Neo-Calvinism on General Revelation: A Dogmatic Sketch

Neo-Calvinism, it is often observed, affirms a ubiquitous and dogmatic account of general revelation. Yet, critics claim, the tradition is too reticent to affirm that there is a positive, even if limited, project for natural theology. I argue that what accounts for this apparent discrepancy is a fai...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sutanto, Nathaniel Gray 1991- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2018]
In: International journal of systematic theology
Year: 2018, Volume: 20, Issue: 4, Pages: 495-516
IxTheo Classification:KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
KDD Protestant Church
NBB Doctrine of Revelation
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Summary:Neo-Calvinism, it is often observed, affirms a ubiquitous and dogmatic account of general revelation. Yet, critics claim, the tradition is too reticent to affirm that there is a positive, even if limited, project for natural theology. I argue that what accounts for this apparent discrepancy is a failure to recognize some distinctive marks of the neo-Calvinistic account of general revelation. Theologians like Herman Bavinck, Johan Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper operate with an account of general revelation that is precognitive and primordial in character - an account irreducible to propositional beliefs about God. Once this dogmatic sketch is retrieved, a strong distinction between the ubiquity of general revelation and its rational reception in the form of concepts can be made. The conclusion then draws some salient implications of the above exposition.
ISSN:1468-2400
Contains:Enthalten in: International journal of systematic theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/ijst.12333