Abraham Kuyper accomplished much over the course of his lifetime, but perhaps his most lasting contribution to Dutch society was a radical restructuring of the Dutch school system according to the principle of religious liberty. Over a span of almost fifty years (1869–1917), he and his Antirevolutionary Party worked diligently to establish the right of
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The Timeless Legacy of Groen van Prinsterer
Why are the populism that hailed Napoleon, the nationalism that supported Bismarck, the naturalism of Darwin, and the nihilism of Nietzsche still with us in the twenty-first century? Of the making of many books there is no end—warns the Bible—but once in a while a book comes along that swallows up many others. Groen van
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Samuel Pearce and Holy Love
In the history of God’s people, there have been a number of individuals who seem to have packed decades of spiritual maturity into a few short years of life. There is a spiritual intensity about such men and women that make them utterly unforgettable to their contemporaries. Such, for example were: David Brainerd (1718–1747) Ann
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Living Out Abraham Kuyper’s Theology
When Christians imagine what it means to engage the world or bear witness to Christ, we often think first of personal piety and relational evangelism. These are good and necessary, but is there more? North American culture is increasingly secular, especially at the elite levels of society. As a result, Christian faith is becoming more
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God’s Sovereignty Over Art
God can either give or withhold talent, and so art is another field where God gives no account of himself. Especially in the sphere of art, each and every one of us lived in deep dependence on God’s government over all things. The Lord our God gives one person this talent, and the other that
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Unexpected Shifts in Global Missions
The nature of global missions has changed radically in the latter part of the twentieth century. As Edward L. Smither says in Christian Mission: A Concise Global History, “though the United States continued to be the leading mission-sending nation at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Global South church now sends the majority of
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The Consequences of Unbelief
To renounce immutable truth does not convert falsehood into truth. To deny God is not to destroy Him. And to deny human depravity is not to achieve human perfection. Once faith in the living God has declined, it is natural that unbelief will soon prevail over the dead fragments of doctrine so carefully embalmed in
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Abraham Kuyper on Christian Conduct in the World
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). We can now see clearly the distinction between the twofold process a sinner undergoes when he or she returns to life. The Divine Act On
Read moreWho Were the First Christian Missionaries?
According to the author of the Didache, Origen, and Eusebius of Caesarea, the early church communities sent unnamed, itinerant evangelists to travel and cross cultures to proclaim the gospel. Origen notes: “Some of them, accordingly, have made it their business to itinerate not only through cities, but even villages and country houses, that they might
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Pure Theology Is Purifying Theology
For William Gouge and other Puritans, practical divinity encouraged rigorous reflection, introspection, and a disciplined life in order to help believers discern even the tiniest degree of faith that testifies that they are elect, thereby bringing consolation to the anxious soul. They were concerned that if one overemphasized justification and assurance at the neglect of
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