Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction

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Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 34 ratings · 10 reviews

Richard Mouw was first drawn to Abraham Kuyper?'s writings about public life in the turbulent 1960s. As he struggled to find the right Christian stance toward big social issues such as the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, Mouw discovered Kuyper?'s Lectures on Calvinism and, with it, a robust vision of active Christian involvement in public life that has guided hi...more

Paperback, 136 pages

Published June 11th 2011 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (first published May 28th 2011)

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Jan 03, 2012 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, religion-theology, own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My notes and summary of the book:

Kuyper spent most of his writings talking about how we are called to serve in God’s kingdom. He argued that at the heart of our call to glorify God is our obedient service as God’s designated caretakers in the cultural aspects of created life. This implies that God had an original created “culture” that He intended.
*** One of the pieces of evidence for regaining creation is from John 3:16 – the Greek word for “world” (cosmos) refers to all of creation. So reform...more My notes and summary of the book:

Kuyper spent most of his writings talking about how we are called to serve in God’s kingdom. He argued that at the heart of our call to glorify God is our obedient service as God’s designated caretakers in the cultural aspects of created life. This implies that God had an original created “culture” that He intended.
*** One of the pieces of evidence for regaining creation is from John 3:16 – the Greek word for “world” (cosmos) refers to all of creation. So reformed scholars argue that God wants to save all of creation, not just human souls.
*** Kuyper advanced the idea of “sphere sovereignty” or that God created different purposes and order for every sphere of His creation (e.g., politics, education, business). He argued it was important to maintain the distinction between categories; creation suffered when these boundaries were blurred (e.g., the state interfering with the church). As part of this argument, Kuyper believed that even if there had been no fall, God still wanted man to create culture. Even more, Kuyper believes that governments would have still been necessary had there been no fall (thus, God has in mind what a perfect government would look like).
*** Kuyper generally argued against the intervention of the state to alleviate poverty, although he did say that the government must step across spheres in cases where no help was available to the poor.
***One of Kuyper’s most important arguments was that a Christian should not shut off his/her Christian identify in the secular world. Instead, he thought Christians should come together within each “sphere” to form guilds, political parties, co-ops, etc. in order to properly confess God’s sovereignty in each domain. Kuyper thought that individual activities serving the kingdom weren’t enough – God calls us to work together within our disciplines to serve Him, no matter what the disciplines are.
*** The author also tries to address whether there is any Biblical evidence for Kuyper’s distinctions. One of Kuyper’s arguments refers to the use of the term “kinds” in Genesis, to mean that just as God created a different purpose and function for each of the animal types, so did He create purpose for each of his cultural institutions/services. He also argues that there are many examples in scripture of different spheres interacting, such as when a prophet (religious sphere) commands a king (political sphere) to do something. The author concedes that there are several “leaps” in this logic, but still finds Kuypers distinctions to be very useful.
*** One of the components of Kuypers expositions is that he often likes to think of what the world would have been like if there had been no fall (much like historians do “what if” exercises). This is what he uses as support of his belief that governments would still be necessary in a non-fallen world (e.g., traffic laws would still be needed). He also talks about each of his spheres as standing directly before the face of God – in other words, the church does not mediate between educators and God.
*** Kuyper gave up his position as a pastor when he became a political leader because he did not want it to appear that his connection to one sphere would influence his decisions in another sphere.
*** The Calvinist belief in the elect and reprobate had clear implications for the belief in the regenerate and unregenerate life, but Kuyper wanted to explain how the church often disappoints us in its regenerate works and the unbelieving world is often not as bad it one would predict. This is what prompted him to develop the concept of common grace. Calvinists argue that there is a difference between total and absolute depravity. Total means that it affects our total world, thoughts, etc., but it does not mean that absolutely everything we think and produce is depraved. This is where the possibility for accepting writing and thinking from secular thinkers comes in. Calvin himself described some pagan thinkers as benefiting from a “peculiar grace of God.” Kuyper extended this into the doctrine of common grace, saying God had “an attitude of favor toward the whole human race.” God uses common grace to advance his creational structure, even through the hands of the unbeliever.
*** One of Kuyper’s contemporaries was Herman Bavinck. He was a full-time scholar (unlike Kuyper) and more moderate and kind to other points of view than Kuyper.
*** Kuyper had several writings that indicated Africans were inferior to Whites; the author uses this is an example for the need for “neo-Kuyperism”.
***Speaking of neo-Kuyperism, Walsh and Middleton argue that in order to determine a worldview, one needs to answer: “Who am I?, Where am I? What’s wrong? What’s the remedy?”
*** Mouw tries to argue that many approaches to Christianity and culture have taken the approach of keeping out of culture altogether or completely taking it over. He argues for reforming culture in each of our lives and professions. He equates this mandate with the instructions God gave his people during the Babylonian captivity.
*** Mouw gives an example of how some spheres our shrinking in the modern age (e.g., civility) and what to do about it. For example, he bemoans the loss of the family meal, and points to how churches contribute to the lack of intergenerational contact when they support age segregated youth groups and bible studies.
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Jul 12, 2011 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reformed, biography

Richard Mouw has done us a great service in writing this enjoyable and palatable book. It is a must read for those who wrestle with the question what does Christianity have to do with life outside the church? Rarely do you find a book on Abraham Kuyper that is so readable and relevant to our world today. Mouw gives us a "best of Kuyper" in this book, simplifying concepts and doctrines which have been the topic of tomes. In the short hours that it takes to read this book, you will find yourself g...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Chuck Bonadies rated it 5 of 5 stars

Although I am not a neo-calvinist, Kuyper has made a major contribution to my understanding of both the Bible and the world. This book is a nice compliment to Al Wolter's Creation Regained. Mouw does a good job explaining Sphere Sovereignty. The author also does well to show where Kuyper's ideas may be sharpened.

CB

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Apr 08, 2012 Jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first half of the book on Kuyper's life and world views was the most helpful part of the book. He does a good job of giving a basic introduction to the world of Abraham Kuyper without leaving the study as a look into the past, but rather seeking to show how we may be better for our study of it - all for the sale of the Gospel.

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Jul 15, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Be forewarned, this is not a biography on Abraham "Mad Dog" Kuyper, like I originally thought. Instead, it is a Kuyperian Calvinism and how it is applicable today. Still very good, but I was a little disappointed to not read an excellent biography on Mad Dog.

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Jan 10, 2013 Justin Woodall rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

This was a good introduction to the life and thought of Kuyper. It is short and incredibly diverse. That was both it's strength and weakness. It was long enough to include nearly every aspect of Kuyper's thoughts, but so short it left you wanting more. A lot more.

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Mar 25, 2013 Nate Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyed. Nice introduction, though Kuypers doctrinal convictions were only selectively highlighted, Mouw admits this was a distinctly personal introduction.

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Apr 17, 2012 Kevin Lum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent overview of Kuyper in a short and concise manner. Highly recommended for anyone who wants an intro into Kuyper's life and thought.

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May 13, 2012 Scott rated it 2 of 5 stars

More appropriate title would be "Mouw's Musings".

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Nov 18, 2012 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Honest and holistic presentation of Kuyper's thought, with valuable thoughts on bringing Kuyper into the 21st century.

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May 19, 2013 Leah Zuidema rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 13, 2013 Geneva College added it

Shelves: bible-study, cfp, missy-shelf

May 01, 2013 Mark Spence marked it as to-read

Shelves: own

Apr 21, 2013 Christiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 06, 2013 John Stadt rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Shelves: christian-mind

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Nov 19, 2012 Matthew Rowley rated it 5 of 5 stars

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