“In a Time of Uncertainty, there Can Be No Conversion without Polemics”: Klaas Schilder’s Argument for the Need of Polemics in Theology

Are polemics a useful part of theological discourse? This article argues that it is and explores the conditions and theological rationale for polemics. These are explored by means of a case study of the Dutch second-generation neo-Calvinist theologian Klaas Schilder (1890–1952). Schilder, a prolific and polemical writer, shows how theological polemics are embedded in the doctrine of God’s immanence, the church, the covenant, and the use of human reason. Schilder’s view on tension as a key motif in the Christian life further informs his argument for a polemical theology.