THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

As the Puritans would say, he then "improves" his baptism -- in relation to culture and thedevelopment of the arts and the sciences. As Christ's representative here on earth, he then lives outin practice the faith which the growing covenant child or youth or man or woman professes. Thushe lives out his Christian faith, even in the field of his culture. That is to say, the person does so inhis daily task six days a week, as well as in his religious service of God morning and evening eachday, and especially while worshipping with the Christian community in church on Sundays."All of this," says Venter, "is to be done in accordance with the demands of a pure and continuallyreforming tradition -- on the basis of the covenantal promises of God. Doing all of this is, after all,man's reasonable religion. And the works of culture are nothing more than the good works requiredby the Heidelberg Catechism."They are the products of the application of the Ten Commandments in the life of the gratefulChristian, and the outworking of the Ten Commandments culturally on a cosmic scale -- as manlives out his career before the Lord, to the glory of God, as a baptized person looking forward tothe future cultivation of the new earth!"Venter is now dead. He was succeeded by Professor Dr. Elaine Botha, herself a lady with twoearned doctorates. Her first doctoral dissertation was written on the subject of Socio-EconomicMeta-Questions. Of late, she has been writing particularly in the realm of ladies' attire and dress.She has certain very definite and conservative tastes in this area, and is constantly elaboratingculturologically what she thinks are appropriate Calvinistic dress-styles for ladies. She stronglycondemns pornography and skirts that are too short and this sort of thing. In all respects, she is avery brilliant woman.I would like to say a few words about people who have left South Africa after being trained there. Ireferred earlier to Dr. Willie Jonker, the theologian who lived for several years in Holland anddisseminated these ideas there and then returned to South Africa.There is also the famous Professor de Kiewiet. Many years ago he wrote on the imperial factor. Hewent to the United States, and became President of a very prestigious American University.Another, Sir Solly Zuckermann, went to England and has now become the Head of the BritishAtomic Energy Research Department.But, others trained specifically from a Calvinistic perspective in South Africa. Prof. Dr. VincentBrunner never came back from Holland. Prof. Dr. Philip Edgecombe Hughes, an Australian bybirth, did his Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town in South Africa underProfessor Dr. Andrew H. Murray (the grandson of the world-famous South African theologian).Hughes's dissertation was on the great Renaissance figure Pico della Mirandola. He has also writtenmany other books -- all of them in English and available in the United States. Such include: TheProblem of Origins; Scripture and Myth; a fine commentary on the book of Hebrews; acommentary on Second Corinthians; The Control of Life; and A Theology of the English Reformers.Further books by Hughes include his very valuable Register of the Company of Pastors of Genevain the Time of Calvin; his But for the Grace of God; his Confirmation in the Church Today; hisInterpreting Prophecy; his Creative Minds; his Contemporary Theology, and other works.Hughes, who has visited me in my home, is the master of fourteen languages -- and often hascommentaries in about fourteen different language spread out over his desk when he writes his ownvarious commentaries! He has recently left Westminster Theological Seminary to become aProfessor at Trinity Evangelical Theological Seminary in Deerfield (Illinois). He was also up in