catapult magazine

The naming

by Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma

The topic comes up often in our household of two: is *cino neo-Calvinist? Even if our roots are in the neo-Calvinist tradition, do we publicly name our organization as such?

The mastery of the theology by such passionate ?neo-cals? as Gideon Strauss convinces both Rob and I that we have a lot to learn before we can sufficiently answer these important questions and those that naturally follow: If we call ourselves ?neo-Calvinist,? do we prematurely exclude folks of other Christian faith traditions from full participation? If we don?t, are we stubbornly failing to acknowledge what everyone else can clearly see?

As we continue this ongoing, yet rewarding journey toward a reasoned identity, I wanted to organize some resources I?ll be studying in an effort to become more knowledgeable and I publish them here for those who might be interested in learning more as well. For many of these leads, I have the diligent and seemingly tireless Gideon to thank, as his blog and friendship have proven necessarily challenging in this work.

• The People: We can glean a lot just by looking at the lives and writings of those people who have been influential neo-Calvinists, including Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Dooyeweerd and H. Evan Runner.
• Neo-Calvinism Part 1: What is in a name? and Neo-Calvinism Part 2: Introductory Reading", and Neo-Calvinism Part 3: The Holy Bible by Derek Melleby: These entries provide a good, concise starting point with further resource links and discussion via comments for the whetted appetite.
• For Such a Time as This: The Relevance of the Neo-Calvinist Tradition Today by Craig G. Bartholomew: In this inaugaral address, given in October 2004 at Redeemer University College, Bartholomew explores both the history and the current context of neo-Calvinism and advises as to how neo-Calvinists can serve today?s Church. This document was sent to me in Word format, so please e-mail me if you?d like a copy.
• The Institutions: Another type of practical resource is the actual organizational work of people whose ideas are influenced by the neo-Calvinist tradition, including (but not limited to) Dordt College, Calvin College, Redeemer University College, the Institute for Christian Studies, the Work Research Foundation, the Center for Public Justice and the Christian Labour Association of Canada. We would do well to pay attention not only to the work emerging from these institutions, but to the actions of the institutions themselves, as these groups attempt to live out their responsibilities in various ways.

I realize this list is somewhat scattered, but this is where I?ll be starting. Having had experiences since kindergarten that were heavily weighted toward the ?institutional? working-out of neo-Calvinism, my foundation is strong, but does not yet hold enough levels of understanding. This all feels a bit like working backwards, but I suppose such an experience is common for all who must retrace their steps toward a full reclamation of the tradition they inherited.