Incarnation of the Antithesis by R. E. L.

Rogers The Incarnation of the Antithesis An Introduction to the Educational Thought and Practice of Abraham Kuyper Dr R. E. L. Rogers The Pentland Press, Durham, 1992 (out of print) ISBN 1 872795 91 9 pbk, xvi+89 pp

This book on the Kuyper's educational achievements and thoughts started life as a MEd thesis at the University of Ulster.

It provides a good introduction to Kuyper's educational thought. Three elements of Kuyper's thought are singled out: his Calvinism, common grace and sphere sovereignty. His educational achievements, notably, the role Kuyper and his Anti-Revolutionary Party played in opposing the secularisation of education in the Netherlands. The 1876 Heemskerk higher education law paved the way for Kuyper and others to form the Free University - a university founded on distinctly Christian principles and philosophy, this story is the subject of chapter 4. It was a free university in the sense that it would be free from both church and State constraints.

Finally Rogers looks at Kuyper's influence. Here he briefly focuses on Bavinck, Dooyeweerd and Van Til and the way in which they developed Kupyper's work.

This book provides a good summary of Kuyper's influence in education. He draws extensively on secondary materials in particular Vanden Berg's and

Praamsma's biographies of Kuyper and from Richard Russell's MEd thesis. He also utilises papers on Bavinck and van Til's educational ideas by C. Jaarsma and G. J. Maffet, respectively, of which I was previously unaware.

There is a helpful short bibliography of books, but the list of journal articles omits the author names.

Open Library page

Contents Foreword (by Viscount Tonypandy) Introduction 1. Biographical Introduction 2. The basis of Kuyper's educational philosophy 3. Educational involvement: practical and legislative 4. The Free University of Amsterdam 5. The transmission of Kuyper's influence Bibliography Index of persons