The twentieth-century Calvinist philosopher-theologian, Rousas John Rushdoony is considered to be... more The twentieth-century Calvinist philosopher-theologian, Rousas John Rushdoony is considered to be the father of the 1950s Christian Reconstructionist movement in the United States—a movement dedicated to advancing the idea that Biblical ethics should be perpetually normative for all societies, including in the civil realm. In essence this was a social theory and Rushdoony based his Christian Reconstructionism on his idea of theonomy, which he considered to be the only alternative to the heresy of antinomianism, the rejection of Divine Law. His theonomic principle, the basis of his Christian Reconstructionist political position and engagement, was rhetorically sanctioned by a distinct eschatological optimism, which was in turn shaped by his distinctly Christian historiography—a philosophy of history for which he was, via the DutchAmerican philosopher Cornelius van Til, largely indebted to the Christian-historicists of the nineteenth-century, in particular the Swiss scholar Jean-Henri...
Die filosoof Gordon Clark is hoofsaaklik bekend vir sy epistemologiese konflik met die apologeet ... more Die filosoof Gordon Clark is hoofsaaklik bekend vir sy epistemologiese konflik met die apologeet Cornelius Van Til. In terme van sy epistemologie, beklemtoon Clark net soos Van Til en ander prominente Calvinistiese filosowe soos Herman Dooyeweerd die belangrikheid van a priori-voorveronderstellings as noodsaaklik vir die verkryging van enige kennis. Binne die Calvinistiese filosofie verteenwoordig hy egter ’n besondere posisie, naamlik ’n uitdruklike Presbiteriaanse filosofie wat epistemologies begrond is in die Westminster Geloofsbelydenis van 1647. Volgens sy epistemologiese raamwerk, wat die kern van sy geskil met Van Til raak, is ware menslike kennis en logika wesenlik en inhoudelik dieselfde as goddelike kennis en logika. Clark definieer logika dan ook as goddelike denke, en meen daarom dat die Christelike geloof as begrond in die goddelike rasionaliteit die enigste antitese van irrasionaliteit self is. Hierdie klem op die epistemologiese normatiwiteit van logika as toets vir waarheid plaas Clark in ’n unieke posisie binne die Christelike filosofie. Clark se hoë waardering vir Aristoteliaanse logika as basies tot alle teoretiese denke onderskei daarom ook sy epistemologie beduidend van byvoorbeeld Herman Dooyeweerd en Cornelius Van Til. Laasgenoemde beskou logika as geskape werklikheid, terwyl dit vir Clark in wese ’n goddelike eienskap is. Sy unieke beklemtoning van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as basis van geloofsdenke is veral van waarde vir die godsdienswetenskap in die lig van die 21ste-eeuse ontwikkelings in hierdie veld wat gekenmerk word deur ’n toenemende waardering van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as onderliggend tot godsdienstige oortuigings.
The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839–1... more The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839–1910) operated in the Dutch politico-ecclesiastical scene. He achieved renown primarily because of his dispute with Abraham Kuyper over the role of common grace and the political implications of Kuyper’s doctrine. In contradistinction to Neo-Calvinists such as Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, Hoedemaker proposed a distinct philosophy of revelation, emphasising the inescapabilty and holistic nature thereof as foundational to all human knowledge. Hoedemaker’s epistemology, consciously theorized and articulated in reaction to the empiricism and rationalism of the Enlightenment, emphasises that all realities and facts are inescapably revealed realities, which are mediated by divine revelation in Scripture as well as history which he understands to be essentially the manifestation of divine providence, given that he holds God to be the ultimate First Cause behind everything in existence. For Hoedema...
Daaglikse gebedsrituele was ’n integrale deel van die godsdiensbeoefening van die eerste Christe... more Daaglikse gebedsrituele was ’n integrale deel van die godsdiensbeoefening van die eerste Christelike gemeenskappe in Noord-Afrika. Die getuienis van die eerste kerkvaders op hierdie kontinent, Tertullianus en Cyprianus, dui daarop dat hierdie gebedsrituele in die konteks van die voor-Niceense kerk in Noord-Afrika ’n wesenlike rol gespeel het in die vorming en afgrensing van die eerste Christelike gemeenskappe in hierdie wêrelddeel. Hierdie artikel fokus daarom op die sosiogodsdienstige funksie wat daaglikse gebedsrituele vir die vroeë Christelike gemeenskappe in Noord-Afrika vervul het in terme van hierdie gemeenskappe se stryd vir die vestiging van ’n eie identiteit as afgegrensde godsdiensgemeenskappe – as onderskei van sowel die Judaïstiese as die Mistieke en Romeinse godsdiensgemeenskappe—binne hul historiese demografiese landskap. By wyse van ’n sosiohistoriese benadering word die klem geplaas op rituele deelname aan die daaglikse gebede op vasgestelde tye, wat deurslaggewend was vir die historiese opkoms en bevestiging van hierdie godsdiensgemeenskappe. Daardeur word die rituele funksie van daaglikse gebede op bepaalde tye, as beliggaming van die teologiese raamwerk van die Christelike gemeenskappe in terme van hul vorming en bevestiging gedurende die tweede en derde eeue in die konteks van Noord-Afrika, beklemtoon. Dit toon dat deelname aan hierdie daaglikse gebedsrituele ’n wesenlike sosiogodsdienstige asook ’n kulturele funksie vervul het, deurdat hierdie gemeenskappe se unieke identiteit en bestaansreg, asook die lede van daardie gemeenskappe se toewyding tot die toenemende konkretisering van die Christelike kerk in Noord-Afrika, deurlopend daardeur bevestig is.
The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839-1... more The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839-1910) operated in the Dutch politico-ecclesiastical scene. He achieved renown primarily because of his dispute with Abraham Kuyper over the role of common grace and the political implications of Kuyper's doctrine. In contradistinction to Neo-Calvinists such as Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, Hoedemaker proposed a distinct philosophy of revelation, emphasising the inescapabilty and holistic nature thereof as foundational to all human knowledge. Hoedemaker's epistemology, consciously theorized and articulated in reaction to the empiricism and rationalism of the Enlightenment, emphasises that all realities and facts are inescapably revealed realities, which are mediated by divine revelation in Scripture as well as history which he understands to be essentially the manifestation of divine providence, given that he holds God to be the ultimate First Cause behind everything in existence. For Hoedemaker, every fact in the universe is therefore completely dependent upon God and his revelation for its very existence. Hoedemaker's distinct epistemology also has significant socio-political implications, most notably the utter impossibility of neutrality in the public domain. Since for Hoedemaker, there exists no natural, unmediated or unrevealed knowledge in all of the universe, it is only Christianity that can bring about true socio-cultural and sociopolitical progress, while all other worldviews only maintain themselves inasmuch as they borrow capital from the Christian worldview ultimately rooted in Christian epistemology.
Het historische narratief van de staatsman-historicus Groen van Prinsterer had een praktisch-poli... more Het historische narratief van de staatsman-historicus Groen van Prinsterer had een praktisch-politieke functie in zijn negentiende-eeuwse context. Zijn christelijk-historische vertelling bekrachtigde zijn unieke sociaal-politieke positionering, waarmee hij constructief betrokken was bij de politieke discussies en processen van zijn tijd. Door zijn reactie op de restauratiesuggesties van Koning Willem III in 1856 heeft Groen bijgedragen aan de consolidatie van de toen pas opgerichte Nederlandse constitutionele democratie. Door de toepassing van de fenomologisch-narratieve benadering van David Carr op de studie van Groen als staatsman en historicus, verschijnt voor het eerst een holistisch beeld van Groen als een antirevolutionair publiek figuur, die een nieuw licht werpt op de politieke strategieen achter zijn publieke betrokkenheid .Dit maakt een nieuwe waardering van de historische betekenis van Groen voor de democratische rechtsstaat in Nederland mogelijk.
In reaction to the crisis of modernity’s narratives of secularization, the
post-secular turn has... more In reaction to the crisis of modernity’s narratives of secularization, the post-secular turn has been characterized by a critical re-evaluation of the place of religion in contemporary societies. Following Jürgen Habermas, theorists of the post-secular have successfully challenged dichotomies between the religious and the secular when it comes to understanding the nature of socio-political engagement in the public domain. However, conceptualizations of the post-secular are still widely considered to be unsatisfactory, with continuing disputes and doubts regarding not only its exact meaning, but also its very utility for understanding religion and its role in society. One of the shortcomings of post-secular theory recently identified in the existing literature is its need for a critical reevaluation of the role of normative presuppositions in shaping the public domain. In light thereof this article proposes Presuppositionalism—an often neglected philosophical school represented by philosophers such as Herman Dooyeweerd and Gordon Clark—as an unexplored, but constructive framework for post-secular theory, by emphasising its hereunto neglected potential as a framework for understanding the role of religion in the construction and re-construction of human society, as well as for understanding the function of normativity in the public domain. This underappreciated philosophical school’s proposition that public life is inescapably shaped by presuppositions of a religious nature, is shown to have great value as a framework for overcoming outdated dichotomies between the religious and the secular, as well as in terms of elucidating, shaping and directing post-secular notions of presuppositional normativity in public life
Christian socio-political participation in the public domain has come under increasing fire from ... more Christian socio-political participation in the public domain has come under increasing fire from constitutional scholars in recent years. This criticism of religion’s role in the so-called “secular” public domain is, however, largely based upon the outdated secularization thesis which has widely fallen into disrepute among scholars internationally. Christians themselves have also, ironically, contributed to ratifying the secularization thesis by means of eschatological pessimism. i.e. their expectation of the future decline of Christianity. By means of a phenomenological-narrative approach, this article aims to show how the recent revival of eschatological optimism—or postmillennialism—among Reformed Christians in South Africa can, in spite of the hefty criticism currently levelled against it, actually serve to narratively incite a constructive paradigm shift in the South African socio-political landscape, thereby sanctioning a constructive and fruitful socio-political engagement in public life on the part of the country’s Christian citizens.
Keywords: constitutional democracy, eschatology, narrative, postmillennialism, postsecular, public domain, secularization.
René Descartes (1596−1650) se rasionalisme is gedurende die 17de eeu in Nederland, meer as enige ... more René Descartes (1596−1650) se rasionalisme is gedurende die 17de eeu in Nederland, meer as enige ander plek ter wêreld, sowel positief as negatief ontvang en gedebatteer. Een van die eerste werklik invloedryke Cartesiane in Nederland was die Leidense filosoof Adriaan Heereboord (1614−1659), wat filosofie se onafhanklikheid van teologie bepleit het. Hy het hierdie "bevryding" geregverdig op grond van die idee dat die filosofie op die menslike rede alleen gebaseer behoort te word en dan met uitsluiting van die waarheidsaanspraak van Goddelike openbaring. Die mees prominente Nederlandse Gereformeerde skolastici van die tyd, soos Jakobus Revius, Gysbertius Voetius en Petrus van Mastricht, asook die meeste teologiese fakulteite aan Nederlandse universiteite, het egter oorweldigend negatief gereageer in reaksie op die opkoms van Cartesianisme.
Die 19de-eeuse antirevolusionêre Nederlandse staatsman en historikus Guillaume Groen van Prinster... more Die 19de-eeuse antirevolusionêre Nederlandse staatsman en historikus Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer se politieke posisie en aksie was narratief bekragtig. Hierdie narratiewe bekragtiging en die implikasies daarvan vir sy politieke loopbaan word via die Amerikaanse geskiedsfilosoof David Carr se narratiewe benadering tot die historiografie ondersoek en belig. Groen van Prinsterer se historiese narratief is gekenmerk deur 'n sterk polemiek teen die idees van veral die Verligting in Frankryk, wat volgens hom gedurende sy eie tyd 'n negatiewe impak op die Nederlandse samelewing gehad het. Hy het 'n epistemologiese stryd tussen die Christendom en die "Revolusie", dit is die idees van die Franse Verligting, as deurslaggewend vir die politieke ontwikkelinge van sy tyd beskou. Sy narratiewe klem op hierdie epistemologiese stryd het hom juis in staat gestel om konstruktief binne die konteks van die Nederlandse demokrasie, wat ingelui is deur die grondwethersiening van 1848, op te tree. Hy het, selfs as 'n teenstander van toenemende demokratisering, in 1856 na vore getree as konsolideerder van die Nederlandse grondwetlike demokrasie deur sy afwysing van koning Willem III se reaksionêre politieke agenda. Hierdeur het hy nie net 'n deurslaggewende rol gespeel om die reaksionêre politiek in Nederland die uiteindelike nekslag toe te dien nie, maar ook die moderne Nederlandse demokrasie help vorm as een van konstruktiewe deelname van uiteenlopende politieke standpunte en daardeur ook die grondslag gelê vir die Nederlandse partypolitieke stelsel. Laastens het hy ook hierdeur die weg gebaan vir Christen-demokratiese partypolitiek binne die konteks van die moderne grondwetlike demokrasie-nie alleen in Nederland nie, maar ook op internasionale vlak.
Gereformeerde teoloë en kerke het die afgelope aantal dekades sterk standpunt ingeneem teen alle ... more Gereformeerde teoloë en kerke het die afgelope aantal dekades sterk standpunt ingeneem teen alle vorme van rassisme en nasionalisme. Daar word ter stawing hiervan dikwels 'n beroep gedoen op die leerstellinge van Calvinisme soos dit histories verstaan en geleer is. Die argument is dat Calvinisme vry van eksterne politieke invloede nie sentimente en ideologieë soos rassisme of nasionalisme sou duld nie. Hierdie argument word dan toegepas op die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks van die 20ste eeu. David Carr se fenomenologies-narratiewe benadering tot die historiografie laat ruimte vir 'n kritiese ontleding van 'n bepaalde groep se selfposisionering binne 'n gegewe historiesnarratiewe konteks. Daar word aan die hand van Carr se benadering vanuit die primêre bronne krities besin oor bogenoemde teologiese posisionering binne die Gereformeerde tradisie. Nie 'n bepaalde teologiese standpunt word krities beoordeel nie, maar eerder die beroep op die historiese Calvinisme as bekragtiging van hierdie teologiese standpunt ten opsigte van rassisme en nasionalisme. Hierdeur word 'n oproep gedoen tot die noodsaaklikheid van deurlopende narratiewe herbesinning.
In countering what they identified as the individualizing implications of the social contract the... more In countering what they identified as the individualizing implications of the social contract theory as proposed by the likes of Locke and Rousseau, the leading figures on the Counter-Enlightenment in the nineteenth century advocated a distinctly familialist understanding of the nature and structure of human society. Central to the Counter-Enlightenment's social ontology was the idea that the family-both nuclear and extended-is the most basic and vital constitutive unit of human society. In contradistinction to what these traditionalist conservatives saw as Enlightenment liberalism's atomising of the individual, leaving him vulnerable to the rising power of the centralized state, nineteenth-century Counter-Revolutionaries such as Johan Gottfried Herder, Louis de Bonald, Robert Lewis Dabney and Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer proposed a relationship-based social positioning of the individual as ontologically situated within the context of familial blood relationships-relationships which provide the necessary framework for social prosperity. In this regard the nineteenthcentury Counter-Enlightenment's social ontology amounts a particularly interesting and noteworthy historical phenomenon as a distinctly modern movement characterized by strong theoretical resistance against the prevailing liberal social ontology which has largely shaped modern Western democracies.
The striving towards objectivity that characterized modern historiography up until the 1970s, los... more The striving towards objectivity that characterized modern historiography up until the 1970s, lost adherence in academia in light of damning criticism by influential philosophers like Jürgen Habermas. Postmodern approaches to historiography like that of philosophers of history Hayden White and Louis Mink were developed during this time in reaction to positivism. These postmodern approaches therefore purposefully strove to avoid the aim of historiographical objectivity and were characterized by a constructivist view of historiographical literature, wherein historical narratives construct an independent reality without any relation to historical truth or even historical reality outside of the text itself. By the end of the twentieth century the American philosopher of history David Carr emerged as one of the most renowned critics of postmodern historiography. While Carr maintains the emphasis on the narrative nature of historiography, his phenomenological approach represents a narrative realism in contrast to the narrative anti-realism characteristic of postmodern historiography. Carr proposes narrative as inherent to all human interaction with reality rather than something separated from or imposed upon reality. Narrative therefore provides the framework that supplies sense and meaning to human experience. In this regard Carr's narrative realism offers a sensible alternative to postmodern narrativism-one that 1) recognizes the past as a given reality that exists outside of the human mind; 2) emphasizes the narrative character of historiography as reflecting human interaction with reality as such, rather than as an escape therefrom; and 3) acknowledges the historiographer's right and ability to scientifically interact with this reality.
The antirevolutionary statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876) constructively and ac... more The antirevolutionary statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876) constructively and actively engaged as public political figure during the early years of the Dutch constitutional democracy. Despite real opposition to the constitutional revision of 1848 that brought about this political system, Groen, by means of this constructive engagement, managed to play a significant historical role in the consolidation and shaping of the Dutch political system. Most of the existing literature has attributed this to a change in his political theory occurring around 1848, with the institutionalization of the constitutional democracy in the Netherlands. The general claim is that Groen accepted the new democratic system in a way that he would not have, had he maintained his pre-1848 stance regarding what constitutes legitimate political authority, a position characterized by a rejection of republicanism in favor of the res privata notion of political authority. Through an investigation of the primary sources in light of the intellectual traditions that shaped Groen's political thought, this claim is critically evaluated. The article proposes a novel perspective on Groen's notion of political authority, emphasizing its consistency even in the midst of the strategic and flexible political engagement that characterized Groen's career.
Trajecta. Religion, Culture and Society in the Low Countries, 2020
In his strategic political positioning and engagement in the nineteenth century, Groen van Prinst... more In his strategic political positioning and engagement in the nineteenth century, Groen van Prinsterer looked towards both the past and the future. Rhetorically, he appealed to the past as a vindication of the truth and practicality of his anti-revolutionary position. He also expressed optimism for the success of his convictions and political goals in the future. This optimism was reflected in the confidence with which he engaged politically, despite experiencing numerous setbacks in his career. Relying on the phenomenological-narrative approach of David Carr, I highlight the motives and strategies behind Groen's political activity, and reveal that the past and the future in Groen's narrative provide the strategic framework for his rhetoric, and the basis for his activism. I accentuate how the emphasis of his narrative shifts away from the status quo and thus enables a type of political engagement that proved historically significant for the early consolidation of the Dutch constitutional democracy.
The twentieth-century Calvinist philosopher-theologian, Rousas John Rushdoony is considered to be... more The twentieth-century Calvinist philosopher-theologian, Rousas John Rushdoony is considered to be the father of the 1950s Christian Reconstructionist movement in the United States—a movement dedicated to advancing the idea that Biblical ethics should be perpetually normative for all societies, including in the civil realm. In essence this was a social theory and Rushdoony based his Christian Reconstructionism on his idea of theonomy, which he considered to be the only alternative to the heresy of antinomianism, the rejection of Divine Law. His theonomic principle, the basis of his Christian Reconstructionist political position and engagement, was rhetorically sanctioned by a distinct eschatological optimism, which was in turn shaped by his distinctly Christian historiography—a philosophy of history for which he was, via the DutchAmerican philosopher Cornelius van Til, largely indebted to the Christian-historicists of the nineteenth-century, in particular the Swiss scholar Jean-Henri...
Die filosoof Gordon Clark is hoofsaaklik bekend vir sy epistemologiese konflik met die apologeet ... more Die filosoof Gordon Clark is hoofsaaklik bekend vir sy epistemologiese konflik met die apologeet Cornelius Van Til. In terme van sy epistemologie, beklemtoon Clark net soos Van Til en ander prominente Calvinistiese filosowe soos Herman Dooyeweerd die belangrikheid van a priori-voorveronderstellings as noodsaaklik vir die verkryging van enige kennis. Binne die Calvinistiese filosofie verteenwoordig hy egter ’n besondere posisie, naamlik ’n uitdruklike Presbiteriaanse filosofie wat epistemologies begrond is in die Westminster Geloofsbelydenis van 1647. Volgens sy epistemologiese raamwerk, wat die kern van sy geskil met Van Til raak, is ware menslike kennis en logika wesenlik en inhoudelik dieselfde as goddelike kennis en logika. Clark definieer logika dan ook as goddelike denke, en meen daarom dat die Christelike geloof as begrond in die goddelike rasionaliteit die enigste antitese van irrasionaliteit self is. Hierdie klem op die epistemologiese normatiwiteit van logika as toets vir waarheid plaas Clark in ’n unieke posisie binne die Christelike filosofie. Clark se hoë waardering vir Aristoteliaanse logika as basies tot alle teoretiese denke onderskei daarom ook sy epistemologie beduidend van byvoorbeeld Herman Dooyeweerd en Cornelius Van Til. Laasgenoemde beskou logika as geskape werklikheid, terwyl dit vir Clark in wese ’n goddelike eienskap is. Sy unieke beklemtoning van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as basis van geloofsdenke is veral van waarde vir die godsdienswetenskap in die lig van die 21ste-eeuse ontwikkelings in hierdie veld wat gekenmerk word deur ’n toenemende waardering van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as onderliggend tot godsdienstige oortuigings.
The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839–1... more The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839–1910) operated in the Dutch politico-ecclesiastical scene. He achieved renown primarily because of his dispute with Abraham Kuyper over the role of common grace and the political implications of Kuyper’s doctrine. In contradistinction to Neo-Calvinists such as Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, Hoedemaker proposed a distinct philosophy of revelation, emphasising the inescapabilty and holistic nature thereof as foundational to all human knowledge. Hoedemaker’s epistemology, consciously theorized and articulated in reaction to the empiricism and rationalism of the Enlightenment, emphasises that all realities and facts are inescapably revealed realities, which are mediated by divine revelation in Scripture as well as history which he understands to be essentially the manifestation of divine providence, given that he holds God to be the ultimate First Cause behind everything in existence. For Hoedema...
Daaglikse gebedsrituele was ’n integrale deel van die godsdiensbeoefening van die eerste Christe... more Daaglikse gebedsrituele was ’n integrale deel van die godsdiensbeoefening van die eerste Christelike gemeenskappe in Noord-Afrika. Die getuienis van die eerste kerkvaders op hierdie kontinent, Tertullianus en Cyprianus, dui daarop dat hierdie gebedsrituele in die konteks van die voor-Niceense kerk in Noord-Afrika ’n wesenlike rol gespeel het in die vorming en afgrensing van die eerste Christelike gemeenskappe in hierdie wêrelddeel. Hierdie artikel fokus daarom op die sosiogodsdienstige funksie wat daaglikse gebedsrituele vir die vroeë Christelike gemeenskappe in Noord-Afrika vervul het in terme van hierdie gemeenskappe se stryd vir die vestiging van ’n eie identiteit as afgegrensde godsdiensgemeenskappe – as onderskei van sowel die Judaïstiese as die Mistieke en Romeinse godsdiensgemeenskappe—binne hul historiese demografiese landskap. By wyse van ’n sosiohistoriese benadering word die klem geplaas op rituele deelname aan die daaglikse gebede op vasgestelde tye, wat deurslaggewend was vir die historiese opkoms en bevestiging van hierdie godsdiensgemeenskappe. Daardeur word die rituele funksie van daaglikse gebede op bepaalde tye, as beliggaming van die teologiese raamwerk van die Christelike gemeenskappe in terme van hul vorming en bevestiging gedurende die tweede en derde eeue in die konteks van Noord-Afrika, beklemtoon. Dit toon dat deelname aan hierdie daaglikse gebedsrituele ’n wesenlike sosiogodsdienstige asook ’n kulturele funksie vervul het, deurdat hierdie gemeenskappe se unieke identiteit en bestaansreg, asook die lede van daardie gemeenskappe se toewyding tot die toenemende konkretisering van die Christelike kerk in Noord-Afrika, deurlopend daardeur bevestig is.
The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839-1... more The prominent Anti-Revolutionary philosopher and theologian, Philippus Jacobus Hoedemaker (1839-1910) operated in the Dutch politico-ecclesiastical scene. He achieved renown primarily because of his dispute with Abraham Kuyper over the role of common grace and the political implications of Kuyper's doctrine. In contradistinction to Neo-Calvinists such as Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, Hoedemaker proposed a distinct philosophy of revelation, emphasising the inescapabilty and holistic nature thereof as foundational to all human knowledge. Hoedemaker's epistemology, consciously theorized and articulated in reaction to the empiricism and rationalism of the Enlightenment, emphasises that all realities and facts are inescapably revealed realities, which are mediated by divine revelation in Scripture as well as history which he understands to be essentially the manifestation of divine providence, given that he holds God to be the ultimate First Cause behind everything in existence. For Hoedemaker, every fact in the universe is therefore completely dependent upon God and his revelation for its very existence. Hoedemaker's distinct epistemology also has significant socio-political implications, most notably the utter impossibility of neutrality in the public domain. Since for Hoedemaker, there exists no natural, unmediated or unrevealed knowledge in all of the universe, it is only Christianity that can bring about true socio-cultural and sociopolitical progress, while all other worldviews only maintain themselves inasmuch as they borrow capital from the Christian worldview ultimately rooted in Christian epistemology.
Het historische narratief van de staatsman-historicus Groen van Prinsterer had een praktisch-poli... more Het historische narratief van de staatsman-historicus Groen van Prinsterer had een praktisch-politieke functie in zijn negentiende-eeuwse context. Zijn christelijk-historische vertelling bekrachtigde zijn unieke sociaal-politieke positionering, waarmee hij constructief betrokken was bij de politieke discussies en processen van zijn tijd. Door zijn reactie op de restauratiesuggesties van Koning Willem III in 1856 heeft Groen bijgedragen aan de consolidatie van de toen pas opgerichte Nederlandse constitutionele democratie. Door de toepassing van de fenomologisch-narratieve benadering van David Carr op de studie van Groen als staatsman en historicus, verschijnt voor het eerst een holistisch beeld van Groen als een antirevolutionair publiek figuur, die een nieuw licht werpt op de politieke strategieen achter zijn publieke betrokkenheid .Dit maakt een nieuwe waardering van de historische betekenis van Groen voor de democratische rechtsstaat in Nederland mogelijk.
In reaction to the crisis of modernity’s narratives of secularization, the
post-secular turn has... more In reaction to the crisis of modernity’s narratives of secularization, the post-secular turn has been characterized by a critical re-evaluation of the place of religion in contemporary societies. Following Jürgen Habermas, theorists of the post-secular have successfully challenged dichotomies between the religious and the secular when it comes to understanding the nature of socio-political engagement in the public domain. However, conceptualizations of the post-secular are still widely considered to be unsatisfactory, with continuing disputes and doubts regarding not only its exact meaning, but also its very utility for understanding religion and its role in society. One of the shortcomings of post-secular theory recently identified in the existing literature is its need for a critical reevaluation of the role of normative presuppositions in shaping the public domain. In light thereof this article proposes Presuppositionalism—an often neglected philosophical school represented by philosophers such as Herman Dooyeweerd and Gordon Clark—as an unexplored, but constructive framework for post-secular theory, by emphasising its hereunto neglected potential as a framework for understanding the role of religion in the construction and re-construction of human society, as well as for understanding the function of normativity in the public domain. This underappreciated philosophical school’s proposition that public life is inescapably shaped by presuppositions of a religious nature, is shown to have great value as a framework for overcoming outdated dichotomies between the religious and the secular, as well as in terms of elucidating, shaping and directing post-secular notions of presuppositional normativity in public life
Christian socio-political participation in the public domain has come under increasing fire from ... more Christian socio-political participation in the public domain has come under increasing fire from constitutional scholars in recent years. This criticism of religion’s role in the so-called “secular” public domain is, however, largely based upon the outdated secularization thesis which has widely fallen into disrepute among scholars internationally. Christians themselves have also, ironically, contributed to ratifying the secularization thesis by means of eschatological pessimism. i.e. their expectation of the future decline of Christianity. By means of a phenomenological-narrative approach, this article aims to show how the recent revival of eschatological optimism—or postmillennialism—among Reformed Christians in South Africa can, in spite of the hefty criticism currently levelled against it, actually serve to narratively incite a constructive paradigm shift in the South African socio-political landscape, thereby sanctioning a constructive and fruitful socio-political engagement in public life on the part of the country’s Christian citizens.
Keywords: constitutional democracy, eschatology, narrative, postmillennialism, postsecular, public domain, secularization.
René Descartes (1596−1650) se rasionalisme is gedurende die 17de eeu in Nederland, meer as enige ... more René Descartes (1596−1650) se rasionalisme is gedurende die 17de eeu in Nederland, meer as enige ander plek ter wêreld, sowel positief as negatief ontvang en gedebatteer. Een van die eerste werklik invloedryke Cartesiane in Nederland was die Leidense filosoof Adriaan Heereboord (1614−1659), wat filosofie se onafhanklikheid van teologie bepleit het. Hy het hierdie "bevryding" geregverdig op grond van die idee dat die filosofie op die menslike rede alleen gebaseer behoort te word en dan met uitsluiting van die waarheidsaanspraak van Goddelike openbaring. Die mees prominente Nederlandse Gereformeerde skolastici van die tyd, soos Jakobus Revius, Gysbertius Voetius en Petrus van Mastricht, asook die meeste teologiese fakulteite aan Nederlandse universiteite, het egter oorweldigend negatief gereageer in reaksie op die opkoms van Cartesianisme.
Die 19de-eeuse antirevolusionêre Nederlandse staatsman en historikus Guillaume Groen van Prinster... more Die 19de-eeuse antirevolusionêre Nederlandse staatsman en historikus Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer se politieke posisie en aksie was narratief bekragtig. Hierdie narratiewe bekragtiging en die implikasies daarvan vir sy politieke loopbaan word via die Amerikaanse geskiedsfilosoof David Carr se narratiewe benadering tot die historiografie ondersoek en belig. Groen van Prinsterer se historiese narratief is gekenmerk deur 'n sterk polemiek teen die idees van veral die Verligting in Frankryk, wat volgens hom gedurende sy eie tyd 'n negatiewe impak op die Nederlandse samelewing gehad het. Hy het 'n epistemologiese stryd tussen die Christendom en die "Revolusie", dit is die idees van die Franse Verligting, as deurslaggewend vir die politieke ontwikkelinge van sy tyd beskou. Sy narratiewe klem op hierdie epistemologiese stryd het hom juis in staat gestel om konstruktief binne die konteks van die Nederlandse demokrasie, wat ingelui is deur die grondwethersiening van 1848, op te tree. Hy het, selfs as 'n teenstander van toenemende demokratisering, in 1856 na vore getree as konsolideerder van die Nederlandse grondwetlike demokrasie deur sy afwysing van koning Willem III se reaksionêre politieke agenda. Hierdeur het hy nie net 'n deurslaggewende rol gespeel om die reaksionêre politiek in Nederland die uiteindelike nekslag toe te dien nie, maar ook die moderne Nederlandse demokrasie help vorm as een van konstruktiewe deelname van uiteenlopende politieke standpunte en daardeur ook die grondslag gelê vir die Nederlandse partypolitieke stelsel. Laastens het hy ook hierdeur die weg gebaan vir Christen-demokratiese partypolitiek binne die konteks van die moderne grondwetlike demokrasie-nie alleen in Nederland nie, maar ook op internasionale vlak.
Gereformeerde teoloë en kerke het die afgelope aantal dekades sterk standpunt ingeneem teen alle ... more Gereformeerde teoloë en kerke het die afgelope aantal dekades sterk standpunt ingeneem teen alle vorme van rassisme en nasionalisme. Daar word ter stawing hiervan dikwels 'n beroep gedoen op die leerstellinge van Calvinisme soos dit histories verstaan en geleer is. Die argument is dat Calvinisme vry van eksterne politieke invloede nie sentimente en ideologieë soos rassisme of nasionalisme sou duld nie. Hierdie argument word dan toegepas op die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks van die 20ste eeu. David Carr se fenomenologies-narratiewe benadering tot die historiografie laat ruimte vir 'n kritiese ontleding van 'n bepaalde groep se selfposisionering binne 'n gegewe historiesnarratiewe konteks. Daar word aan die hand van Carr se benadering vanuit die primêre bronne krities besin oor bogenoemde teologiese posisionering binne die Gereformeerde tradisie. Nie 'n bepaalde teologiese standpunt word krities beoordeel nie, maar eerder die beroep op die historiese Calvinisme as bekragtiging van hierdie teologiese standpunt ten opsigte van rassisme en nasionalisme. Hierdeur word 'n oproep gedoen tot die noodsaaklikheid van deurlopende narratiewe herbesinning.
In countering what they identified as the individualizing implications of the social contract the... more In countering what they identified as the individualizing implications of the social contract theory as proposed by the likes of Locke and Rousseau, the leading figures on the Counter-Enlightenment in the nineteenth century advocated a distinctly familialist understanding of the nature and structure of human society. Central to the Counter-Enlightenment's social ontology was the idea that the family-both nuclear and extended-is the most basic and vital constitutive unit of human society. In contradistinction to what these traditionalist conservatives saw as Enlightenment liberalism's atomising of the individual, leaving him vulnerable to the rising power of the centralized state, nineteenth-century Counter-Revolutionaries such as Johan Gottfried Herder, Louis de Bonald, Robert Lewis Dabney and Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer proposed a relationship-based social positioning of the individual as ontologically situated within the context of familial blood relationships-relationships which provide the necessary framework for social prosperity. In this regard the nineteenthcentury Counter-Enlightenment's social ontology amounts a particularly interesting and noteworthy historical phenomenon as a distinctly modern movement characterized by strong theoretical resistance against the prevailing liberal social ontology which has largely shaped modern Western democracies.
The striving towards objectivity that characterized modern historiography up until the 1970s, los... more The striving towards objectivity that characterized modern historiography up until the 1970s, lost adherence in academia in light of damning criticism by influential philosophers like Jürgen Habermas. Postmodern approaches to historiography like that of philosophers of history Hayden White and Louis Mink were developed during this time in reaction to positivism. These postmodern approaches therefore purposefully strove to avoid the aim of historiographical objectivity and were characterized by a constructivist view of historiographical literature, wherein historical narratives construct an independent reality without any relation to historical truth or even historical reality outside of the text itself. By the end of the twentieth century the American philosopher of history David Carr emerged as one of the most renowned critics of postmodern historiography. While Carr maintains the emphasis on the narrative nature of historiography, his phenomenological approach represents a narrative realism in contrast to the narrative anti-realism characteristic of postmodern historiography. Carr proposes narrative as inherent to all human interaction with reality rather than something separated from or imposed upon reality. Narrative therefore provides the framework that supplies sense and meaning to human experience. In this regard Carr's narrative realism offers a sensible alternative to postmodern narrativism-one that 1) recognizes the past as a given reality that exists outside of the human mind; 2) emphasizes the narrative character of historiography as reflecting human interaction with reality as such, rather than as an escape therefrom; and 3) acknowledges the historiographer's right and ability to scientifically interact with this reality.
The antirevolutionary statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876) constructively and ac... more The antirevolutionary statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876) constructively and actively engaged as public political figure during the early years of the Dutch constitutional democracy. Despite real opposition to the constitutional revision of 1848 that brought about this political system, Groen, by means of this constructive engagement, managed to play a significant historical role in the consolidation and shaping of the Dutch political system. Most of the existing literature has attributed this to a change in his political theory occurring around 1848, with the institutionalization of the constitutional democracy in the Netherlands. The general claim is that Groen accepted the new democratic system in a way that he would not have, had he maintained his pre-1848 stance regarding what constitutes legitimate political authority, a position characterized by a rejection of republicanism in favor of the res privata notion of political authority. Through an investigation of the primary sources in light of the intellectual traditions that shaped Groen's political thought, this claim is critically evaluated. The article proposes a novel perspective on Groen's notion of political authority, emphasizing its consistency even in the midst of the strategic and flexible political engagement that characterized Groen's career.
Trajecta. Religion, Culture and Society in the Low Countries, 2020
In his strategic political positioning and engagement in the nineteenth century, Groen van Prinst... more In his strategic political positioning and engagement in the nineteenth century, Groen van Prinsterer looked towards both the past and the future. Rhetorically, he appealed to the past as a vindication of the truth and practicality of his anti-revolutionary position. He also expressed optimism for the success of his convictions and political goals in the future. This optimism was reflected in the confidence with which he engaged politically, despite experiencing numerous setbacks in his career. Relying on the phenomenological-narrative approach of David Carr, I highlight the motives and strategies behind Groen's political activity, and reveal that the past and the future in Groen's narrative provide the strategic framework for his rhetoric, and the basis for his activism. I accentuate how the emphasis of his narrative shifts away from the status quo and thus enables a type of political engagement that proved historically significant for the early consolidation of the Dutch constitutional democracy.
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is ware menslike kennis en logika wesenlik en inhoudelik dieselfde as goddelike kennis en logika. Clark definieer logika dan ook as goddelike denke, en meen daarom dat die Christelike geloof as begrond in die goddelike rasionaliteit die enigste antitese van irrasionaliteit self is.
Hierdie klem op die epistemologiese normatiwiteit van logika as toets vir waarheid plaas Clark in ’n unieke posisie binne die Christelike filosofie. Clark se hoë waardering vir Aristoteliaanse logika as basies tot alle teoretiese denke onderskei daarom ook sy epistemologie beduidend
van byvoorbeeld Herman Dooyeweerd en Cornelius Van Til. Laasgenoemde beskou logika as geskape werklikheid, terwyl dit vir Clark in wese ’n goddelike eienskap is. Sy unieke beklemtoning van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as basis van geloofsdenke is veral van waarde vir
die godsdienswetenskap in die lig van die 21ste-eeuse ontwikkelings in hierdie veld wat gekenmerk word deur ’n toenemende waardering van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as onderliggend tot godsdienstige oortuigings.
post-secular turn has been characterized by a critical re-evaluation of the
place of religion in contemporary societies. Following Jürgen Habermas,
theorists of the post-secular have successfully challenged dichotomies
between the religious and the secular when it comes to understanding
the nature of socio-political engagement in the public domain. However,
conceptualizations of the post-secular are still widely considered to be
unsatisfactory, with continuing disputes and doubts regarding not only
its exact meaning, but also its very utility for understanding religion
and its role in society. One of the shortcomings of post-secular theory
recently identified in the existing literature is its need for a critical reevaluation of the role of normative presuppositions in shaping the public
domain. In light thereof this article proposes Presuppositionalism—an
often neglected philosophical school represented by philosophers
such as Herman Dooyeweerd and Gordon Clark—as an unexplored,
but constructive framework for post-secular theory, by emphasising its
hereunto neglected potential as a framework for understanding the role
of religion in the construction and re-construction of human society, as
well as for understanding the function of normativity in the public domain.
This underappreciated philosophical school’s proposition that public life
is inescapably shaped by presuppositions of a religious nature, is shown
to have great value as a framework for overcoming outdated dichotomies
between the religious and the secular, as well as in terms of elucidating,
shaping and directing post-secular notions of presuppositional normativity
in public life
the future decline of Christianity. By means of a phenomenological-narrative approach, this article aims to show how the recent revival of eschatological optimism—or postmillennialism—among Reformed Christians in South Africa can, in spite of the hefty criticism currently levelled against it, actually serve to narratively incite a constructive paradigm shift in the South African socio-political landscape, thereby sanctioning a constructive and fruitful socio-political engagement in public life on the part of the country’s Christian citizens.
Keywords: constitutional democracy, eschatology, narrative, postmillennialism, postsecular, public domain, secularization.
is ware menslike kennis en logika wesenlik en inhoudelik dieselfde as goddelike kennis en logika. Clark definieer logika dan ook as goddelike denke, en meen daarom dat die Christelike geloof as begrond in die goddelike rasionaliteit die enigste antitese van irrasionaliteit self is.
Hierdie klem op die epistemologiese normatiwiteit van logika as toets vir waarheid plaas Clark in ’n unieke posisie binne die Christelike filosofie. Clark se hoë waardering vir Aristoteliaanse logika as basies tot alle teoretiese denke onderskei daarom ook sy epistemologie beduidend
van byvoorbeeld Herman Dooyeweerd en Cornelius Van Til. Laasgenoemde beskou logika as geskape werklikheid, terwyl dit vir Clark in wese ’n goddelike eienskap is. Sy unieke beklemtoning van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as basis van geloofsdenke is veral van waarde vir
die godsdienswetenskap in die lig van die 21ste-eeuse ontwikkelings in hierdie veld wat gekenmerk word deur ’n toenemende waardering van kognitiewe voorveronderstellings as onderliggend tot godsdienstige oortuigings.
post-secular turn has been characterized by a critical re-evaluation of the
place of religion in contemporary societies. Following Jürgen Habermas,
theorists of the post-secular have successfully challenged dichotomies
between the religious and the secular when it comes to understanding
the nature of socio-political engagement in the public domain. However,
conceptualizations of the post-secular are still widely considered to be
unsatisfactory, with continuing disputes and doubts regarding not only
its exact meaning, but also its very utility for understanding religion
and its role in society. One of the shortcomings of post-secular theory
recently identified in the existing literature is its need for a critical reevaluation of the role of normative presuppositions in shaping the public
domain. In light thereof this article proposes Presuppositionalism—an
often neglected philosophical school represented by philosophers
such as Herman Dooyeweerd and Gordon Clark—as an unexplored,
but constructive framework for post-secular theory, by emphasising its
hereunto neglected potential as a framework for understanding the role
of religion in the construction and re-construction of human society, as
well as for understanding the function of normativity in the public domain.
This underappreciated philosophical school’s proposition that public life
is inescapably shaped by presuppositions of a religious nature, is shown
to have great value as a framework for overcoming outdated dichotomies
between the religious and the secular, as well as in terms of elucidating,
shaping and directing post-secular notions of presuppositional normativity
in public life
the future decline of Christianity. By means of a phenomenological-narrative approach, this article aims to show how the recent revival of eschatological optimism—or postmillennialism—among Reformed Christians in South Africa can, in spite of the hefty criticism currently levelled against it, actually serve to narratively incite a constructive paradigm shift in the South African socio-political landscape, thereby sanctioning a constructive and fruitful socio-political engagement in public life on the part of the country’s Christian citizens.
Keywords: constitutional democracy, eschatology, narrative, postmillennialism, postsecular, public domain, secularization.