Common Grace and the Higher Criticism Connection

The following article was originally published in Calvin Theological Journal, the official journal of Calvin Seminary.  Calvin Seminary is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.  The article was written by John Bolt.  The connection between Professor Ralph Janssen and higher criticism and his resulting view that theistic evolution was an option is clearly shown in this article:

The 1924 synod of the Christian Reformed Church, meeting in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from June 18 to July 8, was one of the defining moments in the denomination's history. Two years after another CRC synod had deposed Calvin Seminary Professor Ralph Janssen for his allegedly higher-critical approach to Scripture, the 1924 synod affirmed the doctrine that had been at the heart of Janssen's defense, the doctrine of common grace.1 Now, seventy-five years later, time and distance may enable us to provide a self-critical retrospective on this decision that led to a tragic church division. This article will provide a summary of the synodical decision as well as a brief evaluation of the church orderly issues in l'affaire Hoeksema.2 We will consider the context of the common grace discussion as it arises out of the Janssen case, the events leading up to the synodical decision, the course of events at the synod, and its aftermath. This will be concluded with a few evaluative comments.

Click here to read the full article:  Common Grace and the Christian Reformed Synod of Kalamazoo(1924): A Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Retrospective