The Reformational Movement

History of
the Reformational Movement:
Contents Page

This page is a map or overall guide to the series that is being inaugurated in the September 2005 issue of Myodicy. It also provides links to the individual files making up the series.

This website providing information about the history of the reformational movement in North America includes three streams or types of documents. First of all, there is the narrative stream, which is made up of essays presenting facts, episodes, recollections, and ideas; in the case of each essay, the material is organized around some unifying theme. At this point, approximately ten such essays are planned. The outline for the series as a whole will not be made public, although there will always be an indication of what is planned for the next issue of Myodicy. Secondly, there is the documentary stream, in which documents, parts of various publications (including newly translated material), letters, and perhaps even memoes are presented for readers to digest, with some explanation by the editor, but a minimum of commentary. Thirdly, there is the Calvinistic Philosophy and Reformational Thought Index, which reproduces content information from many books associated with reformational thought and Calvinistic philosophy (overlapping categories). In addition to these three streams, the website offers an index of persons that covers both the narrative stream and the documentary stream as well as a cast of characters in which certain facts regarding some of the people who appear in the narrative series are presented. Finally, there is a small web page with information about some of the institutions and organizations that play a role in the story told in the narrative series. -Theodore Plantinga

The Narrative Series

Essay 1: The Reformational Movement:
Does It Need a History?
File mdc (151k)

Notes to Essay 1
File mdcnotes (79k)

Essay 2: The Reformational Movement:
Church and Worship
File mdh (148k)

Notes to Essay 2
File mdhnotes (78k)

Essay 3: The Reformational Movement:
Technology and Verzuiling
File mdl (165k)

Notes to Essay 3
File mdlnotes (76k)

Essay 4: The Reformational Movement:
Dialogue and Apologetics
File mdp (142k)

Notes to Essay 4
File mdpnotes (76k)

Essay 5: The fifth essay in the narrative series will deal with scholasticism and synthesis.

The Documentary Series

Document 1: Runner on the Groen Club
The Groen Club has no official history or archive, but Runner himself told a good part of the tale on a special occasion marking the tenth anniversary of its founding. His address is reproduced here.
File mcs (42k)

Document 2: Runner's Introduction to Philosophy -- I
Evan Runner never got around to writing the "introduction to philosophy" book he had long planned, but from the carefully maintained notes of one his students we get an indication of what the main themes and emphases would have been.
File mdf (37k)

Document 3: Hellinga and Sikkema
Revs. John Hellinga and Raymond Sikkema discuss the relation of creeds and the Bible to reformational higher education. Their respective presentations were made to the board of the organization that went on to establish Redeemer University College.
File mdg (25k)

Document 4: Runner's Introduction to Philosophy -- II
See the notes on Document 2 above.
File mdj (26k)

Document 5: When the Scriptures Fell Open
Cornelis Veenhof (1902-83) experienced the early days of the reformational movement as a student. In this excerpt from one of his books, he tells about the excitement generated by Dooyeweerd, Vollenhoven and Schilder during his student days before the second world war and the lamentable schism of 1944.
File mdk (13k)

Document 6: Runner's Introduction to Philosophy -- III
See the notes on Document 2 above.
File mdn (34k)

Document 7: Alvin Plantinga on Herman Dooyeweerd
Alvin Plantinga once presented a paper on Dooyeweerd at an academic gathering at which Dooyeweerd himself was present. It was published in the Reformed Journal in 1958 and has since become a scarce item. It is reproduced here with the permission of the author.
File mdq (31k)

Document 8: Runner's Introduction to Philosophy -- IV
See the notes on Document 2 above.
File mdr (42k)

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