John Calvin
Engraving from the original oil painting in the University Library of Geneva
Born	July 10, 1509(1509-07-10) Noyon, Picardy, France
Died	May 27, 1564 (aged 54) Geneva, Switzerland
Occupation	Pastor and theologian
Religious beliefs	Reformed Protestant
Spouse	Idelette de Bure
Parents	Gérard Cauvin and Jeanne Lefranc

John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. For another meaning see Noyan Noyon ( Latin: Noviomagus Veromanduorum) is a small (14471 inhabitants in 1990 but historic Picardy (Picardie is an historical Province of France, in the north of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Life Idelette Storder de Bure Calvin (died 1549 was the only wife of the French reformer John Calvin (Jean Chauvin Gérard Cauvin (died May 26, 1531) was the father of the Protestant Reformer John Calvin. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the In Geneva, his ministry both attracted other Protestant refugees and over time made that city a major force in the spread of Reformed theology. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking He is famous for his teachings and writings, in particular for his Institutes of the Christian Religion. Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin 's seminal work on Protestant Systematic theology.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Thought 3 Writings 3.1 Letters 4 Reformed Geneva 4.1 Civil punishments 4.2 Servetus controversy 5 References 6 Bibliography 6.1 General collections 6.2 Theological works 6.3 Letters 6.4 Secondary sources 7 See also 8 External links

Biography

Calvin was born Jean Cauvin (or Chauvin in standard French, in Latin Calvinus) in Noyon, Picardie, France, to Gérard Cauvin and Jeanne le Franc. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. For another meaning see Noyan Noyon ( Latin: Noviomagus Veromanduorum) is a small (14471 inhabitants in 1990 but historic Picardie ( English: Picardy is one of the 26 regions of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Gérard Cauvin (died May 26, 1531) was the father of the Protestant Reformer John Calvin. A diligent student who excelled at his studies, Calvin was "remarkably religious" even as a young man. ^[1]

Calvin's father was an attorney who also served as a Noyon Cathedral business administrator and lawyer. An attorney at law (or attorney-at-law) in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute In 1523 Gerard sent his fourteen-year-old son to the University of Paris to pursue a Latin, theological education and to flee the plague in Noyon. The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century But when Gerard was dismissed from the Roman Church after disagreements with his clerical employers, he urged Calvin to change his studies to law, and he did. ^[2] By 1532, he had attained a Doctor of Laws degree at Orléans. Doctor of Laws ( Latin: Legum Doctor, LLD) is a Doctorate -level Academic degree in Law. This article is about the French city of Orléans for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation. It is not clear when Calvin converted to Protestantism, though in the preface to his commentary on Psalms, Calvin said:

"God by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame. . . . Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true godliness I was immediately inflamed with so intense a desire to make progress therein, that although I did not altogether leave off [legal] studies, I yet pursued them with less ardor. "^[3]

His Protestant friends included Nicholas Cop, Rector at the University of Paris. In 1533 Cop gave an address "replete with Protestant ideas," and "Calvin was probably involved as the writer of that address. "^[1] Cop soon found it necessary to flee Paris, as did Calvin himself a few days after. In Angoulême he sheltered with a friend, Louis du Tillet. Angoulême is a commune in western France, capital of the Charente department. Calvin settled for a time in Basel, where in 1536 he published the first edition of his Institutes. "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly.

After a brief and covert return to France in 1536, Calvin was forced to choose an alternate return route in the face of imperial and French forces, and in doing so he passed by Geneva. Guillaume Farel pleaded with Calvin to stay in Geneva and help the city. William ( Guillaume) Farel (1489 &ndash 13 September 1565) was a French evangelist, and a founder of the Reformed Church Despite a desire to continue his journey, he settled in Geneva. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking After being expelled from the city, he served as a pastor in Strasbourg from 1538 until 1541, before returning to Geneva, where he lived until his death in 1564. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région

After attaining his degree, John Calvin sought a wife in affirmation of his approval of marriage over clerical celibacy. Clerical celibacy is the practice in various religious traditions, in which Clergy, Monastics and those (of either sex in religious orders adopt a In 1539, he married Idelette de Bure, a widow, who had a son and daughter from her previous marriage to an Anabaptist in Strasbourg. Life Idelette Storder de Bure Calvin (died 1549 was the only wife of the French reformer John Calvin (Jean Chauvin Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation Calvin and Idelette had a son who died after only two weeks. Idelette Calvin died in 1549. Calvin wrote that she was a helper in ministry, never stood in his way, never troubled him about her children, and had a greatness of spirit.

Calvin's health began to fail when he suffered migraines, lung hemorrhages, gout and kidney stones, and at times he had to be carried to the pulpit to preach and sometimes gave lectures from his bed. Migraine is a neurological Syndrome characterized by altered bodily experiences painful headaches and nausea lung is the essential Respiration organ in air-breathing Animals including most Tetrapods a few Fish and a few Snails The most primitive Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging / haemorrhaging (see American and British spelling differences) is the loss of Blood from Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a buildup of Uric acid. Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, are solid concretions (crystal aggregations of dissolved minerals in Urine; calculi typically form ^[4] According to his successor, influential Calvinist theologian Theodore Beza, Calvin took only one meal a day for a decade, but on the advice of his physician, he ate an egg and drank a glass of wine at noon. Theodore Beza ( Théodore de Bèze or de Besze) ( June 24, 1519 &ndash October 13, 1605) was a French A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice His recreation and exercise consisted mainly of a walk after meals. Towards the end, Calvin said to those friends who were worried about his daily regimen of work amidst all his ailments, "What! Would you have the Lord find me idle when He comes?"^[4]

John Calvin died in Geneva on May 27, 1564. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed He was buried in the Cimetière des Rois under a tombstone marked simply with the initials "J. The Cimetière des Rois (French for Cemetery of Kings) is a Cemetery in Geneva, Switzerland, where people such as John Calvin C. ",^[5] partially honoring his request that he be buried in an unknown place, without witnesses or ceremony. He is commemorated in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's liturgical calendar of saints as a Renewer of the Church on May 27. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA) is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago Illinois. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Renewers of the Church is a title given to some individuals by the Lutheran Church in their Calendar of Saints. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed

Thought

Part of a series on Calvinism (see also Portal)

John Calvin

Background Christianity St. Augustine The Reformation Five Solas Synod of Dort

Distinctives Five Points (TULIP) Covenant Theology Regulative principle

Documents Calvin's Institutes Confessions of faith Geneva Bible

Influences Theodore Beza John Knox Huldrych Zwingli Jonathan Edwards Princeton theologians

Churches Reformed Presbyterian Congregationalist Particular Baptist

Peoples Afrikaner Calvinists Huguenots Pilgrims Puritans Scots This box: view • talk • edit

See also: Calvin's view of Scripture

Calvin was trained to be a lawyer. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Five sola s are five Latin phrases (or slogans that emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers' basic theological beliefs The Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618[[ 619|/19]] by the Dutch Reformed Church, in order to settle a serious controversy Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Covenant theology (also known as Covenantalism or Federal theology or Federalism) is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for The regulative principle of worship is a 20th century term used for a teaching shared by Calvinists and Anabaptists on how the second commandment and Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin 's seminal work on Protestant Systematic theology. Reformed Christian confessions of faith are documents of the faith of various Reformed churches. The Geneva Bible was a Protestant translation of the Bible into English. Theodore Beza ( Théodore de Bèze or de Besze) ( June 24, 1519 &ndash October 13, 1605) was a French John Knox (c 1510 – 24 November 1572 was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. This article is about the theologian (b 1703 for other uses of Jonathan Edwards see Jonathan Edwards. The Princeton theology is a tradition of conservative Christian Reformed and Presbyterian theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, in Princeton The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Afrikaner Calvinism is according to theory a unique cultural development that combined the Calvinist religion with the political aspirations of the white Afrikaans speaking The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers (or Pilgrim Mothers) is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, Scotland is traditionally a Christian nation with around 65% claiming to be Christian at the 2001 census. The doctrine of Scripture plays a vital role in the writings of John Calvin. He studied under some of the best legal minds of the Renaissance in France. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Part of that training involved the newer humanistic methods of exegesis, which dealt with a text in the original language directly via historical and grammatical analysis, as opposed to indirectly via layers of commentators. Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal Exegesis (from the Greek 'to lead out' involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a Holy His legal and exegetical training was important for Calvin because, once convinced of the growing Protestant faith, he applied these exegetical methods to the Scripture. He self-consciously tried to mold his thinking along biblical lines, and he labored to preach and teach what he believed the Bible taught. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin

While Reformers such as Jan Hus and Martin Luther may be seen as somewhat original thinkers that began a movement, Calvin was a great logician and systematizer of that movement, but not an innovator in doctrine. Jan Hus ( (ˈjan ˈɦus alternative spellings John Hus, Jan Huss, John Huss) (c Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer Unlike Luther and Melanchthon, who underwent many doctrinal changes and sometimes contradicted their previous views, Calvin held essentially the same theology from his youth to his death. Philipp Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerd) ( February 16, 1497 &ndash April 19, 1560) was a German professor and theologian ^[6] He was very familiar with the writings of the early Church Fathers and the great Medieval schoolmen, and he was also in debt to earlier Reformers. The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Calvin did not reject the Scholastics of the Middle Ages outright but rather made use of them and reformed their thoughts in accordance with his understanding of the Bible. Scholasticism was the dominant form of theology and philosophy in the Latin West in the Middle Ages, particularly in the 12th 13th and 14th centuries For example, using Anselm of Canterbury's satisfaction view of the atonement, Calvin developed and formalized the doctrine of penal substitution where Christ receives the punishment earned by the elect in their stead. Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 &ndash April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval Philosopher, theologian, and church official The satisfaction view of the Atonement is a Doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ Penal substitution is a theory of the Atonement within Christian theology, especially associated with the Reformed tradition

Calvin had a great commitment to the absolute sovereignty and holiness of God. Because of this, he is often associated with the doctrines of predestination and election, but it should be noted that he differed very little with the other magisterial Reformers regarding these difficult doctrines. Predestination (also linked with Foreknowledge) is a religious concept which involves the relationship between God and His creation An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office The Magisterial Reformation was an element of the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther and many others Additionally, while the five points of Calvinism bear his name and are a reflection of his thinking, they were not articulated by him, and were actually a product of the Synod of Dort, which issued its judgments in response to five specific objections that arose after Calvin's time. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the The Synod of Dort was a National Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618[[ 619|/19]] by the Dutch Reformed Church, in order to settle a serious controversy

While Calvin's theological contributions have had a wide influence, his legacy can also be seen in other areas. For example, he placed a high premium on education of the youth of Geneva, and in 1559 he founded the Academy of Geneva, which was a model for other academies around the world and which would eventually become the University of Geneva. Rousseau Institute (also known as Jean-Jacques Rousseau Institute or Academy of Geneva - in French Académie De Genève or Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau The University of Geneva (Université de Genève is a university in Geneva, Switzerland. Calvin's thought in the area of church polity was seminal as well, giving rise to various Reformed and Presbyterian systems of church government. Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a Church or Christian denomination. The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The Consistory of Geneva, with Calvin at its helm, was influential in sending out scores of missionaries, not only to France, but also to countries as far off as Brazil. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Finally, Calvin, knowing the benefits of business, was instrumental in founding and developing the silk industry in Geneva, by which many Genevans reaped monetary benefits. Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons

Writings

Although nearly all of Calvin's adult life was spent in Geneva (1536-38 and 1541-64), his publications spread his ideas of a properly reformed church to many parts of Europe and from there to the rest of the world. It is especially on account of his voluminous publications that he exerts such a lasting influence over Christianity and Western history.

Calvin's first published work was an edition of the Roman philosopher Seneca's De Clementia, accompanied by a commentary demonstrating a thorough knowledge of antiquity. In Printmaking, an edition is a number of prints struck from one plate usually at the same point in time The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca, or Seneca the Younger; Σένεκας in Ancient Greek literature (c His first theological work, the Psychopannychia, attempted to refute the doctrine of soul sleep as promulgated by Christians whom Calvin called "Anabaptists. See also Intermediate state In Christian theology, soul sleep is a belief that the Soul sleeps unconsciously between the Death of the " He finished it in 1534 but, on the advice of friends, didn't publish it until 1542. The work demonstrates that since his conversion, Calvin had undertaken serious study and now showed a mastery of the Bible, and he had become, using Barth's words, a "theological Humanist" and a "biblicist" — that is, "[n]o matter how true a teaching might be, he was not ready to lend an ear to it apart from the Word of God. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Karl Barth ( May 10, 1886 &ndash December 10, 1968) (pronounced "bart" a Swiss Reformed theologian was one "^[7]

At the age of twenty-six, Calvin published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion (Latin title Institutio Christianae Religionis), a seminal work in Christian theology that altered the course of Western history as much as any other book^[4] and that is still read by theological students today. Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin 's seminal work on Protestant Systematic theology. It was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone and Christian liberty, and it vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism to which Calvin says he had been "strongly devoted" before his conversion to Protestantism. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active In Christian theology, justification is God 's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God Adiaphoron (plural adiaphora from the Greek αδιάφορα "indifferent things" was a concept used in Stoic philosophy to indicate things The word orthodox, from Greek orthodoxos "having the right opinion" from orthos ("right true straight" + doxa ("opinion The over-arching theme of the book – and Calvin's greatest theological legacy – is the idea of God's total sovereignty, particularly in salvation and election. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of ^[4]

Calvin's magnum opus, penned so early in his life, "came like Minerva in full panoply out of the head of Jupiter," and even through its enlargements and revisions, it remained basically the same in its content. ^[6] It overshadowed the earlier Protestant theologies such as Melanchthon's Loci and Zwingli's Commentary on the True and False Religion, and according to historian Philip Schaff, it is a classic of theology at the level of Origen's On First Principles, Augustine's The City of God, Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica, and Schleiermacher's The Christian Faith. Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Philip Schaff ( January 1, 1819 – October 20, 1893) was a Swiss -born German -educated Protestant Origen ( Greek: Ōrigénēs, or Origen Adamantius, ca 185–ca The Summa Theologica (or the Summa Theologiae or simply the Summa, written 1265 &ndash 1274) is the most famous Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (ˈʃlaɪɐmaxɐ ( November 21, 1768 &ndash February 12, 1834) was a German theologian ^[6]

Calvin also produced many volumes of commentary on most of the books of the Bible. For the Old Testament, he published commentaries for all books except the histories after Joshua (though he did publish his sermons on First Samuel) and the Wisdom literature other than the Book of Psalms. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Book of Joshua ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'hoshua ספר יהושע is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic The Books of Samuel ( Hebrew: Sefer Sh'muel ספר שמואל are part of the Tanakh (part of Judaism 's Hebrew Bible) and also of Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included For the New Testament, he omitted only the brief second and third epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. The Second Epistle of John (often simply called 2nd John or II John) is a book in the Christian Holy Scriptures, the authorship of The New Testament Third Epistle of John (often referred to as 3 John) written in the form of an Epistle, is the 64th book of the Bible. Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου (Some have suggested that Calvin questioned the canonicity of the Book of Revelation, but his citation of it as authoritative in his other writings casts doubt on that theory. A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious ) These commentaries, too, have proved to be of lasting value to students of the Bible, and they are still in print after over 400 years.

In the controversial matter of interpreting prophecy such as that in the Book of Daniel, Calvin was a preterist, which is to say that he believed most prophecies had already been fulfilled in history. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian Preterism is a variant of Christian eschatology which holds that some or all of the biblical prophecies concerning the Last Days or End Times In this view he was essentially in line with the early church and the Reformers who came before him, but he is in distinction to many of his immediate successors who took a historicist view and to many today who look a future fulfillment. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c In Christian eschatology, Historicism is a school of interpretation which treats the eschatological prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as finding literal See also Book of Revelation#Futurist view Futurism is an interpretation of the Bible in Christian eschatology placing the fulfillment of the prophecies ^[8]

Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, after whom the anti-Calvinistic movement Arminianism was named, says with regard to the value of Calvin's writings:^[9]

Next to the study of the Scriptures which I earnestly inculcate, I exhort my pupils to peruse Calvin’s Commentaries, which I extol in loftier terms than Helmich himself (a Dutch divine, 1551–1608); for I affirm that he excels beyond comparison in the interpretation of Scripture, and that his commentaries ought to be more highly valued than all that is handed down to us by the library of the fathers; so that I acknowledge him to have possessed above most others, or rather above all other men, what may be called an eminent spirit of prophecy. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Jacobus Arminius, the Latinized name of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jakob Harmenszoon (also known by the Anglicized Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means His Institutes ought to be studied after the (Heidelberg) Catechism, as containing a fuller explanation, but with discrimination, like the writings of all men. A catechism (ˈkætəkɪzəm κατηχισμός is a summary or exposition of Doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament

Letters

Calvin's body of letters has not received the wide readership of the Institutes and bible commentaries since his correspondence obviously addressed the particular needs and occasions of his day. Edward VI (12 October 1537 &ndash 6 July 1553 became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Even so, the scale of his letter writing was just as prodigious as his better-known works: his letters number some 4,000, and fill eleven of Calvin's fifty-nine volumes in the Corpus Reformatorum. B. B. Warfield even calls Calvin "the great letter-writer of the Reformation age. Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield ( November 5, 1851 &ndash February 16, 1921) was the principal of Princeton "^[10]

His letters, often written under the pseudonym Charles Despeville,^[11] concern issues ranging from disputes about local theater^[12] to raising support for fledgling churches^[13] to choosing sides in a political alliance. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) ^[14] They also reveal personal qualities that are not evident in his exegetical prose. One example came after the massacre of the Waldensians of Provence in 1545 where 3,600 were slaughtered. General description The earliest Waldensians believed in poverty and austerity promoting true poverty public preaching and the personal study of the scriptures Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France Calvin was so dismayed that in a space of twenty-one days he visited Berne, Aurich, Schaffhausen, Basle, and Strasbourg, before addressing the deputies of the Cantons at the Diet of Arau, pleading everywhere for an intercession on behalf of those who survived. ^[14] He wrote of his grief to William Farel:

Such was the savage cruelty of the persecutors, that neither young girls, nor pregnant women, nor infants were spared. William ( Guillaume) Farel (1489 &ndash 13 September 1565) was a French evangelist, and a founder of the Reformed Church So great is the atrocious cruelty of this proceeding, that I grow bewildered when I reflect upon it. How, then, shall I express it in words?  . . . I write, worn out with sadness, and not without tears, which so burst forth, that every now and then they interrupt my words. ^[14]

One of Calvin's better known letters was his reply to Jacopo Sadoleto's "Letter to the Genevans,"^[15] and this "Reformation Debate" remains in print today. Jacopo Sadoleto (1477 &ndash 1547 Italian humanist and churchman was born at Modena in 1477 and being the son of a noted jurist was designed for

Reformed Geneva

John Calvin had been exiled from Geneva because he and his colleagues, namely William Farel and Antoine Froment, were accused of wanting to create a "new papacy. Antoine Froment (1508-1581 was a Protestant reformer in Geneva. " Thus, he went to Strasbourg during the time of the Ottoman wars and passed through the Cantons of Switzerland. The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older European The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the Federal state of Switzerland. While in Geneva, William Farel asked Calvin to help him with the cause of the Church. Calvin wrote of Farel's request, "I felt as if God from heaven had laid his mighty hand upon me to stop me in my course. " Together with Farel, Calvin attempted to institute a number of changes to the city's governance and religious life. They drew up a catechism and a confession of faith, which they insisted all citizens must affirm. The city council refused to adopt Calvin and Farel's creed, and in January 1538 denied them the power to excommunicate, a power they saw as critical to their work. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community The pair responded with a blanket denial of the Lord's Supper to all Genevans at Easter services. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. For this the city council expelled them from the city. Farel travelled to Neuchâtel, Calvin to Strasbourg.

For three years Calvin served as a lecturer and pastor to a church of French Huguenots in Strasbourg. William ( Guillaume) Farel (1489 &ndash 13 September 1565) was a French evangelist, and a founder of the Reformed Church Theodore Beza ( Théodore de Bèze or de Besze) ( June 24, 1519 &ndash October 13, 1605) was a French John Knox (c 1510 – 24 November 1572 was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth It was during his exile that Calvin married Idelette de Bure. He also came under the influence of Martin Bucer, who advocated a system of political and ecclesiastical structure along New Testament lines. Martin Bucer (or Butzer) ( 11 November 1491 – 28 February 1551) was a Protestant reformer whose principal ministry was He continued to follow developments in Geneva, and when Jacopo Sadoleto, a Catholic cardinal, penned an open letter to the city council inviting Geneva to return to the mother church, Calvin's response on behalf of embattled Genevan Protestants helped him to regain the respect he had lost. Jacopo Sadoleto (1477 &ndash 1547 Italian humanist and churchman was born at Modena in 1477 and being the son of a noted jurist was designed for After a number of Calvin's supporters won election to the Geneva city council, he was invited back to the city in 1540, and having negotiated concessions such as the formation of the Consistory, he returned in 1541. Antiquity Originally the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together' just as the Greek syn(hedrion (of which the Biblical Sanhedrin

Upon his return, armed with the authority to craft the institutional form of the church, Calvin began his program of reform. He established four categories of offices based on biblical injunctions:

• Ministers of the Word were to preach, to administer the sacraments, and to exercise pastoral discipline, teaching and admonishing the people.
• Doctors held an office of theological scholarship and teaching for the edification of the people and the training of other ministers.
• Elders were 12 laymen whose task was to serve as a kind of moral police force, mostly issuing warnings, but referring offenders to the Consistory when necessary.
• Deacons oversaw institutional charity, including hospitals and anti-poverty programs.

In 1546, a faction headed by Ami Perrin, who had been behind Calvin's return to Geneva, were worried by the influx of refugees and ministers into the city, fretted that Emperor Charles V might attempt to take Geneva by force, and disliked the Consistory's strictures. Ami Perrin (? – 1561 was a Swiss Libertine and one of the most powerful figures in Geneva in the 16th century as chief opponent of religious reformer Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was Perrin was tried and acquitted of treason for allegedly planning to bring a French garrison into Geneva, and being then restored to his post as head of the Genevan militia, he played a part in the so-called Libertine opposition to Calvin a few years later. ^[16]

Critics often look to the Consistory as the emblem of Calvin's theocratic rule. Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler The Consistory was an ecclesiastical court consisting of the elders and pastors, charged with maintaining strict order among the church's officers and members. Offenses ranged from propounding false doctrine to moral infractions, such as wild dancing and bawdy singing. Typical punishments were being required to attend public sermons or catechism classes. Whereas the city council had the power to wield the sword, the church courts held the authority of the keys of heaven. Therefore, the maximum punishment that the consistory could decree was excommunication, which was reversible upon the repentance of the offender. However, the officers of the church were considered to be the state's spiritual advisors in moral or doctrinal matters. Protestants in the 16th century were often subjected to the Catholic charge that they were innovators in doctrine, and that such innovation did lead inevitably to moral decay and, ultimately, the dissolution of society itself.

Calvin claimed his wish was to establish the moral legitimacy of the church reformed according to his program, but also to promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Recently discovered documentation of Consistory proceedings shows at least some concern for domestic life, and women in particular. For the first time men's infidelity was punished as harshly as that of women, and the Consistory showed absolutely no tolerance for spousal abuse. The Consistory helped to transform Geneva into the city described by Scottish reformer John Knox as "the most perfect school of Christ that ever was on the earth since the days of the Apostles. John Knox (c 1510 – 24 November 1572 was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian " In 1559 Calvin founded the Collège de Genève as well as a hospital for the indigent. History On February 24, 1428

Civil punishments

Some allege that Calvin was not above using the Consistory to further his own political aims and maintain his sway over civil and religious life in Geneva, and, it is argued, he responded harshly to any challenge to his actions. Calvin was reluctant to ordain Genevans, preferring to choose more qualified pastors from the stream of French immigrants pouring into the city for the express purpose of supporting his own program of reform. When Pierre Ameaux complained about this practice, some contend that Calvin took it as an attack on divinely ordained authority and persuaded the city council to require Ameaux to walk through the town dressed in a hair shirt and beg for mercy in the public squares.

Jacques Gruet sided with some of the old Genevan families, who resented the power and methods of the Consistory. Jacques Gruet (died July 26, 1547) was a Libertine and an Atheist, who was put to death in Geneva during John Calvin 's He was implicated in an incident in which someone had placed a placard in one of the city's churches, reading:

Gross hypocrite, thou and thy companions will gain little by your pains. If you do not save yourselves by flight, nobody shall prevent your overthrow, and you will curse the hour when you left your monkery. Warning has been already given that the devil and his renegade priests were come hither to ruin every thing. But after people have suffered long they avenge themselves. Take care that you are not served like Mons. Verle of Fribourg [who was killed in a fight with the Protestants, while endeavoring to save himself by flight]. We will not have so many masters. Mark well what I say.

Gruet's views on religion were well known in Geneva, and he wrote verses about Calvin and the French immigrants that were "more malignant than poetic" (Audin). Jean-M-Vincent Audin was a French Roman Catholic author journalist and historian As Gruet had been heard threatening Calvin a few days earlier, he was arrested in connection with the anonymous placard and was tortured. Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally He confessed to the placard and to writing various other heretical documents that were found in his house, and he was beheaded. ^[17]

Calvin's acceptance of torture was in accord with the prevailing attitude of that age, and few persons of any position or religious denomination were critical of the practice, though there were exceptions such as Anton Praetorius and Calvin's former friend Sebastian Castellio. Anton Praetorius (1560 &ndash 6 December 1613) was a German Calvinist Pastor who spoke out against the persecution of witches ( Sebastian Castellio (also spelled Châtaillon Castellión and Castello ( 1515 – December 29, 1563) was a French preacher and theologian and Such practices, however, have been rejected by followers of Calvin since at least the 1800s. ^[18]

Calvin and the other reformers (as well as Catholics in middle Europe) also believed that they should not permit the practice of witchcraft, in accord with their understanding of passages such as Exodus 22:18 and Leviticus 20:27,^[19] and in 1545 twenty-three people were burned to death in Geneva under charges of practicing witchcraft and attempting to spread the plague over a three–year period. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Exodus ( Greek: έξοδος eksodos = "departure" is the second book of the Jewish Torah and of the Christian Old Testament. Leviticus (from Greek Λευιτικός, "relating to the Levites " The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia ^[20]

Servetus controversy

The most lasting controversy of Calvin's life involves his role in the execution of Michael Servetus, the Spanish physician and theologian. Michael Servetus (also Miguel Servet or Miguel Serveto; 29 September, 1511 &ndash 27 October, 1553) was a Spanish

Servetus first published his views in 1531 to a wide yet unreceptive audience. He denounced the Trinity, one of the cardinal doctrines that Catholics and Protestants agreed upon. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных ^[1] Calvin knew of these views in 1534, when he accepted Servetus' invitation to a small gathering in Paris to discuss their differences in person. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city For unknown reasons Servetus failed to appear. ^[21]

Around 1546, Servetus initiated a correspondence with Calvin that lasted until 1548, when the exchange grew so rancorous that Calvin ended it. Each man wrote under a pen name and each tried to win the other to his own theology. Servetus even offered to come to Geneva if invited and given a guarantee of safe passage. Calvin declined to offer either. In 1546 Calvin told Farel, "[Servetus] takes it upon him to come hither, if it be agreeable to me. But I am unwilling to pledge my word for his safety, for if he shall come, I shall never permit him to depart alive, provided my authority be of any avail. "^[1]

Calvin's zeal was very much the rule among civil and church authorities in 16th century Europe, above all toward Servetus' effort to spread what they deemed heresy. As early as 1533 the Spanish Inquisition had sentenced Servetus to death in absentia. The Spanish Inquisition started and was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile to maintain ^[22] Years later, in 1553, he was charged with heresy while living under an assumed name in Vienne, France. This article is about the French department Do not confuse with the Austrian capital Vienna. After Servetus escaped from the French prison in April 1553, the authorities there convicted and burned him in effigy. ^[23]

Servetus came to Geneva in August 1553 and attended a Sunday church service with Calvin in the pulpit. He was recognized and arrested on Calvin's initiative. While Calvin also wrote the heresy charges, Geneva's city council did far more to steer Servetus' trial, sentence, and burning at the stake. ^[24][21] Calvin asked the council for a more humane execution — beheading for civil disobedience rather than the stake for heresy — but his appeal was denied. Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain Laws demands and commands of a Government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief The sentence was carried out on 27 October 1553. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Servetus was burned along with every available copy of his final work, Christianismi Restitutio, only three known copies of which survived — two in Calvin's own possession.

Servetus was the only person "put to death for his religious opinions in Geneva during Calvin's lifetime, at a time when executions of this nature were a commonplace elsewhere," but an angry debate over this incident has continued to the present day. ^[24] History has certainly judged Calvin to be in the wrong on this issue, and later Calvinists have criticised his actions against Servetus. ^[25][26] Although many of Calvin's detractors portray him as a man who craved power, could not abide any dissent, and is unworthy of the respect that is commonly given to him,^[27][28] his admirers see him as a man who sinned and failed to transcend the ethics of his time, but who is still deserving of honor because of his contributions elsewhere. ^[9][26]

References

Bibliography

General collections

• Works by John Calvin at Project Gutenberg
• Writings of Calvin at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL)
• Sermons by Calvin

Theological works

• Institutes of the Christian Religion at CCEL
• Calvin's Commentaries on the Bible at CCEL
• Psychopannychia
• Jean Calvin, Théodore de Bèze, Tracts relating to the Reformation Containing Treatises on the Sacraments; Antidote to the Council of Trent, vol. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works The Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL is a Digital library that provides free electronic copies of Christian Scripture and Literature 1, by J. Calvin, with his life by Theodore Beza, tr. Theodore Beza ( Théodore de Bèze or de Besze) ( June 24, 1519 &ndash October 13, 1605) was a French by H. Beveridge, Edingurgh, The Calvin Translation Society, 1844. – Google Books
• Tracts relating to the Reformation Containing Treatises on the Sacraments; Catechism of the Church of Geneva; Forms of Prayer and Confessions of Faith, Vol. Google Book Search is a tool from Google that searches the full text of books that Google scans OCRs, and stores in its digital database 2, tr. by Henry Beveridge, Edingurgh, The Calvin Translation Society, 1849
• Calvin on Secret Providence tr. by James Lillie, New York, Robert Carter, 1840

Letters

• Jules Bonnet, Letters of John Calvin, Carlisle, Penn: Banner of Truth Trust, 1980. The Banner of Truth Trust is an evangelical and Reformed Christian publishing house founded in London in 1957 by Iain Murray ISBN 0-85151-323-9
• Jules Bonnet, Lettres de Jean Calvin, (Lettres Francaises - French Letters), 2 vols. , vol. 2 (Tome Second) , Paris, Librairie De. Ch. Meyrueis et Compagnie, 1854
• Jules Bonnet, Letters of John Calvin, 2 vols. , 1855, 1857, Edinburgh, Thomas Constable and Co. : Little, Brown, and Co. , Boston – The Internet Archive
• Calvin's letter to the Protector Somerset, October 22, 1548. The Internet Archive ( IA) is a Nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line Library and archive of Web and Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Two Kinds of Rebels that "Deserve to be Repressed by the Sword. "

Secondary sources

• Bernard Cottret, Calvin, a Biography, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN 0-567-08757-3
• Roland Bainton (1974). Women of the Reformation in England and France. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. ISBN 0-8070-5649-9.
• John Farrell, "The Terrors of Reform," chapter five of Paranoia and Modernity: Cervantes to Rousseau. Cornell University Press, 2006.
• John Foxe. John Foxe (1517 &ndash April 18, 1587) martyrologist is remembered as the author of what is popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs An Account of the Life of John Calvin
• Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone, Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World. Broadway Books: New York, 2002. ISBN 0-7679-0837-6
• David W. Hall. A Heart Promptly Offered: The Revolutionary Leadership of John Calvin. Nashville, TN: Cumberland House, 2006. ISBN 1-58182-505-6
• R. Ward Holder "John Calvin". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved on 2007-09-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated  
• Robert M. Kingdon, Registers of the Consistory of Geneva in the Time of Calvin: Volume 1, 1542-1544, Grand Rapids, Mich. , Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000. ISBN 0-8028-4618-1 Reviewed by the PROTESTANT REFORMED THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
• Robert M. Kingdon, Calvinism in Europe 1540-1620, Andrew Pettegree et al. , eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-521-43269-3 (Chap. 2, "The Geneva Consistory in the Time of Calvin,")
• John Piper, "John Calvin: The Man and His Preaching", lecture from the 1997 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors. John Stephen Piper (born January 11, 1946, Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a Reformed and Baptist Theologian
• Hugh Young Reyburn, John Calvin: His Life, Letters, and Work, London, New York, Hodder and Stoughton, 1914.
• Philip Schaff (1892). Philip Schaff ( January 1, 1819 – October 20, 1893) was a Swiss -born German -educated Protestant History of the Christian Church: Modern Christianity. The Swiss Reformation VIII.  
• Emanuel Stickelberger, trans. by David Georg Gelzer, Calvin: A Life, John Knox Press, Atlanta: 1954.
• Virgil Vaduva (2005-04-05). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop "The Right to Heresy: A Critical look at Calvin's Geneva". Retrieved on 2006-10-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge.
• Stefan Zweig The Right to Heresy: Castellio against Calvin translated by Eden and Cedar Pal. Stefan Zweig ( November 28, 1881, Vienna, Austria &ndash February 22, 1942, Petrópolis, Brazil) The Viking Press, 1936
• Prohibition of Swearing - Corpus Reformatorum, (Opera Calvini, 59 vols. The Corpus Reformatorum ( Corp Ref Cor Ref CR CR) ( Halle (Saale, 1834 sqq ), (Braunschweig: 1863-90) vol. Braunschweig, known as Brunswiek in Low German, is a city of 245810 people (as of 31 December 2007 located in Lower Saxony, Germany. 48, cols. 59-62.

See also

• John Calvin's views on Mary

External links

• St Peter's Cathedral in Geneva
• Bibliography of writings about Calvin updated annually at the H. John Calvin (July 10 1509 – May 27 1564 was a French born Protestant Theologian during the Protestant Reformation, and next to Martin Luther Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies

Persondata
NAME	Calvin, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Calvin, Jean; Cauvin, Jean; Chauvin, Jean
SHORT DESCRIPTION	French theologian, founder of Calvinism
DATE OF BIRTH	July 10, 1509
PLACE OF BIRTH	Noyon, Picardie, Kingdom of France
DATE OF DEATH	May 27, 1564
PLACE OF DEATH	Geneva

Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. For another meaning see Noyan Noyon ( Latin: Noviomagus Veromanduorum) is a small (14471 inhabitants in 1990 but historic Picardie ( English: Picardy is one of the 26 regions of France. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed

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