In many ways Calvin's most significant work was Biblical commentary. But he intended the Institutes to present the basic concepts you'd need as background before you started reading commentaries.
If you haven't read any historical works like this, you may find the Institutes off-putting at times. He spends a lot of time arguing with and condemning people who disagreed. That can look like a distraction. However he makes some of his more interesting statements in the midst of some of those controversies.
He's also fairly free with invective against people he disagrees with. You'll find that this was a universal practice among writers until fairly recently.
If you haven't read any historical works like this, you may find the Institutes off-putting at times. He spends a lot of time arguing with and condemning people who disagreed. That can look like a distraction. However he makes some of his more interesting statements in the midst of some of those controversies.
He's also fairly free with invective against people he disagrees with. You'll find that this was a universal practice among writers until fairly recently.
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