Bav Bites

Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics edited by Dr. John Bolt is very easy to split up into small reading parts/bites. Each Bavinck bite is about five pages. Some sections go up to around ten. So a chapter may have 12 subsections (each being ~ 5pg.).  Readers can plow through one subsection each day and complete all four volumes in less than two years. Why only read five pages a day? That I feel is the only way to somewhat get Shang of what you’re reading and to retain it as some level. With massive works like Bavinck, Brakel, Hodge, Calvin, Frame it is prudent to go through at a reasonably slow pace and take time. 

Bavinck is a hard read, not form sentence structure and vocabulary sense, but from a conceptual and philosophical sense. Bavinck’s Magnus Opus is written with the scholar in mind. Scholars will be familiar with Bavinck’s references to other theologians and philosophers, one used example being Freidrich Schleiermacher. Trained theologians will be familiar with Scheiermacher and his liberal learnings and being considered the father of liberal theology, etc. I am not familiar with Schleiermacher, or Kant, Hegel, etc. I believe those who engage Bavinck at a “casual” level may not have the level of knowledge of concepts as trained philosophers and theologians.  I believe it’s okay to read works in which we are not familiar with. This is the entire foundation of education. We continually read materials in which we don’t know the material within; therefore we learn it.  I have talked to several people about Bavinck among other theologians and they have expressed nervousness getting i...

I have not yet finished RD (Reformed Dogmatics), so I don’t have the authority to claim as to why one should read Bavinck or not. I will only state my personal reasons.  1. He’s thoroughly Biblical 2. Historical 3. Surprisingly readable I think there can be several reasons for engaging with Herman Bavinck. A great article to read is provided as linked here: ( https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-you-should-read-bavinck/%3famp )

I chose “Bav Bites”, because this blog is a layman’s understanding of Bavinck, and therefore posts will only be in bite sized pieces. I am a second year college student pursuing English and comparative literature, but I am also committed to ministry and discipleship. I’m passionate about sharing my faith with others relationally, and enjoy reading and studying theology. I hope to be in full time ministry, or vocational ministry and possibly teach as tent making.  I’ve been fortunate to build a decent theology library. The middle section of four brown books is Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics (Gereformeede Dogmatiek). I enjoy reading Bavinck. Some are intimidated by his Magnum Opus, considering his philosophical rigor and theological precision and diversity in cross dogma dialogue confusing at times. And Bav Bites... Alliteration or whatever. It just sounds good to me. 🙂