Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Oliver O’Donovan reviews Kuyper’s ‘Pro Rege’
Oliver O’Donovan reviews Kuyper’s ‘Pro Rege’
Mar 29, 2025 7:14 AM

Last year, in partnership with the Acton Institute, Lexham Press releasedPro Rege, Vol. 2: Living Under Christ the King, the second in a three-volume series on the lordship of Christ (find Volume 1here) by Abraham Kuyper.

At First Things, the esteemed evangelical ethicist Oliver O’Donovan reviews the first two volumes and explains why the Dutch theologian and statesman is still relevant today:

Kuyper is at his most persuasive when he lays out his vision of the moral solidarity of the human race in Christ, the Second Adam, lord over nature and culture. The whole sphere of human society, the ­ugliness of modernity notwithstanding, is Christ’s to claim; the little flock need not be afraid to emerge from the sanctuary to confess his name in public and do battle for his right. The lament has turned into a summons to cultural ambition. For the Church’s cultural mission cannot float on the cultural stream in a spirit of quiet acceptance. It must exert ­counterpressure, deploy the hard virtues of courage and endurance, and issue a word of challenge where such a thing is not often heard. The naming of Christ in all kinds of endeavors is paramount, for it is the name that gives cultural engagement meaning as a witness to the hidden wisdom of God. And on this point Kuyper seems still to have something to say to our present condition, living in a world where the question of effective Christian presence is constantly raised but rarely answered persuasively.

Read more . . .

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Theology at Work & David W. Miller
Jordan Ballor already highlighted Rob Moll’s piece in today’s Wall Street Journal in his earlier post on business and Christian ministry. The piece quotes David W. Miller who was interviewed in the Winter 2008 issue of Religion & Liberty on the topic of theology at work. Earlier on the PowerBlog, I also posted a related PBS interview with Miller on corporate morality. Another great resource from the Religion & Liberty archives on theology and work is an interview with Laura...
Some Thoughts on Social Media and Publishing
After hearing about an established Christian publisher recently launching an official blog for their products, I did some thinking about the relationship between the traditional publication outlets and social media. I’m sure that traditional publishers have a relatively large budget for print advertising, but it seems that they are very slow to hire professionals to do serious social media work, blogging, and online advertising. This seems true at least in the academic markets and relative to their print marketing outreach....
The New Circuit Riders and the Bicycle Economy
God and Money passes along a news story about a church in Nebraska raising money “to buy motorcycles (probably not Harleys) for pastors in the African country of Tanzania. Pastors there serving multiple congregations cannot simulcast their sermons–they have to walk upwards of 60 miles to be with their flock.” It brings to mind the early American Methodist practice of sending out circuit riders. But it also illustrates the kinds of needs that can be met in unconventional ways. This...
Acton Lecture Series 2010: Sirico & Ballor
Wrapping up our recap of last year’s Acton Lecture Series, today we present two additional lectures for your enjoyment. The first was delivered in April of 2010 by Acton President Rev. Robert A. Sirico, and was entitled “Does Social Justice Require Socialism?” In this lecture, Sirico examined the increasing calls for government intervention in financial market regulation, health care, education reform, and economic stimulus in the name of “social justice”. And finally, we present Jordan Ballor’s lecture from July of...
Business as a Form of Christian Ministry
In a recent Acton Commentary, Stephen Grabill and Brett Elder reflect on the tension that often exists between conceptions of ministry in the church and in the world. They point especially to the Cape Town Commitment, which on the one hand identifies a “secular-sacred divide as a major obstacle to the mobilization of all God’s people in the mission of God.” But on the other hand, write Grabill and Elder, “The gulf between economics and theology in evangelical social engagement...
Don’t Knock the Laffer Curve
Michael Kinsley has a column up at The Politico in which he claims to debunk a series of Reagan myths. The one that annoys me the most is the one that is obviously and clearly incorrect and at the same time gets the least explanation from Kinsley. Here it is: 6. The Reagan tax cuts paid for themselves because of the Laffer Curve. Please. With every other “myth” Kinsley takes on, he at least feels the need to explain himself....
Video: Rev. Robert A. Sirico on Christian Poverty
If you weren’t able to join us in person for the inaugural lecture of the 2011 Acton Lecture Series, fear not: today, we’re pleased to present Rev. Robert A. Sirico’s “Christian Poverty in the Age of Prosperity” for our loyal PowerBlog readers. The lecture was delivered on February 3rd at the Waters Building here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The next lecture in the 2011 Acton Lecture Series takes place on March 16 and features Peter Greer, President of HOPE International....
Mission to Moscow
I point you to Paul Kengor’s insightful 2008 piece on Ronald Reagan’s 1988 summit to Moscow in Christianity Today because it is directly related to this Thursday’s Acton on Tap. I will spend some time discussing the Moscow Summit and Reagan’s ments at Spaso House, Danilov Monastery, and Moscow State University. Kengor notes: Ronald Reagan clearly had a personal religious motivation at the summit, which he pursued on his own volition, certainly not at the urging of advisers. For Thursday,...
Let the Hustlers Hustle
My latest for Acton Commentary. I’m also adding a couple of videos from Hotep and the Institute for Justice. Let the Hustlers Hustle By Anthony Bradley If necessity is the mother of invention, then there is nothing worse than quenching the entrepreneurial spirit of people seeking to improve their situation by imposing arbitrary third-party constraints. America’s unemployment problems linger because hustlers cannot hustle. For many, “hustling” connotes business activity that is shady, or even illegal. But in the munity it...
Hunter Baker Wins 2011 Novak Award
I’m pleased to report that Hunter Baker is the recipient of the 2011 Novak Award from the Acton Institute. Hunter is associate dean of arts and sciences and associate professor of political science at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and author of The End of Secularism (Crossway Academic, 2009). From the release: With his writing and speaking in a variety of popular and academic contexts, Dr. Hunter Baker has made pelling prehensive case for the integration of the Christian faith...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved