Abraham Kuyper, Part I | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Kuyper is the spiritual Godfather of the Christian Democratic movement. The Center for Public Justice is the presence of that movement in the United States. While it is unapologetically Calvinist, it is not the same kind of Calvinism practiced by the Southern Baptist Convention. Essentially, Kuyper saved Calvinism from selfishness and its adherence to capitalism and materialism in all things. Of course, that means he is also no social democrat. I wonder how he would react, however, to the existentialists. Probably the same way. I also like the quote about Modernism. He is right about that and the Trads are oh, so wrong in their pursuit to call all change error. The term addiction to doubt is not meant to apply to agnostics, but to uncompromising Trads – with their gold and red markers.
The rejection of the Holiness movement is interesting as it relates to those who would use the law to force social holiness on those they approve of, as well as the same practice in the Churches (both Evangelical and Catholic). There was no cheap grace for Kuyper, and I doubt he would have much nice to say about frequent confession and the Catholic preoccupation with the state of grace, usually over sexual matters. His work seems to point to Grace as the essential element of both initial and continuing salvation. Note to MSW. Kuyper talked about the Holy Spirit, not the Church, as the giver of grace.
The Reformed movement is fascinating and I suspect we will be discussing more of it tomorrow. Indeed, the entire Emergent Church is the latest fruit of this vine.
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