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Craig G. Bartholomew. Contours of the Kuyperian Tradition: A Systematic Introduction. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2017. xiv + 365 pp. $40.00, ISBN 9780830851584.
The tradition and legacy of Dutch theologian, politician, and journalist (and more) Abraham Kuyper and his theologian colleague Herman Bavinck have been often regarded as the special or narrow object of interest of those associated with denominations and institutions with roots in the Netherlands. Craig G. Bartholomew has written Contours of the Kuyperian Tradition with the intent to disseminate this tradition widely:
What is clear to me is that Kuyper's time has come. Kuyper lived when the Enlightenment vision was taking hold all around him in Europe and the Netherlands. We live at a time when that same project is unraveling, and religion is making a major comeback globally. I propose that in our fragile time the Kuyperian tradition holds resources for finding constructive ways forward that can defuse some of the major threats we face, renew the life of the church, and promote human flourishing. (x)
Bartholomew, as stated here, aspires to far more than conveying a tradition; he aims both to introduce the work of Kuyper (and to a lesser extent, Bavinck) and to explore how the tradition known as neocalvinism can be implemented and developed, while also retrieving some of its neglected dimensions. This disposition toward the tradition was also shared by Kuyper himself; the label of "neocalvinism" indicates a desire to pass on the tradition of Reformed faith stemming from John Calvin, while expanding it beyond the domain of church life and considering how to articulate and practice this trajectory of Christian tradition in the context of his time.
Across twelve chapters and an epilogue, Bartholomew introduces readers to a tradition that has a Scriptural and theological base with relevance to and for domains such as politics, education, philosophy, and spiritual formation. The first chapter provides a biographical overview of Kuyper, followed by chapters presenting the drama of creation, fall, and redemption; the centrality of Scripture; and the neocalvinist understanding of worldview. Subsequent chapters cover sphere sovereignty (Kuyper's idea about structural and worldview pluralism), the church, the approach to politics and the poor in a pluralistic society, an expansive view of mission, an important chapter on...