Religions and the Doctrine of God: Comparing J. H. Bavinck and Cherbonnier

Bibliographic information:

Shannon, Nathan D. “Religions and the Doctrine of God: Comparing J. H. Bavinck and Cherbonnier.” Torch Trinity Journal 23, no. 2 (2020): 29-66.

Description:

Description
This article explores the theology of religions as a framework for a Christian comparative religions. It focuses on the role of the doctrine of God in such a framework and compares the work of Edmond La Beaume Cherbonnier with that of Johan Herman Bavinck. The article demonstrates that both Cherbonnier and Bavinck identify anthropomorphism in revelation as a distinguishing feature of Christian theism. They both argue that Christian theism is theistic anthropomorphism in its fullest form. However, they have different views regarding the nature of the God of the Bible. Cherbonnier opts for a wholly anthropomorphic God, believing the classical
incommunicable attributes to be unbiblical. J. H. Bavinck argues that the classical attributes of God are no less a part of the religion of the Bible, and that without them there is no God at all. The goal of this article is to explain and defend J. H. Bavinck’s neo-Calvinist notion of absolute personality as biblically defensible and as valuable for comparative religions, apologetics, and missions.

Publisher:

Torch Trinity Graduate University

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