The Christian Family

by Herman Bavinck

Publisher:

Christian’s Library Press

, 2012

Overview

A century ago when this book was first published, marriage and the family were already weathering enormous changes, and that trend has not abated. Yet by God’s power, the unchanging essence of marriage and the family remains proof, as Herman Bavinck notes, that God’s “purpose with the human race has not yet been achieved.”

Neither a 10-step guide nor a one-sided approach, The Christian Family embodies a Christian theology of marriage and the family. Accessible, thoroughly biblical, and astonishingly relevant, it offers a mature and concise handling of the origins of marriage and family life and the effects of sin on these institutions, an appraisal of historic Christian approaches, and an attempt to apply that theology.

Aptly reminding Christians that “the moral health of society depends on the health of family life,” Bavinck issues an evergreen challenge to God’s people: “Christians may not permit their conduct to be determined by the spirit of the age, but must focus on the requirement of God’s commandment.”

Key Features

• Discusses the Christian theology of marriage and the family
• Includes a brief biographical sketch of Herman Bavinck
• Provides practical guidance

Contents

• The Origin of the Family
• The Disruption of the Family
• The Family among the Nations
• The Family in Israel
• The Family in the New Testament
• Dangers Confronting the Family
• Marriage and Family
• Family and Nurture
• Family and Society
• The Future of the Family

Top Highlights

“The history of the human race begins with a wedding.” (Page 1)

“Bavinck’s belief that grace restores nature. The basic structure of Bavinck’s worldview is that the Triune God creates a good world, that creation then falls into sin, following which the Triune God redeems in grace. God’s work in redemption is that of restoring things to their original (good) state: God’s grace does not introduce new elements into the creation, or remove things that were originally present before the fall. Grace does not elevate nature, as though God’s original work of creation was somehow insufficient and still needs improvement. Rather, it restores nature. It takes things back to how they were before sin had its awful way with the creation. Grace returns us to what God, in the prefall world, saw as ‘very good.’” (Page xii)

“Often, Bavinck writes, you—as a sinner—will be the main cross your spouse is called to bear. In this fallen world, there are no promises that marriage, for all its capacity to be beautiful and enriching, will be a lifelong series of ever increasing physical delights. In reality, a healthy marriage will probably lean more on the Sermon on the Mount than on the Song of Solomon. And in that respect, Bavinck’s insights on marriage (all of which grow out of the various consequences of his ‘grace restores nature’ insight) provide a helpful corrective to much imbalance in contemporary evangelical thinking on marriage.” (Pages xiii–xiv)

“God made two out of one, so that he could then make the two into one, one soul and one flesh. This kind of fellowship is possible only between two. From the very beginning, marriage was and is by virtue of its essential nature monogamous, an essential bond between one man and one woman, and therefore also a lifelong covenant, indissoluble by human authority; therefore what God has joined together, let not man put asunder (Matt. 19:6, 8). A man separates from his parents, forsakes father and mother, and cleaves to his wife; but he never abandons his wife! Love for parents is surpassed in both intensity and extent by love for one’s wife. Such love is stronger than death. No other love resembles God’s love so closely, or reaches such height.” (Page 7)

Endorsements

Those who know and love Herman Bavinck as the magisterial theologian and author of the Reformed Dogmatics will enjoy the change of pace in this biblically rich and historically aware theology of marriage and family. While they might not share all of Bavinck’s applications, contemporary readers will be rewarded by a sympathetic reading. They will be challenged on precisely the issues that threaten the family today because Bavinck applied biblical wisdom to his own prescient reading of trends in Western culture and society. They will also be encouraged because Bavinck so obviously loved the family and celebrated it in hope. A great read for those who are married or contemplating marriage and family.

—John Bolt, professor of systematic theology, Calvin Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: The Christian Family
• Author: Herman Bavinck
• Publisher: Christian’s Library Press
• Print Publication Date: 2012
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Families › Biblical teaching; Marriage › Biblical teaching
• Resource ID: LLS:CHRISTIANFAMILY
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-11T17:31:02Z

About Herman Bavinck

Herman Bavinck (1854–1921), was a Dutch Reformed theologian who contributed to the resurgence of Reformed theology. Bavinck studied at Kampen Theological Seminary and the University of Leiden and graduated in 1880. He taught at both Kampen Theological Seminary and Free University and was a contemporary of Abraham Kuyper and B. B. Warfield, both of whom he knew well.

His most well-known publications include his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics and The Philosophy of Revelation.

Sample Pages from The Christian Family