JOHN CALVIN
1509 - 1564
John Calvin, Born to an upper
middle class family in France, John Calvin
(the Latinized form of his birth name, Jean
Cauvin) emerged as one of the most important
figures of the Reformation. Having studied
for the priesthood at Paris in his youth,
Calvin turned his attentions to civil and
canon law in Orleans when his father became
disaffected with the clergy. Calvin showed
an early predilection for theology and for
the study of Greek and Hebrew. Exposed to
the ideas of Luther while he was still in
Paris, Calvin's writing indicate that he had
definitely moved into the Protestant camp
by 1533. On November 1 of that year, he delivered
a speech in which he attacked the established
church and called for reforms.
Calvin's ideas, rather than
bringing about the reforms he sought, elicited
a wave of anti-Protestant sentiment that forced
him to flee for his own safety. During the
next few years, he sought refuge in various
cities, most notably Basel, Switzerland. It
was also during this period that he began
work on his Institution de la Religion Chrétienne,
the voluminous work that would consume a good
deal of his energy for the next three decades.
During Calvin's flight, he
happened to pass a night in Geneva with a
man named Farel. Farel attempted to persuade
Calvin to remain in Geneva working in support
of the Protestant cause there. Reluctantly,
Calvin agreed. In 1541, pro-Protestant forces
gained control of the city. For the remainder
of his life, Calvin stood as the dominant
figure in a Geneva that became a point of
refuge for persecuted Protestants from all
over Europe.
Despite Calvin's work in
Geneva, his chief claim to an enduring legacy
is found in his theology, which has been greatly
influential in many Protestant denominations.
The primary tenets of Calvinism include a
belief in the primacy of the scripture as
an authority for doctrinal decisions, a belief
in predestination, a belief in salvation wholly
accomplished by grace with no influence from
works, and a rejection of the episcopacy.
Lyrics & Chord Charts
