Herman Bavinck and the Reformed Theological Adaption of Nineteenth-Century Philosophies of History

Abstract Writing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Herman Bavinck’s theology emerged in an environment drenched in philosophies of history. This consciousness of history as a vital philosophical locus filtered its way into Bavinck’s writings in several ways. This article seeks to fill a gap in Bavinck studies by providing an overview of his philosophy of history. Part 1, on Bavinck’s view of history as a science ( wetenschap ), deals with his understanding of the historian, periodization, and the role of judgment in history. Part 2 will address Bavinck’s treatment of the relationship between God, God’s providence, and history. Part 3 will investigate his view of the telos of history and the essential role of Christ in giving shape to history. Bavinck’s historical thought offers an example of the way in which conservative Reformed theologians could adapt idealist philosophies of history to address challenges to the confessional and conservative theological task. The conclusion will posit some ways in which Bavinck’s ideas about history both adopted and challenged the prevailing intellectual milieu of his own day, while they provide new ways of thinking about the problem of “history’s religion” for today.