Preface
The Doctrine of God Abridged and Simplified from Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1: Knowing God Chapter 2: The Knowledge of God Chapter 3: The Names of God Chapter 4: The Incommunicable Attributes of God
Chapter 5: The Communicable Attributes Chapter 6: The Holy Trinity
Preface
This abridged edition of Herman Bavinck's Doctrine of God is offered to the church with a simple purpose: to make the rich, biblical theology of one of the Reformed tradition's greatest thinkers more accessible to today's readers. Bavinck's original work, written with scholarly rigor and theological precision, can be difficult for many to read—not because it lacks clarity, but because its style, density, and cultural distance require more time and background than many modern believers can offer. Our goal is not to simplify the truth, but to remove unnecessary barriers to its reception.
In creating this abridgment, we have worked carefully to preserve Bavinck's essential arguments, his reverence for God, and the pastoral warmth that lies beneath even his most technical expressions. We have updated the language where needed, condensed lengthy passages, and removed examples, references, or terms that might be unfamiliar or distracting to modern readers— unless they are essential to understanding the point. Every decision was made with prayerful intent: to let Bavinck speak clearly to a new generation without misrepresenting his thought or diminishing the glory of his subject.
What remains is not a paraphrase, but a faithful distillation. We hope it will serve as a bridge—an introduction to Bavinck, but more importantly, an invitation to contemplate the majesty of the Triune
God. Bavinck himself reminds us that "the knowledge of God is the only dogma, the exclusive content of the entire field of dogmatics."
Theology, at its best, should lead us to doxology. May this small work stir your heart to know God more deeply, worship Him more truly, and rest more fully in the grace of Jesus Christ.
All glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
J.W.H