In The Sacrifice of Praise, Herman Bavinck pastorally guides the reader through the importance of the public profession of faith. Bavinck’s careful treatment includes explorations of the unifying power of a common (ecumenical) confession of faith, the blessing of the diversity of believers, and reasonable instruction for those facing persecution for publicly identifying with Christ. Theological, practical, straightforward, and devotional, The Sacrifice of Praise gives readers a fresh appreciation for the importance of confessing one’s faith.

This is an updated English translation of the original Dutch edition and includes a new introduction and scriptural citations.

Author

Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) succeeded Abraham Kuyper as professor of systematic theology at the Free University in Amsterdam in 1902. His Reformed Dogmatics is a standard text for modern Reformed theology.

Editors

Cameron Clausing is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh in systematic theology and a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary and Moody Bible Institute. He is currently a visiting assistant professor of theology at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Gregory Parker is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh in Systematic Theology and a graduate of Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary and Cairn University. He is under care in the Presbyterian Church of America.

Endorsements

“The biblical wisdom and deep spirituality of this little book should not be overlooked. What a blessing to have Bavinck’s brilliance passed down to us in a new English edition. The translation is elegant, and the historical introduction immensely valuable. Most of all, Bavinck’s insights—on everything from sacraments to shame—are edifying in the truest sense of the word. There are lessons here that will help parents, children, educators, pastors, students, new Christians, and seasoned saints. Sacrifice of Praise is a gem.” 

—Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor, Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, North Carolina Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte

“I’m not sure why we (including myself) tend to think that dead theologians have little to say in regard to our current concerns, or that their writing will be dense, difficult to understand, or simply uninteresting. This new translation of Bavinck’s Sacrifice of Praiseis proof to the contrary. Every parent who wonders if their baptized child is genuinely embracing faith should read it. Every parent who doesn’t like to do battle in the pew to keep their young child from taking the elements of Communion should read it. But this book’s challenge to make confession of faith a continual part of the Christian life is not just about our children; it’s for all of us. I found Bavinck’s thoroughly readable and warm writing enlightening, challenging, and often moving. This book implanted in me a greater longing for the culmination of human history when all will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” 

—Nancy Guthrie, author and Bible teacher

“Bavinck writes with one eye on the grand story of redemption across the canon of Scripture, and another eye on the complex experience of that redemption in the contemporary world. We are all indebted to Clausing and Parker for making Bavinck’s short pastoral work on the ongoing experience of redemption accessible for the modern reader. Deep within the human heart is always the temptation to negotiate with God the terms of our relationship to him, rather than affirming that we are to simply and profoundly live into the terms already established by God. The reminder that grace is never earned but must continually be confessed as a ‘sacrifice of praise’ is as relevant today as it was when Bavinck composed it a century ago.” 

—Richard Lints, Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Theology Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton

“Herman Bavinck is best known as a dogmatician of great depth and scope. Yet like all of the greatest theologians, his concern for the church cannot be reduced to his scholarly contributions. He was also earnestly desired to encourage and nurture other believers in their faith, a fact to which these short addresses give remarkable testimony. In them, he discusses the whole idea of confessing Christ in the various stages of Christian discipleship, from baptism through to the Lord’s Supper and beyond. This is practical Reformed piety at its best: rooted in the Word, connected to the sacraments, and focused upon Christ.” 

—Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies Grove City College, Pennsylvania

“In our age—often shallow, distracted, and confused—this book will sound like a thunderclap. It is a classic study on the necessity and centrality of Christ and of how we should learn to think of life, from parenting to worldview, from this center. The perspective is Reformed, and the intent is the church’s reformation. It is a study at once rigorous, deep, devout, and pastoral.” 

—David F. Wells, Distinguished Senior Research Professor Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts

“In Bavinck’s own biography, participation in the Lord’s Supper was far from inconsequential. As Clausing and Parker note, the student-era Bavinck first took part after extended, careful reflection on the gospel and its fruit in his own life. Having done so, the sacrament proved a regular source of spiritual comfort to him. In The Sacrifice of Praise, we find a set of reflections on the Supper that are richly theological, pastoral, and practical. We owe Clausing and Parker a debt of gratitude for their work in presenting this text to us in a fresh new form.” 

—James Eglinton, Meldrum Lecturer in Reformed Theology New College, University of Edinburgh