Herman Bavinck on Preaching and Preachers

Book excerpt: Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) is widely celebrated as one of the most eloquent divines in the Reformed tradition. And yet there is a curious gap between Bavinck the theologian and the preachers who read him in the present day. How Bavinck preached, or what and how he thought about the act of preaching, are largely unknown. The largest barrier is that his writings on preaching were previously untranslated--until now. Herman Bavinck on Preaching & Preachers is a welcome translation from Dutch of Bavinck's thoughts on preaching and preachers, and includes one of his only written sermons. For Bavinck, the sermon was the most important part of the worship service, and the preaching of the word is the decisive mark of the church. He believed that the preacher must be a student of the word, search it in all its riches and depth, in its unity and diversity. Translator and editor James Eglinton describes this book as a "useful and very interesting text on how to preach theology" and a "message that sorely needs to be heard if pulpits during our own time are to improve." This is the first time this book is in print. Herman Bavinck on Preaching & Preachers has never been published before in either Dutch or English.