Kuyper Conference

The annual Kuyper Conference, which began in 1998 at Princeton Theological Seminary, was founded to acknowledge the stream of Calvinist thought represented by Abraham Kuyper, Dutch theologian and statesman (1837-1920), and to explore the tradition he helped to form, commonly known as neocalvinism.

The 2019 Kuyper Conference will focus on Christ and Community with the goal of fostering conversations and reflection related to the significance of the gospel for communities and social life. Christ came to redeem individual people as well as to bring reconciliation the world. As Abraham Kuyper once wrote, the “child of God is something other than an isolated individual limited to himself. This individual is also part of a community, member of a body, participant in a group identity, enclosed within an organism.”

This conference is part of a multi-year series of conferences that have promoted a broad exploration, engagement, and development of the legacy of the Dutch Reformed theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), and the tradition he helped form (commonly known as “neocalvinism”), for theology and public life today across the globe. At this meeting we will focus particularly on the relevance of Kuyper’s thinking about the significance of the Christian faith for community and social life. In addition to the advancement of scholarship, this conference aims to foster personal and professional networks of scholars, pastors, ministry professionals, civic leaders, and practitioners with interests in Kuyper and neocalvinism.

Proposals for concurrent sessions are welcome on any topics that engage with aspects of the life and work of Abraham Kuyper, neocalvinism more broadly, and public theology and public life. Papers from historical as well as interdisciplinary, ecumenical, critical, practical, missional, pastoral, and constructive perspectives are welcome, with a submission deadline of proposals by February 15, 2019.

Registration information will be available in early March, 2019.