Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was born in the town of Maassluis and was a Dutch Calvinist theologian, scholar, and statesman. He was a professor of theology and also a major force behind the start of the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) in Amsterdam. He was the founder of two newspapers, De Standaard (The Standard) and De Heraut (The Herald). He served as editor for De Standaard and wrote often for De Heraut. He was also the founder of the Anti-Revolutionaire Partij (Anti-Revolutionary Party) and served as prime minister of the Netherlands for four years (1901-1905).
At the invitation of B. B. Warfield, Kuyper delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton Seminary in 1898, which was his first widespread exposure to a North American audience. During his time in the United States, he also traveled to address Dutch reformed congregations in several states.
He is considered the father of Dutch Neo-Calvinism and had considerable influence on the thought of Herman Dooyeweerd. Others that have been influenced by Kuyper include: Francis Schaeffer, Cornelius Van Til, and Alvin Plantinga.
Publications[]
- To Be Near Unto God
- Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology
- Lectures on Calvinism
- The Problem of Poverty
- Christianity and the Class Struggle