Vadym Dykyi Vadym Dykyi History of Christianity THE 261 Term Paper December 1, 2010,

Term Paper

John Calvin John Calvin was not just a man known for being a good theologian but also a person who developed new theological system which is now known as Calvinism. Nobody, during Calvins childhood, could predict that he will be one of the famous theologians through the history of Christianity. He was growing as other kids, with childs habits and hobbies. Even though, he was interested in theology studying his parents believed that he will be a good lawyer as his father. John lived with three siblings and father in Noyon, which is located in France. Their mother died when John was only few years old. He belonged to Christian family, and from the birth he attended Roman Catholic Church where Johns father participated in churchs life. The local bishop employed Calvin's father as an administrator in the town's cathedral. The father, in turn, wanted John to become a priest. Because of close ties with the bishop and his noble family, John's playmates and classmates in Noyon (and later in Paris) were aristocratic and culturally influential in his early life.1 Even though, all members of his family belonged to church his father was against his sons theologian studies because he believed that theology is not good profession for making money. He was sure that the best job his son can do is to be a lawyer but Johns views were different from fathers views. A period of changes started when John entered University of Paris to study theology against his fathers will. From the birth John Calvin was inspired by well known Protestant Martin Luther. He supported his belief and supported him as religious leader. During his first year he
1

Christians Classic Ethereal Libraly, John Calvin french reformer and theologian

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper

studied Martin Luther because he was an inspiration of Calvins studying. Calvin agreed with Luther's criticisms of the Roman church, and with most of Luther's fundamental religious ideas, such as justification by faith alone and not by works. 2 Unfortunately for Calvin he studied in University of Paris only few years and later, Johns father forced his son to leave university and to go to college of Law. John could not go against his father will again and he decided to leave university of Paris and enter Orleans school, he chooses law as his major in school. Hard period of life started in Johns life when his father died. This event brings in to his life both negative and positive emotions. The dark side of it was that his mother died when he was only few years old and his father was one of the most important people in his life. This even brought dark side not only to John but also to his brothers. In spite the dark side of the fathers death, there were also a positive that totally changed his life. Now he had a freedom to study whatever he wanted. John decided to leave college of Law where Johns father forced to study and follows his dream; he enters collage in Paris to study Greek. In Johns life these years in college became the most important in his life because it helped him to find and understand his destiny in his life. Studying at university, he found a lot of interesting things in Protestantism and later, he becomes the one of the followers of Protestantism. Around 1533, Calvin experienced a subita conversione, a sudden conversion. As Calvin is notoriously reticent about revealing his personal life, his writings do not grant much insight as to the exact time or cause of this event. 3 Studying Protestantism he understands that God is the creator of the World who controls him like he is in Gods hands. These events inspire him to write a book Institutes of the Christian Religion in which he talks about God and his creation. In his book Calvin explains about relations between God and human, how God is trying to get closer to people and how they move away from him, he shared
2

Lewis Loflin, Why should we know Calvin, 2002 R.Ward Holder, John Calvin, (Assistant Professor of Theology, St Anselm College)

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper

with his own Christian beliefs. In order to make it easy for people to read it he divide his book on 4 parts and in which part he talks only about specific topic in Christianity; for example, in first part of the book he talks about God as a Creator of the World. He starts his first chapter with idea that Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other.4 Second part of the book is dedicated for Gods son Jesus. He tells why Jesus important for people, what have he done, why he came on earth and about his love. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, (1 John 4: 10.) These words clearly demonstrate that God, in order to remove any obstacle to his love towards us, appointed the method of reconciliation in Christ. There is great force in this word "propitiation"; for in a manner which cannot be expressed, God, at the very time when he loved us, was hostile to us until reconciled in Christ. To this effect are all the following passages: "He is the propitiation for our sins;" "It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, and having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;" "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;" "He has made us accepted in the Beloved," That he might reconcile both into one body by the cross.5 In the third part Calvin tells why Jesus and Church is a bridge to salvation, an opportunity to have eternal life on heavens, how should we live properly; The Scripture system of which we speak aims chiefly at two objects. The former is, that the love of righteousness, to which we are by no means naturally inclined, may be instilled and
4

Henry Beveridge, John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book I , The Knowledge of God the Creator., chapter 1.

Henry Beveridge, John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, BOOK II. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE REDEEMER IN CHRIST, FIRST DISCLOSED TO THE FATHERS UNDER THE LAW, AND THEN TO US IN THE GOSPEL, Chapter 17

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper

implanted into our minds. The latter is to prescribe a rule which will prevent us while in the pursuit of righteousness from going astray. It has numerous admirable methods of recommending righteousness. Many have been already pointed out in different parts of this work; but we shall here also briefly advert to some of them.6 Finally, in the last part he describes how the church should work, how ministers should preach and how people should read Holly Scripture in order to understand it right. It was his first book in which he explained his understanding of theology. He published his first work in Basle in 1536 but later it was revised for many times and finally, in 1559 he published his final work of his first work that had a huge impact on society. The reason why he was revising his book for many times is that he was afraid to share all his thoughts about church and faith with people. He was sure that people would think that he is a heretic and will kill him for heretics idea because in recent years many people died for being proclaimed as heretics. Trying to save life Calvin wrote just some of his ideas that would not cause people to proclaim him a heretic.. After John published his first edition he decided to travel through other countries. He was traveling for three years through the France, Italy and Switzerland and his final stop was in Switzerland city Geneva. It was the city that played significant role in his future life. Fight over the control of Geneva was going on when John came to Geneva. New political and church reforms appeared in the city but for many people, including John Calving, these reforms were not enough. People, who did not support huge reforms called Libertines. John and other people who supported John wanted the theocracy which is mean to give clergy power to control the city. But unfortunately, for Calvin, Libertines won the battle and Calvin had to leave the city in order do not get in prison. He left Geneva and went to Strasbourg where he spends few years from 1538 to 1541. These years in Strasbourg were useful for him because he studied books of many Europinian reformers but Martin Bucer idea, who was a reformer of protestant church in Germany, impacted
6

Henry Beveridge, John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, BOOK III. THE WAY IN WHICH WE RECEIVE THE GRACE OF CHRIST: WHAT BENEFITS COME TO US FROM IT, AND WHAT EFFECTS FOLLOW, Chapter 6.

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper

his life much. One of the most important things John Calving was interesting in was Bucers idea about ecclesiastical organization. He liked his ideas how church should work, Bucers ideas gave him new ideas he wanted to write about. Also, he found some of Buccers ideas that he disliked and criticized it. Very interesting moment happened with John Calvin when he was in Strasbourg. On that time he was old enough to get married and to have children but he did not want to get marry. In spite of it, his friends forced John to marry some beautiful lady. Finally, he choose the bride and wedding was planning on March 1540 but few days before it he canceled the wedding and said to his friends that he is not going to marry until God bereft him of his wits7. On the same year he attends few conferences at Worms, Regensburg and Hagenau. While he was attending the conference he got an invitation to come back to Geneva and continue his work there. One year later he came back to Geneva without any troubles because of the fall of Libertines power and nobody was persecuted him. Later on, Johns ideas about reforms were supported and accepted by council of city Geneva. In 1542 he published one more book Catechism of the Church of Geneva in which he supported and continues Bucers ideas. During his years in Geneva he becomes a preacher in the church. Church service always played important role in his views on how church should be organized. He banned all musical instruments, so people could not listen to it during the sermon even though, he loved to listen musical instrument a lot. The reason why he was against music is because he believed that these sounds of musical instruments distract people attention from sermon. Musical instruments where banned while singing was allowed. Calvin believed that singing is very effective in a way of spreading Gods Word that is why during church sermons psalms were singing as hymns of services. Calvin always believed that God has an absolutely power. He controls everything; everything that happening in this word is under his control. He believed that everyone in this world
7

Lewis Loflin, Why should we know Calvin, 2002

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper

is sinful, and the only one reason to get on heaven is to repent not through pilgrimages or mass but through the faith in Jesus Christ. Blasphemy became the reason why people could be killed by church because Calvin believed that blasphemy should be punished by death. When John came to the church he made many reforms that impact not only sermons but also clergy. He was against bishops instead of, he believed that all ministers are equal and there is no difference between them. All the ministers have to worship God equally and to do their best in preaching and administrating the sacraments. When John received power of control in church, he tried to separate it from government because he believed that church and state should be separate from each other while state has to follow the rules of the church. But the main Calvins belief was predestination. He believed that God has a plan for everyone in this world. It means that God can see past, future and present and he can change it easily. Peoples life have already by which they are going to live, but still Calvin was sure that everyone can change his destiny and live in a way God dont like. "We call predestination Gods eternal decree, by which He determined what He willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is ordained for some, eternal damnation for others."8 Few years later Geneva was known as a capital of Christian Protestants. Calvin established few schools in Geneva where people could study and then go to other countries as missionaries. The spread of Calvinism was really impressive, more and more people converted themselves into Calvinists. The first place were missionaries came from Switzerland was France even though, the first time it was hard for missionaries preach to local people because they were sure that it is just a Sect, later on the number of Calvinists were growing with every day. It was one of the fastest spreading of religion during the history of France.

Hugh Young Reyburn, John Calvin: his life, letters and work , 2007

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper

In Switzerland the spreading of Calvinist was not so fast as in France. People were afraid to convert in protestant because Lutherans. Government of Switzerland was also against spreading the Calvinism Calvin played important role not only in Protestant religions but also in many others religions. Calvin followed Sola Scriptura, the idea that all Christian teachings should be based only he New Testament alone. (I emphasize alone for a good reason.) Calvin along with the invention of the printing press promoted mass literacy. Protestantism in general opened a theological "Pandora's Box" not just against the Catholic Church, but Protestantism as well.9 Calvin showed how people should act and worship God, he showed them that you can get salvation not through mass and pilgrimages but only through the Jesus and church who are the bridge to God. He was a brave man who was not afraid to go against rulers of the church even though, he knew that many people would call him a heretic and he might be burn. He made a huge investment not only in history of Religions but also in World history.. Calvin helped people to understand the meaning of the life and explaining them why they should follow Gods command.

Lewis Loflin, Why should we know Calvin, 2002

Vadym Dykyi

Term Paper