Rev. J.J. Van Wageningen. Trowel & Sword. Jan/Feb 1975 Preamble: In Jan/Feb 1975, the second decade of John Westendorp’s walk back through history, we encounter this offering by Rev. J.J. Van Wageningen which even today gives us much to think about. Did we get caught up this weekend in the great money splurge euphemistically referredContinue reading “The Agony Of Our World and Our Lifestyle”
Category Archives: History
This Month In Trowel & Sword History
John Westendorp. Trowel & Sword. February 1995 Preamble: Was this the fore-runner of Trowel & Sword Revisited? Thirty years ago John Westendorp, as the editor of T&S must have thought it would be interesting to look back through past T&S’s to see what was being written about in the February of 1955, ’65, ’75 andContinue reading “This Month In Trowel & Sword History”
Christmas – Its Origin And Its History
J.W. Deenick. Trowel & Sword. December 1963 Preamble: Once again the countdown has begun – “ONLY SIX WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS”. “Avoid the last minute rush and get your Christmas shopping done early”. Cost of living crisis? There’s no such thing when it comes to Christmas – that comes later when the credit card has toContinue reading “Christmas – Its Origin And Its History”
The Scientist And The Bishop
Prof. K. Runia. Trowel & Sword. November 1963 Preamble: The battle between science and religion has been going for a long time. In essence, it is a battle (if one can use that word) between God and Satan – the wannabe god, which started in Eden with Satan setting out to recruit his first disciples,Continue reading “The Scientist And The Bishop”
Prof. J. A. Schep Professor-Emeritus The End Of An Era.
Prof. K. Runia. Trowel & Sword. K. October 1964 Preamble: It would be fair to say that the majority of articles in Trowel and Sword were written for the purpose teaching or informing readers about Reformed faith and/or doctrine. This article does neither. It is instead a nostalgic piece written in recognition of the servicesContinue reading “Prof. J. A. Schep Professor-Emeritus The End Of An Era.”
The Cadets.
The Van Groningens. Trowel & Sword, September 1965 Preamble: Four week’s ago we published “Jesus Christ Lord of Life and Cadets” by Prof. George van Groningen, which appeared in T&S in November 1967. It was a passionate defence of the Cadet movement introduced into Australia two years earlier, also by Prof V.G. This article tellsContinue reading “The Cadets. “
The Debate Goes On
Rev. J.W. Deenick. Trowel & Sword. December 1976 Preamble: Bill Deenick was passionate about many things and Parent Controlled Christian Education (PCCE) was high on his list of priorities. To him Christian Education was never about creating schools that ran parallel to the state system with a bit of Bible teaching thrown in as anContinue reading “The Debate Goes On”
Are Our Congregations Really Active?
Rev. Prof. K. Runia. Trowel & Sword, August 1959 Preamble: Take note of the date of this article – 1959! As with so many previous articles re-published in TSR, it is hard to escape the thought that Dr. Runia could just as easily have been writing also for 2025. In doing so he is notContinue reading “Are Our Congregations Really Active?”
“Things We Couldn’t Say” – Book Review
REV. J.W. Deenick. Trowel & Sword. May 1995. Preamble: It’s bizarre that today, eighty years after the horrors of WW2, the word “Nazi” is thrown around so casually, often as an accusation against someone we may disagree with. But the holocaust was no casual affair. Despite his obvious reluctance to again bring it to theContinue reading ““Things We Couldn’t Say” – Book Review”
Faith In Focus
John Haverland. Trowel & Sword, March 1993 Preamble: In 1993 John Haverland, the then editor of Faith in Focus, the magazine of the Reformed Church of New Zealand, sent the following article/advertisement to be included in Trowel and Sword. In it he refers to the history of the two magazines and various reasons CRC membersContinue reading “Faith In Focus “
T&S Revisited 