John Calvin

[Yitzchak]

I am reading up on John Calvin this month and have very little first hand knowledge of him. What I know is primarily from those who are Arminian arguing against Calvinism using the TULIP acronym. But I have never actually read anything that Calvin wrote.

This interest that i have is a part of researching about the Reformation. A subject which I again have some second hand information about , but have never taken the time to go fartehr and actually read the writings of the Reformers.

I sort of choose Calvin as a random place to begin.

 

[crimsonleaf]

Found you!

Is your interest in John Calvin the man, or Calvinism as a systematic theology? Many "Calvinists" are not well read on Calvin, nor great sympathisers with some of his views, which are sometimes rooted in the 16th Century.

 

[Iosias]

I would commend The Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch and The Unaccommodated Calvin by Richard A. Muller.

 

[Yitzchak]

Found you!

Is your interest in John Calvin the man, or Calvinism as a systematic theology? Many "Calvinists" are not well read on Calvin, nor great sympathisers with some of his views, which are sometimes rooted in the 16th Century.

Probably both.

I was converted into the Mennonite church with zero church back round about 30 years ago now. So my back round is Anabaptist and one thing that sticks out in my memory from my Mennonite days is that they were definitely Protestant and not just non Catholic. Since those days , I have spent several years in the Assembly of God church and a few years in Charismatic churches. So I am probably ad odd mix because My roots are the meat and potatoes , practical Christianity of the Mennonites and yet I have also experienced the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches , as well.

Recently I happened to pick up a book by Dave Hunt at a used book store. It was cheap and had a catchy title so I bought it. It stirred my curiosity because it brought back memories of issues that I had not heard in years. I can remember in the old days , when people talked more about the Protestant Reformation. Now I don't hear it very much anymore.

I actually started a thread in the Charismatic section , with a poll , are you Protestant or just non Catholic ? The answers were split about 50/50. The ecumenical side and the Protestant side were pretty much equally divided in that section.

Anyway , in the midst of all of this , I realized that I only have a brief overview of the Reformation and have never actually studied it in depth. Which is not like me , because I like to study things , in depth. But somehow , the subject just never came up until now.

So I somewhat randomly selected John Calvin as my first person of the Reformation to study. I have a list of men to read up on. Martin Luther , Zwingli , Tyndale , etc.

So my main focus is how Calvin fit into the Reformation ? Why did he break from Rome and what was the basic thrust of his message which won such a following ? Am I correct in thinking that Calvin was one of the leaders in the Reformation ? I suspect that TULIP is not the only thing that his ministry and teachings were about ? What were the issues which defined the Reformation ?

Also , I am a little curious about Reformed Theology , in general. I think I will start another thread for that , though.

 

[Yitzchak]

I would commend The Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch and The Unaccommodated Calvin by Richard A. Muller.

Thank you.

 

[Yitzchak]

I did find a website with online Christian books. Amongst their books , were several by Calvin.


Free Online Christian Books



I am starting with one named The necessity of reforming the church , written in 1543.

From the publishers introduction...

The chief value of this tract is that it succinctly states the principal disputes of the Protestant Reformation. What were the central grievances which caused Protestants to demand reform? What issues made it necessary to separate completely from Rome? What measures were essential to achieve genuine reformation? Calvin addresses such questions, stating at the outset, "I wish only to show how just and necessary the causes were which forced us to the changes for which we are blamed." ....


Calvin declares the wider scope of the Reformation: the need to restore biblical doctrine and practice regarding the proper means of worship, the correct administration of the sacraments, and the government of the church. He writes:


If it be inquired, then, by what things chiefly the Christian religion has a standing existence amongst us, and maintains its truth, it will be found that the following two not only occupy the principal place, but comprehend under them all the other parts, and consequently the whole substance of Christianity: that is, a knowledge, first, of the mode in which God is duly worshipped; and, secondly, of the source from which salvation is to be obtained. When these are kept out of view, though we may glory in the name of Christians, our profession is empty and vain.......

Unfortunately, in many churches today, the Reformed faith is equated merely with the "five points of Calvinism," or some other truncated portrayal of the reformer's theology. In Calvin's tract, we get the bigger picture.

Calvin rebukes the spirit of toleration which masquerades as "moderation." The reformer states:
In a corruption of sound doctrine so extreme, in a pollution of the sacraments so nefarious, in a condition of the church so deplorable, those who maintain that we ought not to have felt so strongly, would have been satisfied with nothing less than a perfidious tolerance, by which we should have betrayed the worship of God, the glory of Christ, the salvation of men, the entire administration of the sacraments, and the government of the church. There is something specious in the name of moderation, and tolerance is a quality which has a fair appearance, and seems worthy of praise; but the rule which we must observe at all hazards is, never to endure patiently that the sacred name of God should be assailed with impious blasphemy; that his eternal truth should be suppressed by the devil's lies; that Christ should be insulted, his holy mysteries polluted, unhappy souls cruelly murdered, and the church left to writhe in extremity under the effect of a deadly wound. This would be not meekness, but indifference about things to which all others ought to be postponed.

This is all from the publisher's introduction....

The perceptive reader will see many parallels between the spiritual climate of Calvin's day and the religious chaos in our own society. If religious corruptions required reformationthen, similar corruptions demand serious reform today. We witness the sad spectacle of Protestant churches fascinated with liturgical rites and innovations in worship. Prominent "evangelical" leaders have endorsed a peace pact with Rome.[3] Many "reformed" denominations tolerate evangelistic methods and gimmicks built upon Pelagian presuppositions. If anything, Calvin's tract demonstrates how far modern Protestants have declined from the doctrines and practices of the Reformation. The Necessity of Reforming the Church is more than just an historic monument to the Reformation. It is a spiritual manifesto, calling us to repentance in an era of gross religious corruption.

I like this introduction. It seems to be right up my alley. I want to study what made Calvin so passionate. How he saw things. Put myself in his shoes and get the heart of his message. I want to study it in it's original context , first.

 

[crimsonleaf]

I couldn't do better than to agree on getting the book. I may be of more use to you when you launch the other thread.

 

[Iosias]

Reformation Thought: An Introduction by Alister E. McGrath is also a great read, it helps to set the scene and steers you through the key debates of the period.

 

[The Conductor]

If you want to read some of his works, there's always this:
Works by John Calvin - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

 

[Yitzchak]

If you want to read some of his works, there's always this:
Works by John Calvin - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Wow. That is a great source. Thank you.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Yitzchak, another history resource I'd recommend is Philip Schaff's, "History of the Christian Church". It's an 8 volume set that covers church history from AD 1 to the post-Reformation. Fortunately, it be read for free online (again at CCEL).

You'll want to read the 8th Volume in the set if you're starting with Calvin (volumes 6-7 look at the earlier Reformation and pre-Reformation periods and will cover the other Reformers once you get to them).

Schaff is a very engaging author, so this entire set is a great read. He is also an Arminian, but unlike Dave Hunt and others, I believe writes a fair and pretty balanced history of Calvin, even where his soteriology is concerned (though he clearly disagrees with it).

Click here to find in online.

--David

 

[hedrick]

The problem with Schaff is that he's 19th Cent. We know more now about the historical background of the Reformation and even about Calvin himself. If you want specifically Calvin, two good books are McGrath, A Life of John Calvin, or Bouwsma, Calvin: a Sixteenth Century Portrait. But if you're really interested in the theology of the Reformation, a better approach would be McGrath, Reformation Thought: an Introduction. It deals with Calvin's theology a lot, but gives you a broader picture of the late medieval background and the Reformation as a whole. If you're more interested in the Reformed movement, there's an older book, McNeill, the History and Character of Calvinism. But there may well be a more recent book that would be better.

However Iosias's two recommendations are more recent, and from brief blurbs look good.

 

[Skala]

Calvin was a manly man who had a beard and adored God's absolutely sovereignty.

 

[crimsonleaf]

Calvin was a manly man who had a beard and adored God's absolutely sovereignty.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

I am reading up on John Calvin this month and have very little first hand knowledge of him. What I know is primarily from those who are Arminian arguing against Calvinism using the TULIP acronym. But I have never actually read anything that Calvin wrote.

This interest that i have is a part of researching about the Reformation. A subject which I again have some second hand information about , but have never taken the time to go fartehr and actually read the writings of the Reformers.

I sort of choose Calvin as a random place to begin.

If you're not into reading electronic/digital text, and aiming to get hands on writings of Calvin, Christianbook.com is the place to shop. I purchased the 7 vol Tracts and Letters recently, and hope to be able to purchase more of his sermons. I have both editions of his Institutes, and my parents bought me the commentary set for my birthday one year. An interesting and useful work I find myself turning to over and over, is the fairly recently translated work by Calvin, entitled "The Bondage and Liberation of the Will", which provides a much fuller perspective of Calvin's view of the sovereignty of God and responsibility of man.

The best digital edition of Calvin's works has to be LOGOS Bible software format, but if you desire/need a much cheaper alternative if you can find it, is the John Calvin Collection published by Ages Software years ago (PDF format), now out of business. As others have shown many if not most of his writings are available for free online.

There are countless books written about John Calvin, I own about three biographies, one is written by Theodore Beza who succeeded Calvin in Geneva and knew him personally, another is by T.H.L. Parker (hard copies cheap at CBD), and most recently one by (Reformation historian) Herman J. Selderhuis published by IVP.

The Westminster Theological Seminary media center is a great source for free audio lectures concerning history.

Here is an interesting bit of history, John Calvin co-authored The French Confession of 1559, and shortly thereafter, a copy of the Belgic Confession was sent to Geneva for approval, a couple of years before Calvin's death at the age of 54.

 

[Foghorn]

I am reading up on John Calvin this month and have very little first hand knowledge of him. What I know is primarily from those who are Arminian arguing against Calvinism using the TULIP acronym. But I have never actually read anything that Calvin wrote.

This interest that i have is a part of researching about the Reformation. A subject which I again have some second hand information about , but have never taken the time to go fartehr and actually read the writings of the Reformers.

I sort of choose Calvin as a random place to begin.

Im impressed, not many actually take the time and look into these things. May God richly bless you as you seek His truth.

 

[Don Maurer]

I agree with foghorn above and a few others. I was impressed at some one non-reformed actually going back to original sources to learn about Calvin or Reformed sources. My compliments.

Plenty of good sources have been offered, I have nothing to add.

I do want to say that I am familiar with the Mennonite group of denominations, or "conferences." I am probably most familiar with the Conservative Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Franconia Conference. For someone to go to the Assemblies of God from a Franconia Conference would not be surprising. The only theological conflict could be "non-resistance."

Concerning "Dave Hunt." I noticed your mention of him. I read only one book that Hunt contributed too. I could tell you a lot about the weaknesses of Hunt, but I will let you discover some of that for yourself. Hunt has a debate book "Debating Calvinism" in which he coauthored it with James White.

Concerning Calvin, someone up the thread mentioned that not all Calvinists agree with Calvin. I want to "Amen" that one. Not all modern Calvinists are going to agree with the concept of a State Church.

It would be good to hear from you (author of the OP) after you read some material that Calvin wrote. On the other hand, just his "Institutes" is over 1000 pages.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Hi Yitzchak, another history resource I'd recommend is Philip Schaff's, "History of the Christian Church". It's an 8 volume set that covers church history from AD 1 to the post-Reformation. Fortunately, it be read for free online (again at CCEL).

You'll want to read the 8th Volume in the set if you're starting with Calvin (volumes 6-7 look at the earlier Reformation and pre-Reformation periods and will cover the other Reformers once you get to them).

Schaff also wrote an interesting little bio of Calvin in vol 3 of his "Creeds of Christianity" series.

Schaff is a very engaging author, so this entire set is a great read. He is also an Arminian, but unlike Dave Hunt and others, I believe writes a fair and pretty balanced history of Calvin, even where his soteriology is concerned (though he clearly disagrees with it).

Click here to find in online.

--David

I have always considered Schaff to be a Calvinist, he was a professor at a German Reformed Seminary. "Schaff's broad views strongly influenced the German Reformed Church, through his teaching at Mercersburg, through his championship of English in German Reformed churches and schools in America, through his hymnal (1859), through his labours as chairman of the committee which prepared a new liturgy, and by his edition (1863) of the Heidelberg Catechism." Eventually he landed in Union Theological Seminary (1870)..."In the 20th century, Union was world renowned as a center of liberal Christianity and neo-orthodoxy." I would like to know what the writer of the wikipedia article means by "broad views", I'd be surprised (and a little disappointed) if it turns out, Schaff was theologically liberal. Quotes from Wikipedia

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Concerning Calvin, someone up the thread mentioned that not all Calvinists agree with Calvin. I want to "Amen" that one. Not all modern Calvinists are going to agree with the concept of a State Church.

I am glad someone brought that to attention. I do not know if any Calvinist would agree with him 100% even Presbyterians for that matter. We agree to various degrees or extents, would I be incorrect to say conservative Presbyterians agree with him to a high degree, or mostly agree agree with him? Would I be incorrect if I thought most modern Calvinists would disagree with the concept of a State Church? The way I have thought of Geneva, is like a counter-response to the Roman Catholic State Church, to provide a safe haven for Protestants during those especially dangerous times for Protestants. If I remember correctly, John Calvin came to Geneva which had already formed a State Church. The only modern group I know for certain that would be in favor, would be "reconstructionists" or "theonomists", but honestly some of them make a great case (Greg Bahnsen for example), however I lean towards the system of government in place here in America, that is an older and purer version of the system now in place. But I really struggle on this issue of government, civil and Church.

Btw, the questions are not rhetorical, I honestly do not know for certain, and would appreciate any insight.

 

[Don Maurer]

Well, to put it right out there... even though I am the one that made the comment, I do not know what Calvin said about the "state Church." Calvin did write a treatise against the anaBaptists ( A Short Instruction for to arm all good Christian people against the pestiferous errours of the common sect of Anabaptists. ). I just googled the terms "Calvin Anabaptist" and came up with that link. I have never read that either.