oa Bavinck en het ‘Concessionisme’

In an article on the development of the doctrine of Scripture in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland) during the 20th Century, H.M. Vroom suggests that the reformed theologian Herman Bavinck’s doctrine of Scripture resembles that of ‘Concessionism’ (a movement among catholic exegetes in France around 1900). If Vroom is right, this would have far-reaching consequences for Bavinck-interpretation. Comparing Bavinck’s description of ‘Concessionism’ to his own views, one sees some points of agreement: with regard to the purpose of exegesis; the view that Scripture cannot be used as a handbook for several sciences (e.g. geology, biology, history); and the view that one should consider the genre of the text in interpreting Scripture. On important points however, Bavinck disagrees with the ‘Concessionists’.