One hundred twenty years ago, to be more precise on 9 November 1891, Abraham Kuyper opened the first social congress in the Netherlands He did so with an outstanding lecture on the relationship between the so-called social question and the christian religion. He began the lecture however with a remarkable complaint : One of the pitiful fruits of state monopoly, which continues to increase in this country’s universities, is that we have not yet even produced academic specialists. None of us (...) at this Congress stands out as an expert in economics. If I look around me now, that seems to be a little bit different from what I see today. But I doubt whether that in itself is a guarantee of greater wisdom amongst us. Let us not be too hasty. Let us wait and see. (shrink)

“What should we do then?” This was the urgent question of the people after hearing the penetrative message of the prophet John the Baptist . The same question was inevitable after hearing all the preceding papers and discussions that treated our situation as Christians in our time from different angles. A final plenary session with the 160 participants out of 25 different nations was held to address, summarize and connect the most important issues brought up during the conference. A panel (...) prepared and presented an outline for this final session. Panel members were: conference chairman Henk Geertsema , Bob Goudzwaard , Elsa de Powell and Bong Ho Son . Their outline consisted of two main points: 1. Analysis and understanding, and 2. Calling and perspective. Both points were subdivided in three aspects. Henk Geertsema chaired this final session. Not a full transcription but an impression is provided here of the presentation of the six points by the panel as well as the subsequent discussion. (shrink)