Biblical and Religious Psychology, by Herman Bavinck— A brief and "biased" review

Introduction

I contributed a little bit to this volume, as Gregory Parker Jr. mentioned in his Editor's Preface (though the amount of my work was not even remotely close to that of the translator, revisor, and editor). That is the reason why I describe this review as a "biased" review. But though that says something about my preferences, it does not necessarily say anything regarding the quality of this publication, which, in my view, is unquestionably high.

Bavinck's unifying thought

Bavinck has a view of Scripture that is not a Biblicist, fundamentalist view of Scripture that limits all true knowledge about man and the world to what is contained in the Bible. In turn, that allows Bavinck to have a coherent view of general and special revelation. On that basis, Bavinck claims that Scriptural anthropology is a unified view of mankind: man is viewed as a unified being in himself/herself, and man as unified with the world. And man can be studied both from a natural and supernatural point of view. That is because Jesus Christ, "the only one among men, full of grace and truth" (16), was both natural, that is, a true and perfect man, and uniquely supernatural. 

[Christ was] a miracle in the full sense...descended from above. He has come to us in the way of supernatural conception. He is the Word that was in the beginning with God and became flesh in the fulness of time...And yet, as far as the flesh is concerned, he is from the fathers. He did not bring his human nature along from heaven, nor did he bring it into being by a new creation, but he took it out of the proper flesh and blood of Mary. He is a true and perfect man, equal to us in all things, except sin... (14) 

Ultimately, it is this general principle of the incarnation of the Word that points to the abovementioned unity.

This principle of the incarnation governs the whole of special revelation. This incarnation is always from above and yet is organically united with the world and humanity and makes itself an ineradicable part of cosmic life. It is from this standpoint that judgment can be made concerning what the Scriptures say of heaven and earth, the kingdoms of plants and animals, and the world of people, of parents and children, men and women, masters and servants, magistrates and subjects. It always brings a word of God to us, but always through the words of man, and therefore it always has a human, historical, local, temporal character. This holds true even for the highest truths in the religious and moral sphere, which we therefore do not learn to repeat word for word or literally in confession and doctrine; but after having received them in our consciousness and after having thoughtfully appropriated them, we reproduce them freely and independently in the language of our time. (15)

Therefore, with both special and general revelation, we are free to study the psychology of mankind, guided by Scripture which "never does all this in abstract conceptions, but it makes us see everything in the full reality of life. It brings before us persons, each of whom is worthy of studying in his own right and who together form a gallery that cannot be seen anywhere else" (16).

This unity in virtue of creation also produces an epistemological unity between man and cosmos: man can know the world and the world can serve man as its steward (18–24, 204). But I cannot quote too much, you will have to read it for yourself. 

Life

Related to the Bible's presentation of mankind "in the full reality of life" rather than through the use of "abstract conceptions" (16), Bavinck is able to expound theological anthropology in a way that is readable, relatable, and interesting for everyday life. For example, in Par 2 (especially, but not exclusively, chapter 3 and 9), Bavinck comments on the most tragic disobedience of the first parents in Genesis 3, and thus offers some insightful expositions of the psychological effects of sin as manifested in the first negative feelings felt by mankind: shame and fear. Having severed their spiritual lifeline from the Creator, they became estranged not only from God but also from their own selves and each other. Thus, once fallen, it was inevitable for Adam and Eve to feel shame and fear. A careful and self-reflective study of these sections will aid us to self-evaluate ourselves, our actions, and our motives, as Christians are called to be moved by love and gratitude, and not to be moved, and even less to communicate, shame and fear. 

Bavinck says that "fear has become a fundamental characteristic of all creation, and especially humans are fearful creatures at the very core of their being; sin has made cowards of us all" (199). That has to be considered for the upbringing of our children, both in school and in the home. Part 2 of the book, especially the last four chapters, is full of insightful directions for both parents and teachers. Bavinck's insights are both useful and surprisingly relevant today, almost ahead of their time. Above all, Bavinck encourages the readers not only to know Christian truths but to love them; he encourages the reader not to merely teach those truths but to live; he encourages the readers not only to communicate propositions but to be instruments of God's grace for the formation of hearts through a knowledge covered in love (217–221, 225–226). 

Conclusion

It might sound like banal advertisement, but I mean it nonetheless: Biblical and Religious Psychology truly is a book for everyone, for the professor and for the student, for the teacher and the parent, for the theologian and the philosopher. As I said, Bavinck is able to write deep theology in a way that is both readable and relatable for all types of readers. Take this book and read it.

For more reviews of this book, click here. 

You can also purchase the book on the same page.