āUnder the title of Magnalia Dei, the wonderful works of God, I wish to give a simple explanation of the Christian faith in a book of modest scope, as confessed by the Reformed churchesā¦āĀ āHerman Bavinck, from his Foreword
110 years after its original publication, The Wonderful Works of God remains one of the finest single-volume systematic theologies ever written. Adapting the magisterial systematic theology found in his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics, this is perhaps Bavinckās most eminently practical work ā a single, accessible volume for the college classroom and the family bookshelf. Previously published in America as Our Reasonable Faith, this book has had a deep and lasting influence on the growth and development of Reformed theology. It is the publisherās hope that in its new form, this book continues to astonish readers with the wonderful works of God, and provide a deeper knowledge of their triune God.
695 pages
Included in this new, hardcover edition:
- A new, insightful Introduction by R. Carlton Wynne
- Updated typesetting of the classic Zylstra translation
- The translatorās 1956 Preface
- Bavinckās original Foreword, previously unavailable in English
- A comprehensive, student-friendly scripture and subject index
āThe reappearance of this volume is most welcome. As Bavinckās 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.ā
āCondensing his multi-volume Dogmatics, this one volume of Bavinckās āgoldā is a great treasure. This book was formative in my own trek to Re- formed theology, as it has been for many others. At a time of doctrinal con- fusion and the blurring of important categories even in evangelical circles, this new edition is welcome indeed.ā
āYou donāt read Bavinck. You drink Bavinck. You savor words that beauti- fully wrap lucidity. Your face smiles even as your heart worships, saying, āO Lord, you are my God... I will praise your name, for you have done wonder- ful things.āā
āHerman 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 Dogmaticsāit 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.ā
āHerman Bavinckās theology has been the fountainhead of Reformed think- ing 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.ā
āI have used Bavinckās one-volume systematic theology as a āgo-toā for many years. It remains the gold standard. Every serious Bible student should read it.ā
āI first read Bavinckās The Wonderful Works of God during my seminary days at Westminster. I felt as if I had stumbled upon a hidden treasure. This monu- mental 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.ā
āReading Bavinck is like listening to one of those fine, rare sermons that manages to be biblically rich, theologically sophisticated, spiritually uplift- ingāand clear. This fresh, new edition is a wonderful gift to the church, making the riches of Bavinck accessible for a wider audience to enjoy.ā
āIt is good news that this highly accessible, one-volume version of Bavinckās 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 Re- formed tradition, who was until recently relatively little read in English.ā
The Wonderful Works of God is in the following collections: