JOHN CALVIN

John Calvin (1509-1564) of France was from the 2nd generation

of reformers. He was regarded as the most influential reformer

because of his powerful impact on different parts of Europe. He

studied to become a priest and later he was trained as a lawyer.

Calvin was influenced by humanism. Many of his views were

derived from the Bible; however, he was also influenced by St.

Augustine. He was forced to leave France because of the

religious prosecution carried out by rulers.

According to Calvin, God is without any limitation of time or

place. He believed that man belongs to god and it is man’s duty

to sacrifice himself to god and that the sacraments were merely

external signs of faith. The key to salvation was the Bible.

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The followers of Calvin were assured of their possible salvation

through three presumptive tests prescribed by Calvin himself:

 An open profession of faith

 A decent and godly life

 Men should participate in the sacrament of baptism and

communion

For Calvin, the true marks of the church were to rightly preach

the word of god and administer the sacraments properly.

In Switzerland, he published his “Institutes of the Christian

Religion (1536)”, which was his foundational work for

Calvinism, in the Swiss city of Basel. He accepted most of

Luther’s ideas but differed on the role of the state in church

affairs. Calvin replaced the Catholic Church with a democratic

system whereby each individual assembly elected its ministers

and governed its policies.

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Calvin’s social thought is believed to have indirectly promoted

commercial activity. Money was not regarded as an evil but as

a necessity for the support and sustenance of society. The use of

money should be governed according to the laws of justice and

equity. Calvin linked economic activity to the needs of the

community.

Calvin established a theocracy in Geneva by 1540. Geneva

became the new center of the Reformation in Europe. It became

home to Protestant exiles from England, Scotland, and France,

who later returned to their countries with Calvinist ideas. Only

those who committed to follow Calvinism could live in the city.

Calvin believed church and city should combine to enforce

Christian behaviour.

Calvinism was the most militant and uncompromising of all

Protestant Sects. Activities such as drinking, singing, dancing,

and gambling were prohibited. Calvinists emphasized the

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importance of hard work and accompanying financial success

as a sign that God was pleased.

The spread of Calvinism had far greater impact on future

generations than Lutheranism. The basic factor contributing to

the spread and survival of Calvinism was its flexibility. The

twin pillars of Calvinism were its effective organization and its

clearly defined doctrine of predestination. The doctrine of

predestination constituted the most important element of

Calvin’s social thought. One of the main functions of this

doctrine was to emphasize the grace and lore of God. Calvin

argued that salvation comes from God’s grace. For him,

salvation was predetermined irrespective of man’s merits or

demerits.

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 Spread of Calvinism

Scotland → Presbyterianism → by John Knox in 1560 →

Presbyter’s established a national church → became the

dominant religion in Scotland

France → extensive → resulted in civil war

During the Wars of Religion, the Huguenots (French

Calvinists) side had definite political motives and powerful

support. They were brutally suppressed in France. It was

especially strong among the nobility although Calvinism saw

converts from every social class.

Netherlands → Dutch reformed church → dominant religion

→ revolt against the Inquisition of King Philip II of Spain

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England → Puritanism → Puritans pressured Elizabeth I for

more reforms → established colonies in America in New

England

Calvinism did not spread in Ireland, Spain, and Italy since it

was highly Catholic.

The success of Calvinism is in its effective organization and

clarity of thought. Its church could operate effectively either

with the state cooperation or as a self-contained unit.

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