
doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3105075
This article examines Abraham Kuyper’s famous Stone Lecture on “Calvinism and Politics.” Kuyper was one of the most remarkable men of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was a pastor, author, business leader, and statesman. He founded and edited two newspapers, established the Free University of Amsterdam, and served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He famously declared, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry 'Mine!'” The article considers how Kuyper’s lecture, though over a century old, continues to help us today in wrestling with issues like these: 1) How should a Christian view government? 2) Are there meaningful limits on governmental power? 3) How should a Christian view philosophies that reject a higher law? In a world where government seems omnipresent and one wonders whether there are any limits to its reach or how much room exists for other civil societies, Kuyper offers encouragement and possible alternatives. The article provides an opportunity to explore the mind of a man who refused to live a fragmented, compartmentalized life — who was dedicated to engaging his world with the implications of God’s sovereignty over all of life.
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