For Posterity

Here's a pic of Gregory and Abraham. When Sander gets back in town, Karel, Girma, myself (and maybe Marco and anyone else who's interested in the AKsociety) should all have our photo with the bust.

Request for Prayer

It's been a month ago since I last posted on this blog. I still want to work at the AKSoc project. The only problem is that I have to few man power to pull this thing. So please pray that I'll find people who are interested to join the AKSoc.

Abraham Kuyper Petition (DRAFT)

The VU was established with a clear mission, a clear added value to the academia and to society. This University was meant to be free of state influence, because modernist society only tolerates a theistic worldviews. It was also meant to be free of the church, since a greater part of the Christendom in Kuyper’s days was also under the influence modernism and dualism.

Today, there is an additional external threat from corporate organizations, which provide resources for research, but also acquire a strong voice over the research agenda.

The VU was a counter-cultural and moral institution. A bulwark of Christian Science. Unfortunately, all advantages in terms of cultural, religious, political, moral and scientific mission of the VU have ebbed away over the last sixty years.

The Abraham Kuyper Society aims at helping the VU regain its former status, its former servitude to Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ to the academia and broader societal spheres. If the VU fails to seek His Lordship and distinguish itself as a Christian university, merger with pronounced ‘neutral’ (secular) education and research institutions e.g. the University of Amsterdam (UvA) must be considered, for reasons of cost-effectiveness.

The Abraham Kuyper Society, however, prefers that the VU reframes itself as the Christian university as it was meant to be. This would mean a substantial policy shift. Some concrete policy changes the Abraham Kuyper Society insists on are the following.

• A new or reintroduced logo that expresses the Christian identity of the VU.
• Facilities (rooms, offices, multi-media) availability for Christian organizations (such as International Praise and
• Worship service on Tuesdays)
• Facilitating a vibrant Christian civic society.
• A Christian prayer room.
• The re-inauguration of the chapel on the 15^th floor as a Church.
• Seminars on applied Christian worldviews for all first year bachelor students.
• Inclusion of readings on and by VU reformists Kuyper and Dooyeweerd in Master’s programme.
• A broad debate on the moral implications of certain understandings of evolution and Christian ideas of creation.
• Christian ethics applied in the VU Medical Centre and the VU laboratories

This is part of a Draft Statement of Principles. If you have any questions or comment, please contact Sander Chan (chan.mansan@gmail.com) or leave a comment.

Mission Statement Draft

This is what Gregory came up with, let us know what you think.
The first line says what we are, the second paragraph explains "Why Kuyper?" The last section is our purpose (mission statement).

The Abraham Kuyper Society is a multidisciplinary collaboration of Christian scholars and students at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) founded the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 1880 as an independent Protestant institution. In 1901 he became Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Kuyper also founded a newspaper, political party, and was an influential church leader and social reformer. In the midst of hostile opposition, Kuyper advocated and exemplified genuine commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all creation. Kuyper articulated a powerful Christian view of life rooted in love for God and His absolute sovereignty. As Christian scholars and students we are motivated by this same love and are committed to Kuyper's same vision: to acknowledge Christ's Lordship in every dimension of our callings for His glory.

The Purpose of the Abraham Kuyper Society is:
1) to promote understanding of and academic study from a Christian worldview at the VU
2) to encourage the governing board of the VU to return the school to its founding principles of independence from church and state, and of offering a comprehensive Christian curriculum.

Worldview or View Christ?

I was thinking about the name "Abraham Kuyper Society". By adopting this name, we might falsely suggest that we're all about reintroducing Kuypers ideas on science, religion and other spheres of life. However, Kuyper cannot NOT be the most important reason for our existence. In fact, when I think about worldviews, I seriously doubt whether there is such a thing as 'the Christian view on ... [philosopy, theology, social science, psychology, political science, physics, chemistry mathematics...].
I am a political scientist. And I share my flat with another student of political science. Both of us are Christians. We're best friends, and we have much in common. Yet, we have very different (Christian) views on the latest developments in the Middle East. Surely, we are still brother and we both belong to Jesus.

Therefore I'd say that much more than about worldviews the Abraham Kuyper Society should be about directing hearts towards Jesus Christ, while leaving room for discussion, and - more important - leaving room for God's Spirit to guide us and speak to us.

Instead of creating the Christian view of all things, we should aim at viewing Christ. As far as I know neo-calvinist thought, that would mean the Abraham Kuyper Society would actually be more 'Dooyeweerdian' than 'Kuyperian'.
But I still feel that Kuyper is a more appropriate name at the Vrije Universiteit, after all; it was founded by him in 1880.

Abraham Kuyper, Herman Dooyeweerd, Science, Christianity, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, worldview, Christ

Danish Cartoons - II - Jesus Said...

To all people who feel offended because of other people declaring the right to blaspheme...
I would like to quote Jesus' (Isa's) words in John 15:18

"If the World hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."

Personally, I believe that we do not have any rights unless they are bestowed on us by God. 'The right to blaspheme God' therefore sounds very silly to me.
Yet, Jesus was and is still being blasphemed against. He was abused to the point that he was tortured and killed. He let this happen so that we would be forgiven and healed. If this sounds strange to you (and I do understand that this could sound foolish, especially when you hear this for the first time), learn more about Jesus, pray to Him and ask Him to show you who He is. Here's an interesting link for you: http://www.rejesus.co.uk/

Islam, Christianity, danish cartoons, prayer, help me, loneliness, abuse, blasphemy, prayer, Jesus, Isa

Danish Cartoons - I - The Right to Blaspheme?

BBC News:

In Berlin, Die Welt argued there was a right to blaspheme in the West, and asked whether Islam was capable of coping with satire.
"The protests from Muslims would be taken more seriously if they were less hypocritical," it wrote in an editorial.

Washington Post:

"The appearance of 12 drawings in the Danish press provoked emotions in the Muslim world because the representation of Allah and his prophet is forbidden," the French afternoon newspaper France Soir wrote. "But because no religious dogma can impose itself on a democratic and secular society, France Soir is publishing the incriminating caricatures."

The newspaper's front-page headline declared: "Yes, We Have the Right to Caricature God," accompanied by a new cartoon depicting religious figures from the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Christian faiths on a cloud. The Christian is shown saying, "Don't complain, Muhammad, we've all been caricatured here."

France Soir paired its story and caricatures with a column by French theologian Sohaib Bencheikh, who admonished: "One must find the borders between freedom of expression and freedom to protect the sacred." He added, "Unfortunately, the West has lost its sense of the sacred."

politics, Islam, Christianity, danish cartoons, prayer, help me, loneliness, abuse, blasphemy, prayer, Jesus, Isa

Not a Square Inch

"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!'"

Quote frome Kuyper's inaugural address at the dedication of the Free University.

kuyper, vrije universiteit,
christianity, worldview, Jesus Christ

AKSoc - Tools

To achieve AKSoc’s purpose to love God with all our minds by promoting the application and development of Christian worldview in all scientific disciplines,
AKSoc will organise events and regular meetings.

ACTIVITIES
- AKsoc invites Christian scholars from various academic disciplines to contribute to Christian worldview thought, by lecturing, presenting, writing and advice.
- AKsoc invites students and anyone who is interested to participate in AKsoc activities. These include (guest) lectures, seminars, organising events etc.
- Student groups could meet regularly at the Vrije Universiteit or elsewhere to discuss and learn about the relationship between science an Christianity.
- AKsoc wants to set up a website with a calendar of events, a mission statement, relevant links and a possibility to financially contribute to activities.
- AKsoc will inform through (i.e.):http://kuypersociety.blogspot.com.


FINANCES
- AKsoc is a non-profit organisation, a foundation.
- AKsoc wants to set up a website with a calendar of events, a mission statement, relevant links and a possibility to financially contribute to activities.
- In order to be financial accountable, AKsoc will apply for an official foundation status with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.

This is part of a Draft Statement of Principles. If you have any questions or comment, please contact Sander Chan (sander@alexandria.cc) or leave a comment.


Amsterdam, christian worldview, abraham kuyper, neo-calvinism, vrije universiteit, science, truth, abraham kuyper society

Draft Mission Statement

The Abraham Kuyper Society (AKSoc) , based in Amsterdam (Netherlands), is named after Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), a Dutch Neo-calvinist theologian, news paper editor, prime minister of the Netherlands (1901-1905) and founder of the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) in Amsterdam (1880).
The Vrije Universiteit was meant to be a protestant university, ‘Free’ signified freedom from government and church. However, present-day Vrije Universiteit has evolved into a primarily secular institution, where Christian scientific truth is frequently denied.
The Abraham Kuyper Society seeks to reintroduce Christian truth at the Vrije Universiteit and in the academic world.

We must love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. However, in contemporary scientific communities, the love for God has been opposed and put aside as being ‘irrational’. Worship and religion are referred to the realm of the private (family, Church, etc.), while ‘science’ must be ‘value-free’, ‘neutral’ and ‘objective’.
The Abraham Kuyper Society believes that religion and science are not separate realms. Every science reflects a foundational worldview. Therefore, science cannot be ‘value-free’, ‘neutral’ or ‘objective’.

It is AKSoc’s purpose to love God with all our minds by promoting the application and development of Christian worldview in all scientific disciplines.
AKSoc advocates Christian worldview by studying of the works of Abraham Kuyper, disseminating materials, organizing conferences, lectures and seminars, and, discussing Christian views from various academic disciplines.

This is a Draft Mission Statement. If you have any questions or comment, please contact Sander Chan (sander@alexandria.cc) or leave a comment.


Amsterdam, christian worldview, abraham kuyper, neo-calvinism, vrije universiteit, science, truth, abraham kuyper society