Abraham Kuyper’s Legacy

The great Calvinistic ambassador of the Netherlands, Abraham Kuyper, was born in 1837 and died in 1920. According to his teachers, young Abraham seemed to be a “dull boy.” ^a As time progressed, however, Kuyper was able to excel in every academic endeavor. At the age of 26, he had received a Doctorate in Sacred Theology.

Among many great accomplishments, the founding of the Free University of Amsterdam in 1880 is most certainly remembered as one of Kuyper’s greatest legacy. ^b It is most remembered because it was established on the principle that so defined Dr. Kuyper. This principle is that the Bible is the unconditional standard on which to base the entire structure of human civilization.

This distinct framework led Kuyper to arrive in the United States in 1898 to deliver the now famous “Stone Lectures” at Princeton Seminary. Kuyper’s commitment to the authority of Scripture from a pristine Calvinistic worldview led him to become well versed in many subjects beyond the strictly theological. It has been said of Kuyper that “no department of human knowledge was foreign to him.” ^c What Abraham Kuyper acknowledged was that God was the principal foundation for all thought. Further, his sole desire was to see the glory of Christ and the worship of God permeate all areas of life. As he writes: “That in spite of all worldly opposition, God’s holy ordinances shall be established again in the home, in the school and in the State for the good of the people; to carve as it were into the conscience of the nation the ordinances of the Lord, to which the Bible and Creation bear witness, until the nation pays homage again to God.” ^d

The profound effect of Biblical revelation in Kuyper’s life led him to find no other source of authority or rule for the nations than God’s holy ordinances. The seriousness of the written word was more than an academic enterprise; rather, it transformed lives, homes, societies, and civilizations. Hence, Kuyper never tired of speaking about the power of word for salvation, but beyond that, the power of the word for all human life.

It is a touching testimony to read the writings of such a saint. One would be tempted to assume that Kuyper’s writings and thoughts never escaped the academic themes; however, Kuyper was also a man of piety. One reviewer once wrote of Kuyper’s devotional entitled To be Near Unto God, “This book of meditations disproves the idea, that a profound theologian cannot be a warmhearted Christian.” ^e The church still needs a fresh dose of Kuyperian piety and Calvinistic zeal.

1. Kuyper, Abraham. Lectures on Calvinism. Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1931. pg. i.  (back)
2. Undoubtedly, the Free University reflects little of a Kuyperian influence in its modern day  (back)
3. Lectures on Calvinism, pg. ii  (back)
4. Ibid. pg. iii  (back)
5. Biographical Note, Lectures on Calvinism, pg. vi  (back)