Fascinating! I’ve just never read anything before on the material covered here. I’ve read Bavinck, of course, but here he digs in with that penetrating style of his in a place I need led by the hand.

Somehow I missed the publishing event of this three-volume set and make my introduction through this volume 3. When it arrived, I laid other things aside and jumped in. You probably wouldn’t normally label an ethics book captivating. As good as Bavinck is, you might not call him captivating usually either as he is quite exacting in his approach. His gift is depth of content. What a mind he possessed and to read him makes you a learner. Still, I can’t believe how quickly I went through this work.

The bulk of the book is on “The Life Spheres in Which the Moral Life Must Manifest Itself”. As heady as that title is, the material distills a mountain of study and lays it at your feet in around 200 pages. Along the way, he covers family, the “duty” to marry (hadn’t thought of that), qualifications for marriage (who you can marry), betrothal and wedding, essence of marriage, and divorce.

Here’s why the book is so fascinating. He gathers all the Bible says and on some points the Bible says little specifically. He covers what Christian groups have thought from the most to least known. What you will discover is the lack of consistency among Christians. He is not so “dogmatic” except where he feels the evidence warrants it. He is honest enough not to just trumpet his opinion. He also shows how these ethics have often showed up in laws. It’s a bit tilted towards Dutch law, but that’s understandable as he ministered there. You will at least leave this book knowing what questions you must ask yourself.

The last third of the book changes direction. It addresses philosophical ethics first. I thought he was good at probing the subject, putting it in perspective, and making sure to not allow it to plow over the gospel. In the last part, contemporary morality is covered. You can decide for yourself how contemporary it is. In my view, we must at least wrestle with some of the things he brings up.

I want to consult Bavinck on any subject he covers. I may not agree, but I know I’ll be richer for reading it. Here he plows fields off the beaten trail, and I highly recommend it. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.