Die verband tussen skeppingsordinansies en kulturele vormgewing by A. Kuyper

Abstract

The relationship between creational ordinances and cultural formations (as seen by A. Kuyper). The central statement of this article is that Abraham Kuyper does not make a clear enough distinction between divine normative creational ordinances on the one side, and human cultural structures on the other. Kuyper defines this relationship in a semi-deterministic (organistic) way. The reason for this semi-deterministic approach can be found in Kuyper’s neo-Platonic logos-speculation and his Romantic-Idealistic use of the organism metaphor. Such a semi-deterministic approach can easily lead to cultural conservatism (for example political conservatism). The proposed answer to Kuyper’s problematic approach implies the following:

• Cultural activities should always be seen as free formative action and should not be regarded in a semi-deterministic way.

• Cultural activities should always be seen as being partially the result o f the brokenness o f man. Consequently, our knowledge o f divine ordinances as reflected in these activities will always be provisional.

• Cultural activities should always be seen against the background of the divine facilitating structure o f the creational ordinances.