A Theologian’s Task

Religion, the fear of God, must therefore be the element, which inspires and animates all theological investigation. That must be the pulsebeat of the science. A theologian is a person who makes bold to speak about God because he speaks out of God and through God. To profess theology is to do holy work. It is a priestly ministration in the house of the Lord. It is itself a service of worship, a consecration of mind and heart to the honour of His name.

Herman Bavinck’s Inaugural Address as Professor of Systematic Theology in the Free University of Amsterdam