Willem J. de Wit, On the Way to the Living God: A Cathartic Reading of Herman Bavinck and an Invitation to Overcome the Plausibility Crisis of Christianity (Amsterdam: VU University Press, 2011), x + 208 pages, ISBN 978 90 8659 586 0.

Book: Amazon, Bol.com, VU UP; digital: Logos; pdf: A4, A5, Letter, Proefschrift

Cover Text

Post-Christian Amsterdam is a place where life seems to be good without God, where Jesus is seen as a figure of a distant past, and where only a few people still go to church. However, it is also a context from which a deeply reflected invitation springs to face and overcome the plausibility crisis of Christianity.

By telling the story of the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) and his struggle to remain standing as a Christian over against the modern worldview of his day, this study offers interested readers all over the world a mirror in which to face their own struggle.

Moreover, in a world explained without God and marked by evil it, extends the invitation to adopt a binocular worldview and to live with open eyes on the way to the living God, even if this implies dying with Christ.

Willem J. de Wit is Lecturer of Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt. Earlier he worked as a junior research fellow for the International Reformed Theological Institute at VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Reactions

Reactions (translated from Dutch): “I’m touched by your book. Inspiring theme.” “Intellectual exercise can be relaxing.” “Offers a lot for reflection on being a Christian today!” “Beautiful opening … from Psalm 42.” “Wonderful ending from Augustine …” “… contents very relevant for today!” “Never read a book before in which the author invites the reader to delete some paragraphs.” “… and exactly this makes me read on! Theology that dares to be vulnerable.” “Fascinating to read how he enters into conversation with Dawkins’ The God Delusion. Relevant for apologetics!” “… relevant in science & religion discussion.” “Congratulations with this extremely fascinating result.”

Reactions in Dutch (from Twitter): “Ik ben geraakt door je boek. Inspirerend thema.” “Intellectuele inspanning kan ontspannend zijn.” “Roept veel herkenning op. Reikt veel aan voor bezinning voor christen zijn nu!” “Mooie inzet … vanuit Psalm 42.” “Prachtig slot uit Augustinus …” “… zeer actuele inhoud!” “Nooit eerder een boek gelezen waarin de auteur lezers uitnodigt om alinea’s te schrappen.” “… en juist dat doet mij doorlezen! Theologie die zich kwetsbaar opstelt.” “Boeiend om te lezen hoe hij in gesprek gaat met Dawkins: The God Delusion. Apologetisch van belang, dit boek!” “… wordt boeiend: relevant in discussie geloof&wetenschap.” “Gefeliciteerd met dit uiterst boeiende resultaat.”

Interviews

Nederlands Dagblad: “Levende God in een post-christelijke tijd.”
Reformatorisch Dagblad: “De diepste dorst van het menselijk hart: GZB-docent W. J. de Wit belicht crisis christendom in gesprek met Bavinck.”
The Bavinck Institute: “Interview with Willem de Wit on His On the Way to the Living God.”

Order

A printed copy of the book can be ordered, for example, through Amazon for USD 29,95 + shipping costs or through Bol.com for EUR 24,50 + shipping costs (free shipping within the Netherlands and Belgium). It can also be ordered from VU University Press  for EUR 24,50 + shipping costs.

A Logos5 electronic edition of the book can be ordered through Logos Bible Software for USD 19,95 (price may change).

Download (free pdf)

On the Way to the Living God (A4): easy for widescreen and printing on A4-paper (most countries except USA and Canada)
On the Way to the Living God (Letter): easy for widescreen and printing on letter size paper (USA and Canada)
On the Way to the Living God (A5): easy for e-readers
On the Way to the Living God (proefschrift): thesis edition with a summary in Dutch

The pagination of the main text is the same in all editions.