Willem Johannes Ouweneel (born 2 June 1944 in Zaandam) is a Dutch biologist, philosopher and theologian. Ouweneel is a well-known writer and speaker among Evangelical circles in the Netherlands. He is widely regarded as a skilled debater.[ by whom? ] He graduated as a biologist and has three PhD degrees — in biology, theology, and philosophy. He also has numerous popular science books to his name.
Ouweneel spent his childhood years in Apeldoorn and Deventer. After elementary school he attended the Christian Lyceum at Apeldoorn. After his graduation Gymnasium Beta he studied biology at the University of Utrecht from 1962 to 1967, graduating cum laude with genetics and embryology as his main subjects.
After having worked as a biology teacher in Apeldoorn for a short time, he was a scientist at the Hubrecht Laboratory, Utrecht, from 1968 to 1976, researching the genetics of the fruit fly (Drosophila). During this period Ouweneel earned a doctorate in 1970 with a thesis on the fruit fly, Genetics, Morphology, and Development of Homoeotic Wing Tissue in the Eye of Drosophila melanogaster.
From 1975 onwards, Ouweneel was employed by the Evangelische Omroep, a Christian public broadcaster, where he produced and conducted many programs on radio and TV. Besides this job he also gave many lectures and studies in biblical fields and has written over 160 books on creationism, philosophy, and biblical topics. [1] Ouweneel was also one of the founders of the Evangelische Hogeschool, which led to professorships at theological colleges in Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1986 Ouweneel obtained a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. Finally, in 1993 he was awarded a doctorate in theology at the University of the Orange Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
He now lives in the municipality of Huis ter Heide, Utrecht. On March 28, 1969, he married Grada Gerhardina Terwel in Apeldoorn. They have four children; one of them (Evert Jan Ouweneel) is also a philosopher and works in related fields. A younger brother, Frank Ouweneel, is a Bible teacher.
From 1977 to 2009 Ouweneel lectured at the Evangelische Hogeschool in Amersfoort. At this institution, of which he was a founding member, he taught philosophy and cultural history. He was also professor of philosophy at the University of Potchefstroom in South Africa and lecturer in dogmatics and Biblical Studies at the Evangelical School of Theology in Suriname. He also worked as a lecturer in German and French at De Passie Evangelical School in Utrecht.
He is also Professor of dogmatics at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Leuven (Belgium) and lecturer in dogmatics at the Evangelical Theological Academy in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands.
From the 1970s through the 1990s, Ouweneel was a familiar figure in the Evangelische Omroep network of the Netherlands, although his participation in this endeavor has declined in recent years. From the early 1980s up to 5 July 2008 he was a panelist commenting on social and church-related events in the EO radio program Deze Week on Saturday nights. He was a guest speaker along with Henk Binnendijk at the EO Youth Day several times. He also hosted the EO radio commentary on the church cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach for many years. He was more interested in the theological than the musical aspects of these cantatas.
Ouweneel grew up in the Kelly-Lowe-Continental branch of the Exclusive Brethren movement, where his father was a well-known preacher. He stated in an interview in 2004 that following a split among the Exclusive Brethren in 1995, which saw the departure of hardliners, [2] the lines of demarcation between them and the Open Brethren effectively disappeared, and his own congregation later merged with an Open Brethren assembly [3] to form the Eykpunt Community (Christian Assembly), which he describes as "(a) non-aligned evangelical church" but unashamedly Brethren in character. [4]
Ouweneel also preaches widely in churches of many other denominations. [5] He is also a member of the Association for Reformational philosophy. Ouweneel can be characterized as a conservative Evangelical Christian. His beliefs are in accord with those traditionally held by Evangelical Protestant Christians, and he attributes a lot of his foundational views to the writings of the early Plymouth Brethren pioneers, as well as to Reformed and Evangelical theologians. [6] He is known, however, to be flexible in his theology. Creationism and the Charismatic Movement are two areas where his theology has shifted in recent years.
For a long time he was a young-earth creationist who believed that the earth was created no more than six to ten thousand years ago. He was an important collaborator in the creationist programs and books that Evangelische Omroep produced on this theme. Since about 2000, however, he has gradually redefined his previously stated belief in a literal creation week. He published some of his new ideas in the Christian science magazine Ellips, of which he was the chief editor. In it he described his former beliefs as "my creationist period". [7]
In an article on his website Ouweneel suggested that he was now tending more towards a model of 'guided evolutionism' or theistic evolution, something he previously strongly opposed as "a slippery slope towards an ultimately unadulterated evolution faith." Ouweneel redefined himself as an "origins agnostic," which he defined as follows:
An origins agnostic is one who is not sure how life has developed here on earth, and who moreover wonders if we will ever be able to know certainly. [8]
Ouweneel insisted that he still believed in a creator God, but did not discuss at great length how much precisely. For some time he had sympathy for the Intelligent design movement, but he also now puts in critical comments. In February 2009 he called some forms of creationism pseudoscience, a term he had previously reserved for "evolutionism". Because of this change in his thinking some consternation arose among the rank and (former) employees of the EO, [9] sometimes even vehement reproach. [10]
In an interview on 18 April 2015, however, Ouweneel clarified that he thought he had been misunderstood. It was "not entirely correct", he said, that he had embraced theistic evolution. What would be more correct, he stated, was that he believed in keeping "an open mind" about the exegesis of the first three chapters of Genesis. [11]
For most of his life, Ouweneel was a strong cessationist. He believed, along with most of his fellow-Brethren, that the so-called sign gifts such as miracles, divine healing, and speaking in tongues were given to the early church for the specific purpose of authenticating the apostles, and "ceased" with the death of the last apostle. He began to reconsider his views in the early 2000s, however, after claiming that his daughter had been supernaturally healed of infertility after visiting the Nigerian pastor and faith healer T.B. Joshua. [12] In a 2004 interview, he said he had apologized both personally and publicly to Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians for his earlier strong criticism of their movement. [13]
Ouweneel has since become increasingly identified with the Charismatic Movement and has worked closely with Touch Reach and Impact the Nations (TRIN), [14] a charismatic missionary organization which organizes revival meetings. While this has increased his appeal in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, some conservative evangelicals have been disappointed at his abandonment of cessationism.
Ouweneel stood as a candidate for the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) in 1998. This also marked a departure from his previous stance opposing the participation of Christians in politics. [15] Today, he is a member of the ChristianUnion, the successor to the RPF. In the general election of 2003, he was the twenty-first candidate on the electoral list of the ChristianUnion, garnering 1,921 votes.
In 1995, philosopher Herman Philipse published the Atheist Manifesto. A second revised edition appeared in 2003. Philipse argues in this manifesto that atheism is logically provable. The non-existence of God would be determined by science. Ouweneel responded in March 2005 by publishing a book criticizing Philipse's reasoning. His book is titled: The God that is: why I am not an atheist. Ouweneel argues in this book that there is absolutely no reasonable argument for atheism. According to Ouweneel, atheism has very far-reaching consequences.
Real, consistent atheism seems to me to (lead to) the following: there is no order and regularity, there is no real human personality, no moral obligations, there is no rational thinking, there are no ideas and beliefs, there is no real charity - there are only non-spiritual, non-rational non-personal moving atoms and with time changing molecular structures, such as brain states, subject to random mutations and the law of the natural selection. The widely believed scientific method, the requirement of empirical and logical verifiability, etc., are nothing more than states of mind. Even though we talk about states of mind, (atheism) goes back to a state of mind, which masquerades as a position, a theory. Really, consistent atheism leads necessarily to nihilism. Again, (those) whom God has lost touch with in ultimate consequence also lost the human personality. [16]
Willem Ouweneel has faced some criticism from conservative evangelical Christians for his endorsement of the Nigerian faith healer T.B. Joshua, some of whom doubt the genuineness of supernatural gifts in general, and/or of T.B. Joshua personally. [17] Conservatives have also criticized his involvement in the Charismatic organization TRIN and his collaboration with charismatic evangelist Mattheus van der Steen.
Some have also criticized his relatively recent reappraisal of the Creationism versus Evolution debate, including his ambivalence concerning how the seven days in the Biblical creation story should be understood — whether literally or figuratively. [18]
In "normal" scientific and theological circles, Ouweneel finds little resonance for his theories. He is rarely cited in academic theological publications. Some claim that despite the large number of books Ouweneel has authored, it is not easy to get a clear picture of his opinion of theological subjects. In addition, some critics accuse him of vacillating in his writings and lectures or of contradicting what he has written in previous publications.
Evangelicalism, also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experiences personal conversion; the authority of the Bible as God's revelation to humanity ; and spreading the Christian message. The word evangelical comes from the Greek (euangelion) word for "good news".
Pietism, also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life.
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary The Epistle to the Romans, his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship of the Barmen Declaration, and especially his unfinished multi-volume theological summa the Church Dogmatics. Barth's influence expanded well beyond the academic realm to mainstream culture, leading him to be featured on the cover of Time on 20 April 1962.
The charismatic movement in Christianity is a movement within established or mainstream Christian denominations to adopt beliefs and practices of Charismatic Christianity with an emphasis on baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the use of spiritual gifts (charismata). It has affected most denominations in the US, and has spread widely across the world.
Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, Anglican priest, intellectual historian, scientist, Christian apologist, and public intellectual. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, and is a fellow of Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005.
Thomas Forsyth Torrance, commonly referred to as T. F. Torrance, was a Scottish Protestant theologian and minister. Torrance served for 27 years as professor of Christian dogmatics at New College, in the University of Edinburgh. He is best known for his pioneering work in the study of science and theology, but he is equally respected for his work in systematic theology. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also edited the translation of several hundred theological writings into English from other languages, including the English translation of the thirteen-volume, six-million-word Church Dogmatics of Swiss theologian Karl Barth, as well as John Calvin's New Testament Commentaries. He was a member of the famed Torrance family of theologians.
Evangelische Omroep or EO is an Evangelical broadcast television network in Netherlands. It is one of the twelve member-based broadcasting associations contributing to the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system.
Nancey Murphy is an American philosopher and theologian who is Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. She received the B.A. from Creighton University in 1973, the Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley in 1980, and the Th.D. from the Graduate Theological Union (theology) in 1987.
Christian universalism is a school of Christian theology focused around the doctrine of universal reconciliation – the view that all human beings will ultimately be saved and restored to a right relationship with God. "Christian universalism" and "the belief or hope in the universal reconciliation through Christ" are concepts that can even be understood as synonyms. Opponents of this school, who hold that eternal damnation is the ultimate fate of some or most people, are sometimes called "infernalists."
Radical Pietism are those Christian churches who decided to break with denominational Lutheranism in order to emphasize certain teachings regarding holy living. Radical Pietists contrast with Church Pietists, who chose to remain within their Lutheran denominational settings. Radical Pietists distinguish between true and false Christianity and hold that the latter is represented by established churches. They separated from established churches to form their own Christian denominations.
The term New Atheism was coined by the American journalist Gary Wolf in 2006 to describe the positions of some atheist academics, writers, scientists, and philosophers of the 21st century.
Eberhard Jüngel was a German Lutheran theologian. He was Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology and the Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Tübingen.
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against errors, abuses, and discrepancies.
God in the Age of Science? A Critique of Religious Reason is a 2012 book by the Dutch philosopher Herman Philipse, written in English and published in the United Kingdom. Philipse found his Atheist Manifesto (1995) to be too hastily and superficially written, and decided to set up a more complete work to systematically refute all the arguments for the existence of God and adherence to any form of theism.
The Assemblies Jehovah Shammah are an Evangelical Christian network of churches that originated in India, which is still home to the great majority of them. The Evangelical publication Operation World estimates their numbers, as of 2010, at 310,000 adults and children in 910 assemblies, as their churches are generally known. Other sources estimate upwards of two thousand congregations, with a large presence in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The movement was founded in 1942 by evangelist Bakht Singh, whose theology and ecclesiology were much influenced by the Open Brethren. Although historically distinct from the Indian Brethren movement, which originated from missionary endeavours, the Assemblies Jehovah Shammah have a lot in common with it and are sometimes considered a part of the Brethren movement worldwide.
The Open Brethren, sometimes called Christian Brethren, are a group of Evangelical Christian churches that arose in the late 1820s as part of the Assembly Movement within the Plymouth Brethren tradition. They originated in Ireland before spreading throughout the British Isles, and today they have an estimated 26,000 assemblies worldwide.
Yung-Han Kim is a professor, a theologian and an ordained minister in South Korea. He is a well known scholar in South Korea. He founded the Korea Reformed Theological Society in 1996, served as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd president of the Society. He set up the Graduate School of Christian Studies in Soongsil University, served as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th Dean. He served for 34 years as professor of systematic theology and Christian Philosophy at Soongsil University. Founder of Academia Christiana, he also has served as the president of Academia Christiana since 1988. He made the Shalomnabi, a civic organization, in 2010, has been serving as its chairman. He contributed more than 30 articles only in the Journal of Korea Evangelical Theological Society <Bible and Theology>. He published more than 20 books in Systematic Theology and Christian Philosophy, has been studying and contributing in the areas of dogmatics, Reformed theology, modern theology, hermeneutics, Christian Culture and Christian Spirituality. He was a chairman of Korea Evangelical Theological Society, a chairman of Korea Society for Hermeneutics (2004-2006), a chairman of Christian Philosophy Society (2006-2012), and a chairman of Korea Reformed Theology Society.
The Theological University of Apeldoorn (TUA) is the Dutch theological university of the Christian Reformed Churches. More than 130 students study at the university in Apeldoorn. The theological course lasts six years. The student is in the bachelor's program for the first three years. This has a more orientating character, and includes the languages Classic Greek and Koine Greek, Latin and Biblical Hebrew. In the three-year master's program that follows, further studies and specialization are discussed. The training is specifically aimed at educating pastors. Furthermore, one tries to keep together the reformed character of the faith and the church and the scientific level of the university. The syllabus consists of subjects such as ethics, apologetics, Old and New Testament, canonical studies, dogmatics, church history, church law and civil subjects.
Willem Hendrik Velema was a Dutch professor, pastor and theologian. He was a member of the Christian Reformed Churches.
Andries Gerrit Knevel is a Dutch theologian, author and presenter on Dutch radio and tv. From 1993 until 2006, he was television director of the Evangelische Omroep, a Dutch broadcasting organisation with Protestant foundations.
| General | |
|---|---|
| National libraries | |
| Biographical dictionaries | |
