Herman Bavinck on the Beatific Vision

Abstract

AbstractHerman Bavinck's account of the beatific vision has been a source of debate in recent years. While Hans Boersma has argued that Bavinck was too preoccupied with the renewal of creation to give proper attention to the beatific vision, Cory Brock has responded to the effect that the brevity of Bavinck's treatment of the visio dei in volume four of the Dogmatics was fuelled rather by epistemic modesty. What is left underdetermined in this exchange is a positive description of Bavinck's account of the beatific vision. This article seeks to contribute to this debate constructively by offering a textual analysis of a neglected portion of Bavinck's Dogmatics, left aside in the exchange between Boersma and Brock, which showcases Bavinck's positive account: the beatific vision is christological, mystical, covenantal and ethical. After sketching the meaning of these terms and showing their significance, the article closes with a brief conclusion.