A Reformed Comparative Reading of the Hajj: Herman Bavinck on Grace and Merit

Key Points

• To explore the Hajj through the lens of Herman Bavinck's theology of grace and merit.
• Conducted a comparative theological analysis of the Hajj and Bavinck's soteriology
• Utilized 'dual listening' to assess moral and pious claims of the Hajj
• Analyzed the Hajj rituals: threshold, boundaries, and convergence in Mecca
• Evaluated the implications of performance in relation to divine closeness
• Identified the Hajj's rituals as expressions of community and repentance
• Argued that performance in the Hajj can be seen as 'credentialed human achievement'
• Contrasted Reformed theology's view of assurance in salvation through God's sovereign grace

Abstract