The following is a letter from the famous Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886–1968) to Hendrik Willem van der Vaart Smit (1888–1986), a—somwehat controversial—student of the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854–1921). The letter is kept in the H. W. van der Vaart Smit Archives, Historical Documentation Center for Dutch Protestantism (1800 to the present day), University … Lees verder
According to Mark Water, ed., The New Encyclopedia of Christian Martyrs (Alresford: John Hunt, 2001), 908–9, when James Hannington (1847–1885), bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa on behalf of the Church Missionary Society, wanted to travel to Uganda, “he found himself reading words from Psalm 146[:9], ‘The Lord preserveth the strangers’” and “took this to be … Lees verder
September 4 and 5, 2014, a conference will be held on Neo-Calvinism (Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, Gerrit Berkouwer et al) and Roman Catholicism. The following are two comments regarding Bavinck that may stimulate reflection on the conference topic. Bavinck: (Neo-)Calvinist or Catholic Reformed? While I understand that “Neo-Calvinism” is a common term to refer to people … Lees verder
Camping in the desert, I have the opportunity to watch the sky and see the stars at night. In the city one could do the same, but clouds often cover the sky and there is always a lot of light pollution and earthly affairs usually make one forget to look upwards. In the desert I … Lees verder
Bristley’s Guide to the Writings of Herman Bavinck offers among other things an overview of Bavinck’s life and work, a Bavinck bibliography, and an overview of secondary literature, both in English and in Dutch. Bristley has updated J. Veenhof’s older bibliography of Bavinck’s works (published in Bremmer, Herman Bavinck als dogmaticus, 425–46; additions in Bremmer, Herman … Lees verder
John Kenyon of the Institute for Global Church Studies asked me a number of good questions in his Facebook group. Below his questions with my answers. Christians and the Situation in Egypt 1. Are you free/comfortable to talk about the current political situation in Egypt and how the Church there is responding? First of … Lees verder
This week I received a review copy of John Bolt, A Theological Analysis of Herman Bavinck’s Two Essays on the Imitatio Christi: Between Pietism and Modernism, with a foreword by David Van Drunen (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2013), which is a somewhat revised edition of Bolt’s 1982 doctoral dissertation. While my review is to … Lees verder
Last Saturday we met here in Cairo to watch a session of the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in Baltimore on genocide in the Bible. When the session in Baltimore ended, our group here in Egypt took time to talk more about the theme, which led to a stimulating discussion. Moreover, the first seeds … Lees verder
Rick Warren wrote the following well-intended but misinformed message on Facebook and Google+: “PRAY for our Christian brothers and sisters being attacked in Maspero, Egypt! In October -over 4 days – 38 churches, 58 Christian homes, and 85 Christian businesses have been destroyed.” What is really the case? Lees verder
Deep down in Egypt, 500 km (300 miles) south of Cairo, just outside the province capital of Sohag, at the border of the Nile valley and the Western desert, within a stone’s throw of the age-old White Monastry, one finds a remarkable new Coptic Orthodox Church. Lees verder
In the time of the early church, Egypt produced and hosted some of the most important theologians of Christianity, especially in Alexandria. Today, the fire of theological reflection is burning again in Egypt, for example at our seminary here in Cairo.
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“No hate was being preached: ‘This will teach us to be better Christians.’” Sunday morning a Dutch and Belgian television crew attended the service in a burnt church in Minya (250 km / 160 miles south of Cairo): the Gad al-Seed evangelical presbyterian church of my former master student and friend pastor Sameh Ibrahim, about … Lees verder
In this blog post I try to collect links to above-average articles about the current situation in Egypt. Please, note that “recommended” does not mean that I endorse the contents of the articles. It just means that (others indicated that) this is an article worth reading. I would especially like to mention that Egyptians that … Lees verder
One of the burnt churches in Egypt I visited several times: the evangelical presbyterian Gad al-Sayed church in Abou Hilal in the city of Minya, some 250 km (160 miles) south of Cairo. Last years the pews looked like this: Now like this: My youngest brother visited this church as well: Left on this picture … Lees verder
Several lists of churches and other Christian properties that were burnt yesterday (August 14, 2013) are circulating on the internet.
Amira Michael’s list is well-organized and partly documented.
The Into Oblivion list looks also rather acurate, giving some indications in how far reports have been confirmed.
This is a list of the Maspero Youth Union on Facebook.
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