Hidden and Revealed: The Doctrine of God in the Reformed and Eastern Orthodox Traditions (Comparing the Theology of Herman Bavinck and John Meyendorff)

by Dmytro Bintsarovskyi

Overview

A major contribution to ecumenical reflection on the doctrine of God. The past century has seen renewed interest in the doctrine of God. While theological traditions disagree, their shared commitment to Nicene orthodoxy provides a common language for thinking and speaking about God. This dialogue has deepened our understanding of this shared way of thinking about God, but little has been done across ecumenical lines to explore God's hiddenness in revelation. In Hidden and Revealed, Dmytro Bintsarovskyi explores the hiddenness and revelation of God in two separate theological streams-Reformed and Orthodox. Bintsarovskyi shows that both traditions share language, history, and commitments while nevertheless reflecting real differences. With Herman Bavinck and John Meyendorff as his guides, Bintsarovskyi advances ecumenical dialogue on a doctrine central to our knowledge of God.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683594895
Publisher:	Lexham Press
Publication date:	07/14/2021
Series:	Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dmytro Bintsarovskyi (PhD, Theologische Universiteit Kampen) is a Post—Doctoral Research Fellow at the Neo—Calvinism Research Institute of the Theologische Universiteit Kampen.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Abbreviations xiii

1 Introduction 1

The Doctrine of God in Ecumenical Dialogue 1

God's Hiddenness and Revelation in Eastern Orthodox and Reformed Traditions 5

Method and Outline 30

2 Herman Bavinck on Knowing God as a Revealed Mystery 33

Introduction 33

Underlying Characteristics of Bavinck's Approach 37

God Hidden 57

God Revealed 84

The Relation of God's Hiddenness and His Revelation 119

3 John Meyendorff on Union with God as the Unknown 139

Introduction 139

Underlying Characteristics of Meyendorff's Approach 143

God Hidden 155

God Revealed 182

The Relation of God's Hiddenness and His Revelation 227

4 Comparison and Evaluation 255

Comparison 255

Evaluation 286

Bibliography 329

Name Index 357

Subject Index 361

Editorial Reviews

The theology of revelation has long been the subject of ecumenical disagreement. Dmytro Bintsarovskyi’s comparison of Herman Bavinck and John Meyendorff offers a meticulous and thorough analysis of the key issues involved. Fair-minded but decisive in his evaluation of both the Reformed and Palamite approaches, Bintsarovskyi charts his own path in assessing the knowability of God, rightly centering on God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. This is ecumenical dialogue at its best. —Hans Boersma, Saint Benedict Servants of Christ Chair in Ascetical Theology, Nashotah House Theological Seminary In this book Dr. Dmytro Bintsarovskyi engages in a valuable ecumenical task by comparing the understanding of the hiddenness of God in the thought of two figures, who might well be thought to be poles apart: the Dutch Reformed theologian, Herman Bavinck, and the Orthodox theologian of Russian descent, John Meyendorff, whose academic career was mostly in America. He shows how their different understandings of God’s hiddenness contain at their heart a fundamental affirmation of transcendence in immanence. —Andrew Louth, professor emeritus, Durham University The true test of a theologian’s catholicity is a capacity to engage both Western and Eastern Christianity. Dmytro Bintsarovskyi’s careful comparison between Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck and Eastern Orthodox theologian John Meyendorff is a model of sound ecumenical theology. The focus on the doctrine of God as hidden and revealed is an inspired choice by which to measure Bavinck’s catholicity; it is true to Bavinck’s own method of always engaging different traditions on their own terms and in the very place where they are strongest and distinctive. Bintsarovskyi honors both men and the traditions they represent with his convincing demonstration that the theologies of both men had this capacity for engagement with the other tradition and thus were true, albeit imperfectly, to their own catholic intentions. —John Bolt, Jean and Kenneth Baker Professor of Systematic Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary One of history’s great theological questions is that of how to describe God’s transcendence and immanence, the fact that he is beyond our comprehension and yet has revealed himself to us, that he is at once both hidden from us and known. In this fascinating study, Bintsarovskyi sheds fresh light on this perennial question through a comparison of a great Reformed theologian, Herman Bavinck, with a great Eastern Orthodox thinker, John Meyendorff. Bintsarovskyi’s investigation touches on many aspects of the doctrine of God and provides not only an insightful critique of two traditions that have more in common than meets the eye, but also valuable suggestions for our further thinking about God’s revelation of himself. I am delighted to recommend this book. —Donald Fairbairn, Robert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary This masterfully researched and well conceived dialogue between Reformed and Orthodox theology enters into core issues: the essence-energies distinction, apophatic theology and human language, analogy and univocity, and divine incomprehensibility and divine revelation. The choice of Bavinck and Meyendorff as the central voices in the dialogue turns out to be inspired, with Bavinck representing a broadly “Augustinian” position and Meyendorff representing a broadly “neo-Palamite” position. Bintsarovskyi takes Bavinck's side on some of the central issues, but he demonstrates himself willing to criticize both sides, and he does so with verve and clarity. Everyone interested in these issues, whatever their allegiances, will benefit from this lucid and stimulating book. —Matthew Levering, James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary

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