Former Dutch Prime Minister to Speak

Jan Peter Balkenende, former prime minister of the Netherlands, will receive the Bavinck Prize for Outstanding Reformed Contribution to the Church, the Academy or Public Life on Friday evening in the Calvin College Covenant Fine Arts Center.

A devout member of the Calvinist Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the former prime minister will also give a lecture that will, among other things, discuss the legacy of Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck and propose a "new ethos of responsibility."

A few free tickets are left. They can be obtained in the Administrative Office at Calvin Seminary, 3233 Burton Street, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Set to begin at 7:30 p.m., the award ceremony and Balkenende's speech will cap a three-day conference titled “After 9/11/11. . . . What? Reformed Theology and the Church's Global Mission Today." The conference runs Oct.12-14.

Co-sponsored by nearly a dozen colleges, seminaries and other groups, the conference features experts on Herman Bavinck and his nephew, Johann Herman Bavinick, as well as experts on Christian/Islam relations, from all over the world.

Also sponsoring the conference is The Bavinck Institute at Calvin Theological Seminary, which exists to further communication among scholars, teachers, pastors and students interested in the theology of Herman Bavinck and the Bavinck tradition, and to provide resources for as well as encourage scholarship in it.

“Bavinck believed that the Gospel is not alien to the human condition,” said John Bolt, one of the organizers of the conference and a professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary.

"His theology is disputative in a fair and temperate manner. It is also profoundly pastoral."

Well aware of Bavinck’s theology and teachings from college and his studies in law, Balkenende, the former prime minister, will address the contemporary significance of Bavinck and others in his Friday night address.

He will also address such topics as globalization, new international power alliances, the rise of popular movements, the lack of people taking responsibility for issues from a Christian perspective in the world, and hopeful signs for the future.

As prime minister, Balkende, among other things, supported a strong immigration policy and U.S. intervention in Afghanistan following theSept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

The conference takes place at Calvin Theological Seminary, Calvin College and Brookside Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids.

The conference, says a CTS news release, "seeks to mine the legacy of Herman Bavinck for guidance to today's church as it seeks to be faithful to its mission in the face of the Islamic challenge."

Bavinck was a writer, theologian and seminary professor who is especially known for his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics. He wrote not only on theology, but also on Christian politics and education, creation versus evolution, psychology and the family.

His reflections and insights are still helpful in trying to sort through the issues the church and society face today, say conference organizers.

Meanwhile, Bavinck's nephew, Johann Herman, a long-time missionary to Indonesia and writer on mission-related topics, will be featured as well at the conference.

"Both Bavincks wrestled with the question of Islam in relation to Christianity and the West; the conference will feature speakers that engage them both," says the news release.

Scholars will address such topics as:

• Herman and J.H. Bavinck on engaging Islam.
• How do we do Islamic missions today?
• How do we "dialogue" with Islam?
• Does Islam force us to rethink religious freedom and pluralism?

The conference will feature testimonies from persons who have lived in Muslim lands. There will also be a session on Samuel Zwemer, the early 20th Century "Apostle to Islam." He was a member of the Reformed Church in America.

One of the plenary sessions will include a panel addressing "Inter-Religious Dialogue as Bearing Witness." Another session will examine the political implications of Islam.

For more information on, to register for the conference, or to learn more about Friday night's speech, call 616-526-8733 or visit: Bavinck Conference.