About SRW
 Reformational Philosophy - background information -
Reformational philosophy originated in the twenties of the previous century. Two names are inseparably connected with that beginning: Dr. Herman Dooyeweerd and Dr. Dirk H. Th. Vollenhoven, both professors of philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. |
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| Many scholars within and outside of the Netherlands have spent their expertise in the elaboration of this philosophy. In 1935 the Association for Calvinistic philosophy was founded to serve as an organisational vehicle for their philosophical insights and ideals. This association is now called Association for Reformational philosophy. In the next year the journal Philosophia reformata appeared for the first time as an academic organ for the development of this philosophical movement. |
Philosophy in the Calvinistic Tradition
Grounded in the Calvinistic tradition and inspired by the statesmen Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer and Dr. Abraham Kuyper, the founders of Reformational philosophy developed their thought, on the one side against traditional Christian philosophy on account of its scholastic nature and, on the other side, against the Modern secular philosophy on account of its humanistic mindset. The scholastic tradition is rejected because it accepted a synthesis of the Christian faith with an autonomous thought in a philosophy which separates a natural terrain in which philosophy can operate on its own powers and a supernatural terrain on which (Christian) theology lays exclusive claim. Modern humanism is rejected because it ignores the fundamental insight that all human thought is rooted in a pre-theoretical fundamental conviction of a religious nature. This critique is worked out most extensively in Herman Dooyeweerd’s work in four volumes, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, (Amsterdam/Philadelphia, 1953-1956). In this work the author renounces the position that philosophical thought can develop itself independent of a pre-theoretical commitment as well as any attempt to bring about a synthesis between such a position of autonomy and the Christian faith.
Reformational Philosophy as an International Paradigma
The philosophy of Dooyeweerd received international acceptance; it has many adherents not only in the Netherlands, but also in the United States and Canada and also in Australia, South Africa and Korea. This broad acceptance has come to expression in the establishment of the Dooyeweerd Foundation in California, the Dooyeweerd Centre at Redeemer College in Ontario, Canada, the Kuyper Centre at Dordt College in Iowa, U.S.A. and the annual Kuyper Lecture at Harvard Theological Seminary. The Juridical archives of Dooyewerd are found in the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, Canada. Since 1935 international contact has been maintained with philosophers in the Calvinist tradition. Up until the present this international network has been a source of inspiration and renewal. Every five years the Association organizes an international symposium in which increasingly participants from the Calvinist tradition from the middle and Eastern parts of Europe participate. Hopefully these contacts can be intensified in the near future by setting up joint research projects.
Introductory Publications
The following Introductions into Reformational philosophy have been written:
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J.M. Spier. Inleiding in de Wijsbegeerte der Wetsidee. Kampen: J.H. Kok, 1939.
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L. Kalsbeek. De wijsbegeerte der wetsidee. Proeve van een christelijke filosofie. Amsterdam: Buijten en Schipperheijn, 1970.
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R. van Woudenberg. Gelovend denken. Inleiding tot een christelijke filosofie. Amsterdam/ Kampen: Buijten en Schipperheijn/Kok, 1992.
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R. van Woudenberg, red. Kennis en werkelijkheid. Amsterdam/Kampen: Buijten en Schipperheijn/Kok, 1996.
Archives
The archives of the Association of Reformational Philosophy are located in The Historical Documentation Centre for Dutch Protestantism (1800 to the present day), at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. Some personal archives of professors for Reformational philosophy are also found there: those of H. Dooyeweerd, J.P.A. Mekkes, H. van Riessen, D.H.Th. Vollenhoven en S.U. Zuidema, among others. Contact is maintained with Dr. George Harinck, who is professor in the area of Dutch Neo-Calvinism and who works at building and maintaining the archives this movement in the Netherlands since 1800 and its history, with regard to the possibility of doing historical research on the importance of Reformational Philosophy for Dutch society.
Association for Reformational Philosophy
The Association for Reformational Philosophy has around six hundred members. Members receive annually the different publications of the Association: the magazines Beweging, appearing six times annually, Aspects, appearing 4 times, and the biannual journal Philosophia Reformata. The English e-zine Aspects is published especially for the international members. There is also the book series called Verantwoording. Annually one or two book are published in this series, most often written my professors or members of the Association. Members can subscribe to this series at a special rate.
The board of the Association and Foundation consists of the following members:
Drs. Ab Berger MCM CMC, chairman
Drs. Wilfred Vollbehr, secretary
Mrs.drs. Mathilde Blok, treasurer
Drs. D. Andre Meinema, vice-chairman
Dr. Albert-Kees. Geljon, international relations
Dr. Govert J. Buijs
Drs. Gerben Groenewoud
Mrs. Ida Slump, student contacts
The director of the Centre, based in Soest is Mrs. drs. Hillie J. van de Streek.
Special Chairs of Reformational Philosophy
The first special chairs for Calvinistic, later Reformational, Philosophy where established in 1947. Presently, there are six special chairs, where student can take courses and receive PhD’s.
The professors, as of December 2007, are:
Dr. Gerrit Glas (Leiden University)
Dr. Roel Kuiper (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Dr.ir. Marc de Vries (Delft University of Technology)
Dr. Maarten Verkerk (Eindhoven University of Technology)
Dr. Jan Hoogland (Twente University of Technology)
Dr.ir. Egbert Schuurman (Wageningen UR until 2007; vacancy)
Board of Trustees
The board of trustees has supervision over the chairs. Its members are:
Prof.dr.ir. Jan H. van Bemmel, Chairman
Prof.dr. Abraham P. Bos (VU)
Prof.dr. Jan J. Graafland (UvT)
Prof.dr. Sander Griffioen (emiritus VU)
Prof.dr.ir. Teunis M. Klapwijk (TUD)
Prof.dr. Gerard Nienhuis (UL)
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