The Heart of Dogmatics

Book excerpt: The christocentric character of Herman Bavinck's thought has long been acknowledged, but an analysis of Bavinck's christocentrism has not been forthcoming. The Heart of Dogmatics redresses this situation, offering a comprehensive study of Bavinck's concept of a christocentric theological system. Building on the more recent secondary literature, Pass draws attention to many unexplored avenues in Bavinck's writings. In particular, Pass sheds light on the intimate connection between Bavinck's christocentrism and his organicism. Delving deeply into Bavinck's appropriation of Reformed Orthodoxy and German Idealism, Pass presents a compelling account of this thinker's attempt to establish Neo-Calvinism as a modern orthodoxy. By way of conclusion, pertinent ways in which Bavinck's christocentrism may prove a useful resource for contemporary projects of theological retrieval are explored in a comparison of Bavinck and John Webster.