De Reformatie als belofte voor de toekomst in het veld gebracht. J.T. Bakker in discussie met H.M. Kuitert en H. Wiersinga

Samenvatting

In the decades after the 1960s G.C. Berkouwer’s students H.M. Kuitert and H. Wiersinga created an uproar in the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland with their provocative theological publications. At the same time, J.T. Bakker, another student of Berkouwer, reviewed Kuitert and Wiersinga’s publications in various academic journals and church publications in an attempt at orderly public discussion of the issues at stake. Bakker’s attempt at public discussion sought to reintroduce the Reformation, not for apologetic purposes, but to argue that the Reformation’s central concerns were helpful in facing the challenges of the time. However, Bakker’s discussion partners did not respond in public nor did they avail themselves of his insights. This article, therefore, will only survey and analyze Bakker’s attempts at such a discussion to provide a mirror which reflects the development of his own theology.