Reconstructing Herman Bavinck’s Cosmic Pneumatology

A Foundation for Collaborative Ecotheology

Abstract

The global ecological crisis has prompted the church to integrate Christian doctrine with ecological concerns. However, the complex and multidimensional nature of this crisis necessitates the development of a collaborative ecotheology. This study reconstructs the concept of cosmic pneumatology (CP) underlying the theology of Herman Bavinck as a foundation for collaborative ecotheology. Employing a conceptual analysis based on library research, this article identifies the notion of CP within the doctrines of common grace, creation, redemption, and re-creation. Through the theme of the organic motif, CP provides a theological framework for understanding ecological relationships through the categories of unity and diversity while mediating the tension between anthropocentrism and biocentrism. Through the theme of grace restoring nature, CP encourages the church to participate in collective efforts of earth care as part of the Holy Spirit’s transformative mission toward the new heaven and new earth. The ecotheological implication of this study is that Bavinck’s CP offers a perspective of collaborative earth care as a celebration of life, a moral responsibility, an act of worship, and an active participation of the church in God’s organic work of restoration.