A Pearl and A Leaven: Herman Bavinck for the Twenty-First Century

The double image from Christ’s parables of the pearl and the leaven, was one of Herman Bavinck’s favorites and aptly captures the depth, grand scope, and nuance of his theological vision. The gospel of the kingdom is a pearl of great price, a treasure beyond compare for which we must be willing sacrifice everything. The Lord who gave his all for it asks that his disciples also give their all.

It is also a leaven, an invisible change agent that leaves nothing it touches unaltered. Leaven, like salt, is not a dramatic or triumphalist metaphor. Rather it points to the sure and primarily inward renewal of the person and the social bonds that join a people together.

This conference proceeds from a conviction that Bavinck’s theology and its practical application to church and society provides us today with valuable insight and wisdom for theology and Christian discipleship. Bavinck’s commitment to the truth of Scripture, his profound piety, his catholic vision of Christian discipleship and openness to what is good in the modern world, remain constructive standards for Christian vocation today. In addition, he lived in turbulent times, a time of great industrial change and social dislocation, a time of war-all which contributed to an apocalyptic environment in which optimism and pessimism competed for the allegiance of western peoples. In short, a time not unlike our own.

The conference will consider Bavinck’s times, his theology, his contribution to the ecclesiastical, social, cultural and political life of his day, and its relevance for Christian vocation in the 21st century.

For more information click here.