Neo-Calvinism and the French Revolution

Description

The French Revolution was the scene of much intellectual and social upheaval. Its impact touched a wide range of subjects:the relationship of the church to the state, social relationships, science, literature, fashion, philosophy and theology. Although the French Revolution's momentum was felt across Europe and North America, it met a particularly interesting response in the Netherlands, at that time the scene of a burgeoning neo-Calvinist movement. In that context, the likes of Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck responded to the French Revolution's ideals and influence in a variety of intellectual and practical ways.This book approaches that Dutch response from a range of historical and theological perspectives, and in so doing explores the relationship between the French Revolution and the development of neo-Calvinism. Beginning with historical portraits of Bavinck and Kuyper in relation to the Revolution, the perspectives offered also include, amongst others, the place of multilingualism in neo-Calvinism and the Revolution, neo-Calvinist and Revolutionary approaches to fashion, a dialogue between Kuyperian theology and Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy, and a contemporary neo-Calvinist critique of French laïcité. This book forms part of a wider Project neo-Calvinism supported by the Theologische Universiteit Kampen and the VU University Amsterdam. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Contributors Foreword Preface 1 Abraham Kuyper and the French Revolution I Introduction II What went wrong in 1789? III The Old Regime and counter-revolution IV Confronting economic crisis V What was good about revolution? 2 Herman Bavinck and the Neo-Calvinist Concept of the French Revolution I Introduction II Reframing Calvinism III Herman Bavinck and anti-revolutionary ideas IV Bavinck’s reconsideration of Groen V Conclusion 3 From Babel to Pentecost via Paris and Amsterdam: Multilingualism in Neo-Calvinist and Revolutionary Thought I Introduction II Protestant linguistic consciousness III Theology, language and languages IV Language and the French Revolution V Abraham Kuyper and multilingualism VI Kuyper’s De Gemeene Gratie on linguistics VII Critique of Kuyper on multilingualism VIII Herman Bavinck IX Conclusion 4 Revolution, Theology and the Reformed: Learning from History I Introduction II Burke III Carlyle IV Chateaubriand V Lamennais VI Hugo VII The Dutch Reformed VIIa Groen van Prinsterer VIIb Kuyper VIIc Bavinck VIII Conclusion 5 The Theo-Politics of Fashion: Groen van Prinsterer and the ‘Terror’ of French Revolutionary Dress I Introduction II Revolutionary fashion III Groen and revolutionary unbelief IV Overlap V Re-fashioning the Revolution 6 Long Films About Love: Kuyper and Kieślowski’s Three Colours Trilogy I Introduction II Liberty: Blue III Equality: White IV Fraternity: Red V All you need is . . . 7 Dutch Orthodox Protestant Parties and the Ghost of the French Revolution I Introduction II Fighting the ghost: Verbrugh’s vision III Fighting the ghost: Spiritual warfare IV The ghost after 9/11 and the Arab Spring V Conclusion 8 Kuyper’s Anti-Revolutionary Doctrine of Scripture I Introduction II Revolution in theology III Kuyper’s alternative IV Evaluation IVa Kuyper and contextual theology IVb Implications in the twenty-first century 9 ‘Marie Antoinette’ or Mystical Depth?: Herman Bavinck on Theology as Queen of the Sciences I Introduction: An outdated statement II Inaugural address III Reformed Dogmatics IV Common grace V Conclusion 10 French Secularity and the Islamic Headscarf: A Theological Deconstruction I Introduction II The French Revolution and Dutch Neo-Calvinism III French laïcité and the Islamic hijab IV A lingering question V A sixth factor VI Abraham Kuyper and secular constantine 11 Another Revolution: Towards a New Explanation of the Rise of Neo-Calvinism I Introduction: The problematic relationship between the French Revolution and Neo-Calvinism II Historical revolution III First marker: Perspective IV Second marker: Dialectic V Third marker: Integration of religion and modernity VI Neo-Calvinism and the historical revolution: Impact Bibliography Subject Index