Kuyper to Keller: The Irony of Princeton’s Prize Controversy

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Excerpt from:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/march-web-only/kuyper-keller-princeton-seminary-ironic.html

A large number of the 300 who attended the 1998 Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary were “Kuyperians.”

On the 100th anniversary of Abraham Kuyper’s delivering those lectures in 1898, the seminary chose to commemorate the occasion by inviting Yale University’s Nicholas Wolterstorff— a longtime advocate for Kuyper’s thought—to offer that year’s Stone lecture.

It was also the occasion for presenting the inaugural Kuyper Prize—funded by the philanthropists Rimmer and Ruth DeVries, themselves avid Kuyperians—to the Dutch historian and Kuyper biographer George Puchinger.

The Kuyper Prize is much in the news right now. Having designated Tim Keller as this year’s recipient, Princeton leaders announced last week that they are reversing that decision. Princeton’s president acted in response to protests from students regarding Keller’s lack of support for both the ordination of women and LGBTQ causes.

Modeling a marvelous graciousness, Keller has agreed to keep the commitment to give the lead-off lecture for this year’s Kuyper conference, even though there will be no award ceremony.
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The Kuyperian movement, once confined primarily to pockets of Dutch Calvinism in North America and the Netherlands, is growing internationally. Serious work on Kuyper’s thought is happening, for example, in mainland China. And the strengthened sense of a global movement has been stimulated in part in recent years by the Kuyper events at Princeton Seminary. For this we can be grateful.
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Kuyperian movement..growing internationally. Is this really a burgeoning movement?

 

[Taylor]

It seems to me, therefore, that this president is less than truthful when he says:

"I don’t practice censorship over the choices of these organizations, even when I or the seminary disagree with some of the convictions of these speakers. It is also a core conviction of our seminary to be a serious academic institution that will sometimes bring controversial speakers to campus because we refuse to exclude voices within the church. Diversity of theological thought and practice has long been a hallmark of our school."

—Traci Smith, “Tim Keller – Traci Smith,” Traci Smith, March 10, 2017, accessed March 31, 2017, http://www.traci-smith.com/tag/tim-keller/.

I realize they are not technically censoring him. But, in reality, withholding recognition is, in my view, a form of censorship. Either way, is the "Kuyper Prize" really all that significant when coming from an apostate institution?

 

[KeithW]

This Christianity Today article is from last week.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/gl...tim-keller-kuyper-prize-women-ordination.html

A couple of excerpts:

The most popular Reformed preacher and author in America today is not eligible to receive Princeton Theological Seminary’s annual award in Reformed theology and public witness.

The mainline seminary reversed its decision to honor Tim Keller with a prize named for neo-Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper following outcry over the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) pastor’s conservative positions.​

and

Because the PCA conflicts with the seminary’s denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), on women and LGBT clergy, leaders agreed not to award Keller the prize and thus affirm his differing stance. However, the school has still scheduled the Redeemer Presbyterian pastor to speak on mission at an annual conference hosted by its Kuyper Center for Public Theology in April.​

 

[Taylor]

However, the school has still scheduled the Redeemer Presbyterian pastor to speak on mission...

Why? According to the PCA (and, I would assume, all orthodox groups), LGBT people are part of the mission. I don't understand this. If you don't want to affirm his position on the proper manner of conducting the Christian mission (i.e., church order), why have him speak on the Christian mission at all?

Liberals really confuse me sometimes.