Introduction


John Calvin
Although Martin Luther provided the spark that began the Reformation, John Calvin took this movement and created a complete Protestant theology based only on scripture. The ideas and beliefs of Calvin’s reformed theology were particularly influential to the early American colonists. Originally a lawyer with a strong belief in the Catholic Church, Calvin suddenly converted to Protestantism in 1533. Forced to flee France because of his beliefs, Calvin went to Geneva and is mostly associated with that city. He believed that all social organizations and government should be based on biblical principles, and he revolutionized Genevan society by imposing a strict moral code on all its citizens. Under Calvin, Geneva became the Protestant stronghold of Europe.

Essential Facts

  1. After becoming a leader in Geneva and beginning to impose his strict theocratic government, he found himself banished from the city by unhappy citizens in 1538. Asked back in 1540, he remained in Geneva until his death in 1564.
  2. One of the main tenets introduced by Calvin was the doctrine of predestination (also called \"the doctrine of the elect\"). This belief held that salvation was predestined by God for certain individuals before birth. According to Calvin, there is no element of human choice or free will in salvation. You are either born part of the elect or you are not saved.
  3. Calvin’s most important work is Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), which sets out the basic tenets of Protestant faith. First published in Latin and later in French, the book is still read by theology students today.
  4. One of the major controversies of Calvin’s life was the execution of Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician and theologian, who had fled to Geneva to escape the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. Because Servetus had written a book denying the existence of the Trinity, which was still accepted Protestant doctrine, he was found guilty of heresy and executed in Geneva. Calvin himself supported the death sentence but was in favor of a painless beheading rather than the accepted method of executing heretics—burning at the stake. Unfortunately for Servetus, Calvin was overruled.
  5. Calvin’s church had four different types of officers: Pastors, who had all the authority in religious matters in Geneva; Teachers, who were responsible for teaching the flock the correct doctrine; Elders, who were responsible for admonishing the people and rooting out any perceived heresy; and Deacons, who were responsible for providing charitable service to the sick, the elderly, and the poor.