John Calvin

Regan Newport H1

John Calvin, born 1509 in Noyon, France, was a famous theologian, critic of philosophy, and lover of wisdom. Calvin was not born into an affluent family, but received an education with the children of his father’s employer. By age 14, supported financially by the church, Calvin began attending college. Though he began his studies with the intentions of becoming a priest, he soon enrolled in law school at the command of his father. During the 1530s, Calvin moved away from the Roman Catholic Church, which he had been part of for his entire life. He left Noyon and began preaching in Geneva, but was eventually forced to leave. While away, he was a minister at a church in Strasbourg, Germany. This is when he began writing some of his most famous works. Eventually he was asked to return to Geneva, where he continued writing and preaching until his death in 1564, which led to an unremarkable and humble burial. During this time prior to his death, he served on Geneva’s council and created the Ecclesiatical Ordinances which allowed for religious education to everyone, and also created church structure.

Despite our view of him today as a famous philosopher, Calvin actually had a strong distaste for philosophy. He viewed it as “the history of human wisdom's attempt to search out answers to the questions of human existence” as opposed to actual beliefs to subscribe to (Holder). Calvin instead thought that what he called “true wisdom”, from God and the Bible, was the wisdom that people should pursue.

John Calvin was one of the major leaders of the Protestant Reformation. He focused more on God as a loving God as opposed to one of wrath. He believed in people having faith and being saved by God’s grace instead of through ceremony within the church. He also emphasized the belief of predestination. While many of his views were similar to those of Martin Luther, they also differed in some ways. Overall, Calvin was more traditional and true to the former church than Luther. He also saw the need to convert others as a personal responsibility to further “Christ’s Kingdom” (Bouwsma).

Calvinism has had a lasting impact on reformed churches throughout the world. While Lutheranism spread mostly through “Germany and Scandanavia”, Calvinism spread all the way through Europe and into the North American colonies (Bouwsma). Calvinism was popular amongst most who heard it. It was more applicable to all people, and therefore was popular amongst most social classes. However, there are some misinterpretations between Calvinism and what John Calvin actually taught, as his teachings were spread (and sometimes altered) by his followers. Overall, Calvin preached humanism, the necessity of being a good person over strictly focusing on the supernatural aspects of religion.

Some of Calvin’s most influential works include his commentaries on the books of the Bible, commentaries on several other philosophers works (including Seneca), and Institutes, his most important work, and also one of the most important books of the Protestant movement. The Institutes included his teachings, as well as his commentaries of the books of the Bible.

Overall, Calvin and his teachings have inspired much of protestant Christianity. Calvinism has helped to shape the church that we see today. Without his influences, Protestant Christianity would be very different.

Sources:

Bouwsma, William J. “Calvinism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 Jan. 2018,

www.britannica.com/topic/Calvinism.

Bouwsma, William J. “Calvinism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 Jan. 2018,

www.britannica.com/topic/Calvinism.

“John Calvin.” Calvin College, calvin.edu/about/history/john-calvin.html.

https://www.iep.utm.edu/calvin/

Quiz:

1. What was Calvin's most important work?
2. What was one of Calvin's central beliefs?
3. How did Calvin feel about philosophy?
4. What city was Calvin forced to leave?
5. What did Calvin study in college?

Discussion Questions:

1. Was Calvin's critical view of philosophy somewhat hypocritical?
2. How does predestination fit into modern protestant Christianity?
3. How much of Calvin's teachings still apply to the protestant Christianity of today?