Grace in Common

Chris Watkin's Biblical Critical Theory is one of most hotly-anticipated pieces of Christian scholarship in recent times. Join us for part 2 of an extended conversation with Chris where we focus on the book itself and it’s implications and possible application for preaching. Christopher Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture (Zonder...

Chris Watkin's Biblical Critical Theory is one of most hotly-anticipated pieces of Christian scholarship in recent times. Join us for part 1 of an extended conversation with Chris about his own personal and intellectual formation, the place of neo-Calvinism in his thought, his approach to Christian philosophy, and the practice of cultural critique from a Biblical perspective. Christopher Watkin, B...

How does theology relate to the notion of 'science'? Join us for a conversation on how differently that question can be answered in anglophone and Dutch contexts, and on how neo-Calvinism argues that theology is itself a science. Herman Bavinck, Christianity and Science, trans. N. Gray Sutanto, James Eglinton, Cory Brock (Crossway, forthcoming 2023).  James Eglinton, 'Technoethics and the pursuit...

Dr Jonathan Chaplin is Honorary Fellow of Wesley House, Cambridge Theological Federation, an expert on political theology, and a contributor to the work of the Centre for Faith in Public Life. See here for his excellent books including Faith in Democracy and Beyond Establishment : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jonathan-Chaplin/e/B003P9BZFC?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1667812526&sr=8-1 To support...

Koert van Bekkum's publications mentioned in the episode Koert van Bekkum, "De gereformeerde theologie van Klaas Schilder" in: Radix 23 (1997), 123-166.  Koert van Bekkum, "Naar de klaarblijkelijke bedoeling zintuiglijk waarneembaar. De kwestie Geelkerken in theologiehistorisch perspectief." in George Harinck (ed.), De kwestie Geelkerken: een terugblik na 75 jaar (Barneveld: Vuurbaak, 2001), 87-10...

If you enjoy what we do and want to support us in any amount, click here: https://donorbox.org/graceincommon We want to use the funds to set up a website, pay for advanced recording and editing software and professional mics. This will greatly enhance the audio quality of the podcast and the availability.

In this episode we ask how should theologians use philosophy.

In our day, few pastors are as globally influential as Tim Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Reason for God (2008). Less well-known is the important role played by neo-Calvinism in shaping Keller's thought and approach to pastoral ministry. Join us for a conversation with Tim, as we discuss his own journey towa...

Why does neo-Calvinist theology talk in 'organic' terms? Join us for a discussion of unity-in-diversity from a distinctly Christian perspective.

An episode on Neo-Calvinism and Secularization. What is secularization? How does Neo-Calvinism relate to the secular? Is Neo-Calvinism responsible for secularization in the Netherlands--including a novel designation for Neo-Calvinist political theology as "Disestablished establishmentarianism" by Cory Brock. Our favorite summer books: J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955) James Martin...

In the final episode of season 1, we respond to questions submitted by Grace in Common listeners: 1) What's the difference between neo-Kuyperian and neo-Calvinist? 2) What does 'grace restores nature' mean? 3) How does the relationship between believing and belonging work in neo-Calvinism? 4) Is there a 21st century Herman Bavinck? 5) What about Herman Dooyeweerd? We close the series with a free b...

Join us for a conversation with Michael Allen, Professor of Systematic Theology at RTS Orlando, on the beatific vision - the Christian teaching that the goal of human existence is to 'see God'. In recent years, the neo-Calvinist tradition has faced critical questioning on the richness of its handling of this important doctrine. In this week's episode, we discuss those critiques, particularly in re...

Suggested Reading: Vincent Bacote, The Spirit in Public Theology (Baker Academic, 2005); 'Erasing Race', in Black Scholars in White Space , Anthony Bradley (ed.), (Pickwick, 2015); Reckoning with Race (Brill, 2021), 'Kuyper on Race' in Calvinism for a Secular Age , Rob and Jessica Joustra (eds.), (IVP, 2022).  Richard Mouw, Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction (Eerdmans, 2011) J....

An episode on the occasion of the publication of the Klaas Schilder Reader. A Neo-Calvinist Bonhoeffer, a "loyal opposition in the Neo-Calvinist tradition", "a theology for the trenches of life". Who was this second generation neo-Calvinist? How did he differ from Kuyper and Bavinck? Join us in a conversation about possible weaknesses in the Neo-Calvinist tradition on sphere sovereignty, comm...

What, if anything, does theology have to say about how we clothe our bodies? Join us for a conversation with neo-Calvinist cultural theologian Dr Robert Covolo, author of Fashion Theology , for a wide-ranging discussion on culture, fashion, and theology. Works cited: Robert Covolo, Fashion Theology (Baylor University Press, 2020) Abraham Kuyper, 'Uniformity: The Curse of Modern Life,' Abraham Kuyp...

In this episode, we discuss the current online controversy on the 'third way' - an approach to Christianity and culture currently most closely associated with Tim Keller, but most historically rooted in the neo-Calvinist tradition. Join us for American, Asian, and European perspectives on this American debate. Sources: James Wood, ' How I Evolved on Tim Keller ,' First Things . Aaron Renn, ' The T...

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In this episode of Grace in Common we discuss the University, its Christian origins and the way in which the University still is a deeply Christian concept. Seb Falk, The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science (2020) Herman Bavinck, Christelijke wetenschap (Kok, 1904); English Translation Christian Scholarship (Crossway, forthcoming) Abraham Kuyper, Lectures on Calvinism (1898)...

In this episode, we have a full-orbed conversation with Shao Kai Tseng (DPhil, Oxford). He is research professor in the Department of Philosophy at Zhejiang University, China. He is the author of Karl Barth's Infralapsarian Theology (2016) and Hegel (2018), and a contributor to the Oxford Handbook of Nineteenth-Century Christian Thought (2017) and Blackwell Companion to Karl Barth.

Neo-Calvinism is well-known for its combination of orthodoxy and modernity. It is neither a nostalgic return to the Calvinism of 16th century Geneva, nor a principled rejection of older Christian tradition. Instead, it is something different. In this episode we discuss the neo aspect of neo-Calvinism: its relationship to the modern world. Join us for a conversation on why we are all implicated in...

In this episode, Cory Brock, Gray Sutanto, and James Eglinton discuss the distinctive account of apologetics found in the neo-Calvinist tradition. Join us as we cover the applications of apologetics to psychology and culture, and its relationship to evangelism. Books mentioned: - James Bratt, John Bolt, Paul Visser (eds.), The J.H. Bavinck Reader (2013), especially 'Religious Consciousness and Chr...

Whoever says Neo-Calvinism, says common grace. In this episode we discuss another key feature of the Neo-Calvinist tradition: the antithesis. What is the meaning of this idea? How does it root in the Bible? What is its place in the whole theology? How does it relate to common grace? What does it mean in practice?

In this episode, we discuss preaching and neo-Calvinism. Many evangelicals turn to neo-Calvinism in search of resources for cultural life beyond the church, but overlook its significance in how we think about preaching. By its emphasis on the redemptive-historical reading of Scripture, neo-Calvinism connects us to an ancient way of reading and preaching from the Bible. Added to this, its deeply Au...

A conversation about the misunderstandings and nuances on the notion of worldview. Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Eerdmans, 1995); Abraham Kuyper, "Our instinctive life" in James Bratt (ed.), Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader (Eerdmans, 1998) Herman Bavinck, Christian Worldview (Crossway, 2019) Gray Sutanto and Cory Brock (eds.) T&T Clark Handbook of Neo-Calvinism (T&T Clark,...

In this episode, we talk with Leah Boyd (Twitter: @LeahBSassy ) about music, liturgy, and theology. Because of its rich theology of culture, neo-Calvinism is often assumed to be a resource for Christianity outside of the church. Less well known is the liturgical tradition produced by Bavinck and Kuyper, which is distinctly neo-Calvinistic in its attempts to progress ancient liturgical practices in...