Reconsidering Geerhardus Vos: Neo-Calvinism and the Development of Sino-Reformed Biblical Theology

This article explores how neo-Calvinist Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949) and his Reformed biblical theology can inspire the Sino-Reformed community to develop its own biblical theology within the broader Reformed tradition. It examines Vos’s identity through his biographical background and assesses how his biblical theology, as a scientific discipline, has been received within the Sino-Reformed community. Vos is often referred to as the father of Reformed biblical theology, a title that shapes the understanding of his contributions. However, this designation overlooks Vos’s Dutch Seceder identity and the way he constructed his biblical theology by incorporating neo-Calvinist elements that reflect Reformed orthodoxy throughout its historical development. By examining Vos’s identity and the neo-Calvinist theological elements embedded in his biblical theology, this article explores how the Sino-Reformed community in mainland China might appropriate Vos’s insights to develop a biblical theology that remains faithful to the broader Reformed tradition while being meaningfully grounded in their cultural context.