Johan Herman Bavinck
Encyclopedia
Johan Herman Bavinck was a Dutch pastor
, missionary
and theologian.
as the second son of reverend Coenraad Bernardus Bavinck. He attended the Marnix Gymnasium
there. Both his father and his grandfather (Jan Bavinck) were pastors. His uncle Herman Bavinck
was pastor and Professor of Dogmatics at the theological school in Kampen
and at the Vrije Universiteit
in Amsterdam
. In 1922 Bavinck married Tine Robers. Their children are Koert, Ben and Ineke.
and Erlangen
. In 1919 he graduated from Erlangen having completed a dissertation on psychology and mysticism in the work of Heinrich von Suso. In 1920 his work as pastor of the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland began. He became pastor in Medan
and the next year in the congregation in Bandoeng, both in Indonesia
. Both churches were focussed on the Dutch population. During a furlough he decided to stay in the Netherlands, and in 1927 he became pastor in Heemstede
. January 1930 he departed again to Indonesia, after months of preparations. This time he went as a missionary pastor. He settled in Surakarta
and worked from 1934 to 1939 as a teacher on the Seminary for Javanese Ministers in Yogyakarta. Back in the Netherlands he became in 1939 Professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. At the same time he was from 1939 till 1954 Professor of Missions at the Kampen Theological Seminary. In 1954 he was appointed Professor of Practical Theology at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Because of this assignment he had to end his work in Kampen. Among his contributions to the theology of missions, are his views on elenctics
.
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and theologian.
Family
Bavinck was born in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
as the second son of reverend Coenraad Bernardus Bavinck. He attended the Marnix Gymnasium
Marnix Gymnasium
The Marnix Gymnasium is a secondary school located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The school is named after Philips of Marnix, lord of Saint-Aldegonde. It teaches only the highest variant of secondary education in the Netherlands and prepares students for a tertiary education at Dutch...
there. Both his father and his grandfather (Jan Bavinck) were pastors. His uncle Herman Bavinck
Herman Bavinck
Herman Bavinck was a Dutch Reformed theologian and churchman.-Background:Bavinck was born in the town of Hoogeveen in the Netherlands to a German father. He first went to theological school at Kampen, but then moved on to Leiden for further training...
was pastor and Professor of Dogmatics at the theological school in Kampen
Kampen
Campen or Kampen may refer:* Campen, Germany, a village by the Ems estuary, northwestern Germany, home of the Campen Lighthouse* Kampen, Germany, a municipality on the island Sylt, Germany* Kampen, Overijssel, a town in the Netherlands...
and at the Vrije Universiteit
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. In 1922 Bavinck married Tine Robers. Their children are Koert, Ben and Ineke.
Study and Ministry
After his secondary education he went to study theology at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. After this study he moved to Germany to continue his study in GießenGießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
and Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
. In 1919 he graduated from Erlangen having completed a dissertation on psychology and mysticism in the work of Heinrich von Suso. In 1920 his work as pastor of the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland began. He became pastor in Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
and the next year in the congregation in Bandoeng, both in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Both churches were focussed on the Dutch population. During a furlough he decided to stay in the Netherlands, and in 1927 he became pastor in Heemstede
Heemstede
Heemstede is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History :Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built on the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
. January 1930 he departed again to Indonesia, after months of preparations. This time he went as a missionary pastor. He settled in Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
and worked from 1934 to 1939 as a teacher on the Seminary for Javanese Ministers in Yogyakarta. Back in the Netherlands he became in 1939 Professor at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. At the same time he was from 1939 till 1954 Professor of Missions at the Kampen Theological Seminary. In 1954 he was appointed Professor of Practical Theology at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Because of this assignment he had to end his work in Kampen. Among his contributions to the theology of missions, are his views on elenctics
Elenctics
Elenctics, in Christianity, is a division of practical theology concerned with persuading people of other faiths of the truth of the Gospel message, with an end to producing in them an awareness of, and sense of guilt for, their sins, a recognition of their need for God's forgiveness, repentance )...
.
Publications
- Der Einfluss des Gefulhs auf das Assoziationsleben bei Heinrich von Suso - Erlangen 1919
- Inleiding in de zielkunde - Kampen 1926
- Christus en de mystiek van het oosten - Kampen 1934
- De boodschap van Christus en de niet-christelijke religies. Een analyse en beoordeling van het boek van dr. Kraemer: The Christian message in a non-Christian world - Kampen 1940
- The impact of Christianity on the non-Christian world - Grand Rapids 1948
- Religieus besef en het christelijk geloof - Kampen 1949
- Inleiding in de zendingswetenschap' - Kampen 1954; translated as An Introduction to the Science of Missions - 1960
- The Church Between Temple and Mosque – A Study of the Relationship Between the Christian Faith and Other Religions - Grand Rapids 1966