New Bavinck biography

[Stephen L Smith]

Good news for Bavinck fans. James Eglinton's superb new biography of Herman Bavinck is now available.

Bavinck: A Critical Biography

The book follows the course of Bavinck's life in a period of dramatic social change, identifying him as an orthodox Calvinist challenged with finding his feet in late modern culture. This critical biography presents numerous significant and previously ignored or unknown aspects of Bavinck's...

www.wtsbooks.com

 

[Guido's Brother]

Yes, it looks good. I read Gleason's biography a few years ago, but this does look to better it.

 

[Lalo]

good price but no ebook version available in WTS' bookstore...

 

[bookslover]

The book is probably very good. Definitely not a fan of the cover art, though.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

but this does look to better it.

I looked at the book preview on Amazon and Eglinton claims the Gleason biography contains a number of inaccuracies. I will be interested to learn more.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

Definitely not a fan of the cover art, though.

Agreed.

 

[Taylor]

The book is probably very good. Definitely not a fan of the cover art, though.

It is odd. The painting makes Bavinck look like a Freud-esque psychiatrist.

 

[mgkortus]

I have high hopes for this book, especially because John Bolt says in his endorsement: "This will be the definitive Bavinck biography for generations." Bolt knows Bavinck and his theology as well as anyone living today.

 

[mgkortus]

Does anyone know more about the author: James Eglinton? From the WTS website:

James Eglinton (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. He previously served as senior researcher in systematic and historical theology at the Theologische Universiteit Kampen. Eglinton is the author or editor of several books, including Herman Bavinck on Preaching and Preachers. He also serves as associate editor of the Journal of Reformed Theology.

This is helpful, but I am curious to know more. In particular: what church Eglinton belongs to?

 

[Stephen L Smith]

Definitely not a fan of the cover art, though.

It is odd. The painting makes Bavinck look like a Freud-esque psychiatrist.

On the author blog page, James Eglinton talks about Bavinck's death and shows a photo of Kuyper's death mask. I did wonder if it was the authors attempt to create Bavinck's death mask since he mentions Bavinck died just over 99 years ago. That is a guess but I do find it a bit weird myself!
https://jameseglinton.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/bavincks-death-99-years-ago-today/

 

[Regi Addictissimus]

We will have it in stock and on sale next week.

 

[TheInquirer]

Looking forward to this. I got bogged down in the Gleason bio about 40% of the way through and laid it aside a couple years back and have neglected to return to it.

 

[CathH]

On the author blog page, James Eglinton talks about Bavinck's death and shows a photo of Kuyper's death mask. I did wonder if it was the authors attempt to create Bavinck's death mask since he mentions Bavinck died just over 99 years ago. That is a guess but I do find it a bit weird myself!
https://jameseglinton.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/bavincks-death-99-years-ago-today/

He talks about the cover here, https://jameseglinton.wordpress.com/2020/07/13/on-judging-a-cover-by-its-book/

I like it.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

The Reformed Forum has a discussion on this biography with the author Dr. James Eglinton https://reformedforum.org/podcasts/ctc667/

 

[greenbaggins]

Ron Gleason doesn't like the new Eglinton biography. The idea that Bavinck changed radically and drastically after he left Kampen and arrived in Amsterdam is not one that any other Bavinck scholar has bought. Also, he told me that "organism" is hardly the lynchpin of Bavinck's entire theology.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

Ron Gleason doesn't like the new Eglinton biography.

I looked on the Amazon sample page for the Eglinton biography and noticed on the index that the biography has a dedicated section on the errors in the Gleason biography. Clearly there is a clear disagreement in these two biographies. I personally am interested as to how this disagreement will pan out.

any other Bavinck scholar has bought

It will be interesting to see how Bavinck scholars rate Eglinton's biography.

Also, he told me that "organism" is hardly the lynchpin of Bavinck's entire theology.

I assume you are referring to Eglinton's Trinity and Organism motif. I did wonder myself if this would create a too narrow interpretation of Bavinck's life and theology.

I understand that the last of Bavinck's major work, on Ethics, is still been translated into English. I did wonder if a future biography of Bavinck would reconcile the Eglinton-Gleason debate, and also include a serious theological reflection of Bavinck's key writings incorporated into the biography. I liked how this was done in the Vos biography by Olinger.

​

 

[bookslover]

He talks about the cover here, https://jameseglinton.wordpress.com/2020/07/13/on-judging-a-cover-by-its-book/

I like it.

Still don't like it. Doesn't even look like him, in my opinion.

 

[CathH]

Still don't like it. Doesn't even look like him, in my opinion.

Some folks just have no taste

 

[bookslover]

Some folks just have no taste

(Hmmm. Is she speaking of me or the artist? Nah. Couldn't be me.)