The Wonderful Works of God

“The reappearance of this volume is most welcome. As Bavinck’s own abridgement of his monumental Reformed Dogmatics, it not only serves as an important and helpful introduction to that larger work but also provides brief and valuable treatments in their own right of the matters dealt with in its twenty-four chapters. Here is a book that belongs in the libraries of every church, pastor, teacher, and student of theology.”

“Over the years I have found this summary of the Christian faith to be the most eloquent and the most thoroughly biblical and pastoral that I have ever seen in a single volume. The most difficult doctrines in the Reformed faith are given a masterful treatment. Without diminishing from their complexity, Bavinck manages to make the loci of our theology accessible and winsome. Everyone should own a copy and read it regularly.”

“It was Bavinck, through this volume, who confirmed for me that theology can and must grow organically from the Scriptures. In The Wonderful Works of God Bavinck leads us in this discipline with doxological elegance. His deep knowledge and careful treatment of the Scriptures, woven together in the great themes of biblical revelation, provides a model methodology for pastors and teachers. I have commended this book for discipling pastors and leaders in the past and I am delighted that Westminster Seminary Press has produced this new edition for a new generation.”

“Bavinck’s Magnalia Dei is much more than a helpful abridgement of his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics. All the topics of the larger work are here but Bavinck recasts Christian doctrine in an intentionally biblical-theological, pastoral-pedagogical mode that reads devotionally, speaking directly to the heart as well as the mind. Bavinck, the master teacher, takes readers into the full range of rich Reformed theology but in a manner that makes it accessible to all. No specialized training is needed to understand and appreciate this work—a great introduction to the Reformed tradition for church study groups and college classes.”

“Condensing his multi-volume Dogmatics, this one volume of Bavinck’s ‘gold’ is a great treasure. This book was formative in my own trek to Reformed theology, as it has been for many others. At a time of doctrinal confusion and the blurring of important categories even in evangelical circles, this new edition is welcome indeed.”

“You don’t read Bavinck. You drink Bavinck. You savor words that beautifully wrap lucidity. Your face smiles even as your heart worships, saying, ‘O Lord, you are my God... I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things.’”

“Herman Bavinck gave the modern church a theology of the living God. His four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is an abiding treasure for pastors and theologians. The Wonderful Works of God is more than an abridged version of Reformed Dogmatics—it is a fresh restatement of the same truths clothed in plain language for popular use. May God use it to infuse scriptural, Reformed Christianity into the heads and hearts of many people.”

“A good dose of Herman Bavinck is exactly what contemporary Evangelicalism needs, and here we have the distilled essence of his splendid Reformed Dogmatics: robustly biblical, intellectually fearless, and world-engaging. Behind every sentence lies a wealth of scholarship suffused with the fear of God and pressed into the service of his people. The sort of book that gets you up early, keeps you up late, and inspires you to proclaim the wonderful works of God.”

“Herman Bavinck’s The Wonderful Works of God is one of the finest compendiums of Christian doctrine produced in the twentieth century. Uncluttered by technical jargon and extraneous historical detail, it unfolds the main elements of Reformed teaching with biblical fluency and doxological tenor. I am delighted to see this work once again in print and to commend it to any Christian who desires to deepen their understanding of and devotion to our triune Lord.””

“Herman Bavinck’s theology has been the fountainhead of Reformed thinking for over a century. His four-volume Dogmatics, recently translated into English, is a huge blessing to the church. Now his shorter theology, The Wonderful Works of God, is available in English again, in a new edition with study helps, and I could not be happier. This should be the anchor of every theological library.”

“I have used Bavinck’s one-volume systematic theology as a ‘go-to’ for many years. It remains the gold standard. Every serious Bible student should read it.”

“For years many of us have turned to Herman Bavinck for theological guidance in the catholic and Reformed faith this side of modernity’s challenges. Teachers find him perceptive and fair, attuned to the big picture and to myriad judgments regarding the details, significant in not only heralding theological truth but also in teaching us how to think theologically. However, students often find his four-volume Dogmatics to be something of a labyrinth with its long chapters, complex rhetorical structure, and many references to secondary literature. How delightful that The Wonderful Works of God will be re-released so that both student and teacher might find a clear and concise introduction to the study of Reformed dogmatics!”

“I first read Bavinck’s The Wonderful Works of God during my seminary days at Westminster. I felt as if I had stumbled upon a hidden treasure. This monumental work has all the best ingredients of systematic theology: a warm piety, solid reasoning, a thoroughly biblical base, and a glorious God-centeredness. May this new, elegant edition enrich students of theology for decades to come.”

“Among all the mighty works of Bavinck, this shorter, one-volume theology stands out as something especially clear and vigorous, warm and readable. By skipping over most of the details of doctrinal history (so helpfully treated in his multi-volume Dogmatics), Bavinck managed to bring out the main lines of the Christian system of truth and its character as a confession of God’s works. It is wonderful to have this classic back in print and readily available.”

“Reading Bavinck is like listening to one of those fine, rare sermons that manages to be biblically rich, theologically sophisticated, spiritually uplifting—and clear. This fresh, new edition is a wonderful gift to the church, making the riches of Bavinck accessible for a wider audience to enjoy.”

“It is good news that this highly accessible, one-volume version of Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics is again available. It is to be hoped that it will greatly extend the readership of one of the most important theologians in the Reformed tradition, who was until recently relatively little read in English.”

“I am delighted that Herman Bavinck’s Magnalia Dei is now available in this new publication. The English title, The Wonderful Works of God, captures accurately the burden of Bavinck’s comprehensive summary of his Reformed Dogmatics. In every one of the theological topics that Bavinck treats, we are encouraged to focus upon the wonderful works of the Triune God in creation and redemption. Readers will find in this volume a fresh, accessible and comprehensive exposition of Reformed theology. Church members, students and teachers alike will not find a better single-volume treatment of biblical teaching than Bavinck’s Magnalia Dei.”

“The rediscovery of the writings of Herman Bavinck is one of the most encouraging recent developments in the world of theological thought. Here we have a distillation of his writings that offers the reader a handy guide to his more extensive works. It is an invaluable point of reference and place to begin plumbing the depths of one of the greatest Reformed theologians of modern times.”

“Although Herman Bavinck died almost a century ago, his theological writings are as important today as when they were first written. I can think of no other theologian serious Christians should read to understand Scripture better and to think rightly about God, self, and the world. Yet, given the length of Bavinck’s magisterial, four-volume Reformed Dogmatics, many people will not read his entire work. That is why this one-volume summary of Reformed Dogmatics is so significant. It not only captures the essence of Bavinck’s longer theological masterpiece, thus allowing more people to benefit from it, but also is indexed to the larger work, thus making it an invaluable research tool for those who want to read the longer treatment of the issues discussed. I highly recommend this work as a must-read for all Christians, especially theological students, pastors, and teachers in the church.”

“The Wonderful Works of God is itself a wonderful theological work! Herman Bavinck is finally being recognized in the English-speaking world for the amazing theologian that he was. And this book, providing an excellent overview of his theological contribution, comes at just the right time: Bavinck speaks to crucial theological concerns in our own day with wisdom and power.”

“While Herman Bavinck’s four-volume Reformed Dogmatics has taken its rightful place on the bookshelves of theologians and pastors, his single-volume designed for the layperson remains largely absent from family bookshelves. I am delighted that WSP is releasing it again in this handsome volume. Bavinck is well-known for his scholarly depth and less so for his accessibility, but The Wonderful Works of God is refreshingly direct, pastoral, and profound. It is easily the best single-volume systematic theology I’ve encountered, and I commend it to all!”

“Herman Bavinck was a towering theologian, well versed in the tradition of theological discourse, and exceptionally able in his exposition of the scriptures. His four-volume Dogmatics provides a master-class not only in sound doctrine, but also in theological method and interaction with other thinkers. In some ways, this one-volume work is its equal. For one thing, The Wonderful Works of God is shorter and therefore more easily accessible to students. It is also replete with references to scripture. It is learned, clear, devotional, and reliable. I cannot commend this volume highly enough.”

“This book is well worthy of republication. Written by Bavinck in order to make the substance of his weighty Reformed Dogmatics accessible to a broad readership, it offers us a beautifully clear window into his understanding of God’s great deeds as Creator and Redeemer. This new edition surpasses the previous English version by including Nathaniel Gray Sutanto’s translation of Bavinck’s (previously omitted) original introduction, and is helpfully framed by Carlton Wynne’s introductory essay. As such, this is a valuable addition to the growing number of English editions of Bavinck’s works.”