the dogmatic tasks ahead” because they all fit together holistically (p. 292). This means, general revelation and reason go hand in hand. The authors observe, “For Neo-Calvinists, [general revelation] produces an affective and implanted knowledge of God quite independently of the exercise of creaturely reason” (p. 96). In other words, general revelation allows Christians to “retrieve the centrality of intuitions and affections for a robust theological anthropology” (p. 97). These affections, along with reason, helped established the holistic framework of Neo-Calvinism.

The final posture presented throughout the book is that Neo-Calvinism is organic. The catholicity of the Christian faith has universal commitments; however, these universal commitments ought to be applied differently to cultures, making the organic nature have unity-in-diversity. The Christian faith naturally expresses itself authentically yet distinctly as it is practiced in different cultures and societies.  

Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction, by Brock and Sutanto, is an important work for anyone studying the theologies of Abraham Kuyper and Hermon Bavinck. It will serve well as a primer to Neo-Calvinism. Further, anyone interested in the theological heritage of Kuyper and Bavinck will benefit from this book. It serves as a launching pad for future Neo-Calvinist theologians and pastors to apply this coherent theological system to new contemporary theological issues.