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Xu2020 Redacted.Pdf (2.146Mb) This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Theology as the Wetenschap of God: Herman Bavinck’s Scientific Theology for the Modern World Ximian Xu (徐西面 ) Word Count: 100,000 Submitted for the Degree of the Doctorate in Systematic Theology The University of Edinburgh 2020 1 Declaration This thesis is entirely original research (1) that has been composed entirely by myself; and (2) that has been solely the result of my own work; and (3) that has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Unless otherwise indicated, all translations of the original texts are mine. When published English translations are available, notes have been made if the translations are cited yet revised. Ximian Xu 2 For Lajie Wang (王拉洁) my wife, my crown Yixin Xu (徐懿歆) and Yixuan Xu (徐懿瑄) the heritage and reward from YHWH 3 Contents Acknowledgements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Lay Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Abbreviations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Chapter 1 Introduction: Exploring the New Perspective on Bavinck ------------------------ 15 Chapter 2 Against the Stream: Bavinck’s Refusal of the Unscientific Portrayals of Scientific Theology in the Nineteenth-Century Netherlands ------------------------- 36 Chapter 3 Herman Bavinck on Theology as the Science of God ------------------------------- 59 Chapter 4 The Grammar of Scientific Theology (I) ------------------------------------------------ 98 Chapter 5 The Grammar of Scientific Theology (II) --------------------------------------------- 131 Chapter 6 ‘The Unassumed Is the Unhealed’: Bavinck’s Christological Approach to the Relationship between Theology and the Other Sciences ----------------------------- 157 Chapter 7 A Bavinckian Approach to Scientific Theology in the University of the Twenty- First Century -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 194 Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 230 Bibliography --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 236 4 Outline of the Thesis Acknowledgements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Lay Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 Abstract ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Abbreviations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 Chapter 1 Introduction: Exploring the New Perspective on Bavinck ---------------------- 15 I. The Conventional Reading of Bavinck’s Theology ......................................................... 17 II. The New Organic Reading of Bavinck’s Theology ........................................................ 19 A. Initial Explorations --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 B. Brian Mattson’s Preliminary Elaboration -------------------------------------------------- 21 C. The New Reading of Organic Motif -------------------------------------------------------- 23 III. A Promise of the New Reading ...................................................................................... 26 A. The Emergence of the Eglintonian School ------------------------------------------------ 26 B. Scientific Theology as a Promise ----------------------------------------------------------- 29 a. The Heritage of Christian Theology -------------------------------------------------- 30 b. A Hermeneutical Meta-Paradigm and Its Threefold Promise --------------------- 32 Chapter 2 Against the Stream: Bavinck’s Refusal of the Unscientific Portrayals of Scientific Theology in the Nineteenth-Century Netherlands ---------------------- 36 I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 36 II. Religiewetenschap in the Nineteenth-Century Dutch Academy ................................... 37 A. The Nineteenth-Century Dutch Religious Science --------------------------------------- 37 B. Cornelis Petrus Tiele on Religious Science ----------------------------------------------- 38 C. Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 III. Theological Modernism .................................................................................................. 46 A. The Groninger School ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 48 B. The Leiden School ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 C. The Ethical School ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 D. Malcontents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 54 IV. Concluding Remark: On Defending the Authentic Scientificity of Theology against the Stream ........................................................................................................................ 56 Chapter 3 Herman Bavinck on Theology as the Science of God ---------------------------- 59 I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 59 II. Bavinck’s General Definition of Science ........................................................................ 60 A. Twofold Wetenschap ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 B. The Notion of Science ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 62 III. Bavinck’s Definitions of Dogma, Dogmatics and Theology ........................................ 67 IV. Bavinck’s Project of Theology as the Science of God .................................................. 71 A. Bavinck’s Engagement with Julius Kaftan ------------------------------------------------ 71 B. Bavinck’s Definition of Scientific Theology ---------------------------------------------- 76 a. God as the Real Object ------------------------------------------------------------------ 77 b. Assumptions in Faith -------------------------------------------------------------------- 79 c. Divine Object-Defining ----------------------------------------------------------------- 82 C. The Task of the Science of God ------------------------------------------------------------- 85 a. The Organic System of the Knowledge of God ------------------------------------- 85 b. Serving the Church ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 86 5 c. Directing God’s People to Worship God --------------------------------------------- 87 d. Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 88 V. Bavinck’s Scientific Theology in relation to Neo-Calvinism More Broadly ............... 88 A. Geerhardus Vos ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 88 B. Abraham Kuyper ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 91 VI. Concluding Remarks ...................................................................................................... 96 Chapter 4 The Grammar of Scientific Theology (I) ------------------------------------------- 98 I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 98 II. Positive Revelationalism .................................................................................................. 99 A. The Experience of Revelation --------------------------------------------------------------- 99 B. Positive but not Positivistic: Tackling the Anticipatory Critique of Revelatory Positivism ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 104 C. Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 107 III. Theological Organicism ................................................................................................ 108 A. Unity-in-Diversity and Diversity-in-Unity ----------------------------------------------- 109 B. The Common Idea in Theological Organism -------------------------------------------- 110 C. The Growth of Scientific Theology unto the Telos -------------------------------------- 117 D. Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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