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Calvin
A revealing new portrait of John Calvin that captures his human complexity and the sixteenth-century world in which he fought his personal and theological battles
During the glory days of the French Renaissance, young John Calvin (1509-1564) experienced a profound conversion to the faith of the Reformation. For the rest of his days he lived out the implications of that transformation—as exile, inspired reformer, and ultimately the dominant figure of the Protestant Reformation. Calvin’s vision of the Christian religion has inspired many volumes of analysis, but this engaging biography examines a remarkable life. Bruce Gordon presents Calvin as a human being, a man at once brilliant, arrogant, charismatic, unforgiving, generous, and shrewd.
The book explores with particular insight Calvin’s self-conscious view of himself as prophet and apostle for his age and his struggle to tame a sense of his own superiority, perceived by others as arrogance. Gordon looks at Calvin’s character, his maturing vision of God and humanity, his personal tragedies and failures, his extensive relationships with others, and the context within which he wrote and taught. What emerges is a man who devoted himself to the Church, inspiring and transforming the lives of others, especially those who suffered persecution for their religious beliefs.
During the glory days of the French Renaissance, young John Calvin (1509-1564) experienced a profound conversion to the faith of the Reformation. For the rest of his days he lived out the implications of that transformation—as exile, inspired reformer, and ultimately the dominant figure of the Protestant Reformation. Calvin’s vision of the Christian religion has inspired many volumes of analysis, but this engaging biography examines a remarkable life. Bruce Gordon presents Calvin as a human being, a man at once brilliant, arrogant, charismatic, unforgiving, generous, and shrewd.
The book explores with particular insight Calvin’s self-conscious view of himself as prophet and apostle for his age and his struggle to tame a sense of his own superiority, perceived by others as arrogance. Gordon looks at Calvin’s character, his maturing vision of God and humanity, his personal tragedies and failures, his extensive relationships with others, and the context within which he wrote and taught. What emerges is a man who devoted himself to the Church, inspiring and transforming the lives of others, especially those who suffered persecution for their religious beliefs.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
88 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Gordon
146 books28 followersTitus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History
http://divinity.yale.edu/gordon
bruce.gordon@yale.edu
Denomination: Presbyterian
A native of Canada, Bruce Gordon taught from 1994 to 2008 at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. His research focuses on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation in German-speaking lands. He is the author of Calvin (Yale University Press, 2009), a biography that seeks to put the life of the influential reformer in the context of the sixteenth-century world. It is a study of Calvin’s character, his extensive network of personal contacts and of the complexities of church reform and theological exchange in the Reformation. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002) (an “Outstanding Publication” for 2003 by Choice Magazine) studies the emergence of the Reformation n the multi-lingual world of the Swiss Confederation and its influence across Europe in the sixteenth century. His book Clerical Reformation and the Rural Reformation (1992) examined the creation of the first Protestant ministry, which took place in the Swiss city of Zurich and its numerous country parishes. In addition, he has edited books on the development of Protestant historical writing, the relationships between the dead and the living in late-medieval and early modern society, the Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger, and, most recently, on biblical culture in the sixteenth century. He was the principal investigator of a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom on Protestant Latin Bibles of the Sixteenth Century. The project explores the new translations of the Old and New Testaments by Protestant scholars into Latin during the Reformation and the questions posed by these extraordinary works for our understanding of translation, authority, material culture, confessional identity and theological formulation. The monograph is currently being completed. He has started work for Princeton University Press on a study of the reception of Calvin’s Institutes from the Reformation to the modern world. His teaching includes a lecture course on Western Christianity from the early church to the scientific revolution, and seminars on the culture of death, sources and methods of religious history, the Reformation, Calvinism, and the Reformed tradition from Zwingli to postmodernism. He teaches in the Department of History and in Renaissance Studies and works with graduate students on a wide range of topics in early modern religious history. He is on the board of various publishing series: St Andrews Studies in Reformation History (Ashgate), Zürcher Beiträge zur Reformationsgeschichte (Theologischer Verlag Zürich), and Refo500 Academic Studies (Vandenhoeck &Ruprecht). He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and in 2012 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. (Presbyterian)
Read a feature article about Professor Gordon.
Education
B.A. (Hons) King’s College
M.A. Dalhousie University
Ph.D University of St. Andrews
Books
1. Shaping the Bible in the Reformation. Books, Scholars and Their Readers in the Sixteenth Century, ed with Matthew McLean (Brill, 2012).
2. Calvin. 1509‐1564 (Yale University Press, 2009)
3. Architect of Reformation. An Introduction to Heinrich Bullinger, 1504‐1575, co-ed. (Baker Academic, 2004)
4. Translation and Edition of Hans R. Guggisberg, Sebastian Castellio. Defender of Religious Toleration (Ashgate Press, 2003)
5. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002)
6. The Place of the Dead in Late Mediaeval and Early Modern Europe, ed. with Peter Marshall (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
7. Protestant History and Identity in Sixteenth‐Century Europe, 2 vols., ed. (Scolar Press,
http://divinity.yale.edu/gordon
bruce.gordon@yale.edu
Denomination: Presbyterian
A native of Canada, Bruce Gordon taught from 1994 to 2008 at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. His research focuses on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation in German-speaking lands. He is the author of Calvin (Yale University Press, 2009), a biography that seeks to put the life of the influential reformer in the context of the sixteenth-century world. It is a study of Calvin’s character, his extensive network of personal contacts and of the complexities of church reform and theological exchange in the Reformation. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002) (an “Outstanding Publication” for 2003 by Choice Magazine) studies the emergence of the Reformation n the multi-lingual world of the Swiss Confederation and its influence across Europe in the sixteenth century. His book Clerical Reformation and the Rural Reformation (1992) examined the creation of the first Protestant ministry, which took place in the Swiss city of Zurich and its numerous country parishes. In addition, he has edited books on the development of Protestant historical writing, the relationships between the dead and the living in late-medieval and early modern society, the Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger, and, most recently, on biblical culture in the sixteenth century. He was the principal investigator of a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom on Protestant Latin Bibles of the Sixteenth Century. The project explores the new translations of the Old and New Testaments by Protestant scholars into Latin during the Reformation and the questions posed by these extraordinary works for our understanding of translation, authority, material culture, confessional identity and theological formulation. The monograph is currently being completed. He has started work for Princeton University Press on a study of the reception of Calvin’s Institutes from the Reformation to the modern world. His teaching includes a lecture course on Western Christianity from the early church to the scientific revolution, and seminars on the culture of death, sources and methods of religious history, the Reformation, Calvinism, and the Reformed tradition from Zwingli to postmodernism. He teaches in the Department of History and in Renaissance Studies and works with graduate students on a wide range of topics in early modern religious history. He is on the board of various publishing series: St Andrews Studies in Reformation History (Ashgate), Zürcher Beiträge zur Reformationsgeschichte (Theologischer Verlag Zürich), and Refo500 Academic Studies (Vandenhoeck &Ruprecht). He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and in 2012 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. (Presbyterian)
Read a feature article about Professor Gordon.
Education
B.A. (Hons) King’s College
M.A. Dalhousie University
Ph.D University of St. Andrews
Books
1. Shaping the Bible in the Reformation. Books, Scholars and Their Readers in the Sixteenth Century, ed with Matthew McLean (Brill, 2012).
2. Calvin. 1509‐1564 (Yale University Press, 2009)
3. Architect of Reformation. An Introduction to Heinrich Bullinger, 1504‐1575, co-ed. (Baker Academic, 2004)
4. Translation and Edition of Hans R. Guggisberg, Sebastian Castellio. Defender of Religious Toleration (Ashgate Press, 2003)
5. The Swiss Reformation (Manchester University Press, 2002)
6. The Place of the Dead in Late Mediaeval and Early Modern Europe, ed. with Peter Marshall (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
7. Protestant History and Identity in Sixteenth‐Century Europe, 2 vols., ed. (Scolar Press,
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
March 29, 2016
Simply fantastic; the best biography on Calvin in the English language. Chronological, exhaustive, and captivating while avoiding hagiography and idiosyncrasies, Gordon deserves praise for his "Calvin" as his draw from scores of primary resources and Calvin experts allowed him to craft a remarkable biography.
Calvin himself was a towering figure: resolute, difficult, charming and enigmatic. How does one write a biography about a figure who at the height of his career was publishing 100,000 words a year yet never wrote about himself? Gordon, for that, rakes in all the historical documentation he can get his hands on, combined with Calvin's voluminous letter correspondence with reformers, nobility, kings and queens all across Europe, resulting in a work that may not leave you feeling you know Calvin personally, but one that definitely lets you know everything there is about him. What a fascinating figure Calvin was. That he loved his wine, and would get mad when Bucer and others in Strasburg would switch from speaking to one another in Latin to German to Calvin's irritation! So many gems in here: get this book!
Calvin himself was a towering figure: resolute, difficult, charming and enigmatic. How does one write a biography about a figure who at the height of his career was publishing 100,000 words a year yet never wrote about himself? Gordon, for that, rakes in all the historical documentation he can get his hands on, combined with Calvin's voluminous letter correspondence with reformers, nobility, kings and queens all across Europe, resulting in a work that may not leave you feeling you know Calvin personally, but one that definitely lets you know everything there is about him. What a fascinating figure Calvin was. That he loved his wine, and would get mad when Bucer and others in Strasburg would switch from speaking to one another in Latin to German to Calvin's irritation! So many gems in here: get this book!
November 23, 2023
An excellent and beautifully written biography of John Calvin. While it is a warts-and-all presentation of the great Reformer, Professor Gordon provides an empathetic account of his life. His discussion of the Servetus affair, for instance, is very balanced and avoids making anachronistic value judgments that ignore the wider context in which the events took place. The attention paid to Calvin's correspondence with other Reformers does not always show him in the best light, as he could be unduly harsh and manipulative when dealing with his friends. Every religious historian and anyone interested in Reformed theology would benefit from reading this biography.
October 25, 2025
Perhaps more of a 4.5 since I think that sometimes his characterizations of Calvin’s behavior are a little uncharitable, but over all it was a very good biography of Calvin. I read Parker’s biography of Calvin earlier this month, and while it was not bad, Gordon’s is the better of the two in my opinion.
August 16, 2012
I went to a Calvinist church, grade school, high school, summer camp, and Calvin College, without ever learning a thing about the guy's life. The figure that emerges from Gordon's highly readable biography is an intellectually ferocious theologian with an arrogant streak, a head for movement-building, an astounding work ethic, and a keen sense of being called by God. Calvin finds a model for his own life in the apostle Paul, certain that he is divinely chosen in the same way as Paul. Yet Calvin also could be spiteful toward friends and enemies, and he participated, at least on the periphery, of the execution of a rival (Servetus) and an assassination/coup attempt in France.
Gordon's book shows the extent that conflict defined Calvin's Reformation-era world. I don't think he makes enough of Calvin's lifelong bowel troubles (poor guy), and the influence of said condition on his theology.
Gordon's book shows the extent that conflict defined Calvin's Reformation-era world. I don't think he makes enough of Calvin's lifelong bowel troubles (poor guy), and the influence of said condition on his theology.
March 17, 2016
Fairly or unfairly, Gordon emphasizes Calvin's mean-spirited nature. I'd like to read the biography by Selderhuis to see if he offers a more balanced view. The class for which I read this book was taught by David Whitford, whom Bruce Gordon references a couple times.
May 10, 2025
Rather dense and droning, but also one of the better texts on a tremendous personality.
October 17, 2017
This is one of the most recent biographies on John Calvin, sometimes famous for giving a more negative take on the reformer.
I came in expecting that and what struck me was that Gordon didn't emphasize Calvin's authoritarian streak so much as his sensitive streak: Calvin did not do very well when it came to personal criticism. He could be waspish, petulant, rude, and cruel to his best friends. His closest associates, Vilet and Farrel, both ended up estranged from him by the end, though admittedly they both did their share of things to legitimately upset him. In fact, that is the most striking thing about the book: Gordon seems to be reading Calvin reasonably, but a lot of his analysis has to do with tones and responses that could all be interpreted differently if one chose to weigh particular data.
All sorts of cool facts abound. He didn't like Bucer's first marriage recommendations (didn't struggle with that sort of thing either) and he loved wine and evening discussions. His conflict with the city council is good but not as exciting as it was at times. He doesn't record any instance of libertines rushing up on him to take communion from him, which I now suspect is a myth, though it's might be recorded in Bucer's biography.
At the end of the book, Gordon points out that almost immediately after his death, the presses were busy with slanders and falsifications. The fact that Gordon draws our attention to this sort of thing and firmly denies their verity or even a hint of truth in them shows that he doesn't have an ax to grind. Instead, he seems like a very sensible Christian scholar telling the story of a decent man who was a sinner like all of us, and that's certainly not contrary to the spirit of a man who so firmly insisted on total depravity and absolute grace.
I came in expecting that and what struck me was that Gordon didn't emphasize Calvin's authoritarian streak so much as his sensitive streak: Calvin did not do very well when it came to personal criticism. He could be waspish, petulant, rude, and cruel to his best friends. His closest associates, Vilet and Farrel, both ended up estranged from him by the end, though admittedly they both did their share of things to legitimately upset him. In fact, that is the most striking thing about the book: Gordon seems to be reading Calvin reasonably, but a lot of his analysis has to do with tones and responses that could all be interpreted differently if one chose to weigh particular data.
All sorts of cool facts abound. He didn't like Bucer's first marriage recommendations (didn't struggle with that sort of thing either) and he loved wine and evening discussions. His conflict with the city council is good but not as exciting as it was at times. He doesn't record any instance of libertines rushing up on him to take communion from him, which I now suspect is a myth, though it's might be recorded in Bucer's biography.
At the end of the book, Gordon points out that almost immediately after his death, the presses were busy with slanders and falsifications. The fact that Gordon draws our attention to this sort of thing and firmly denies their verity or even a hint of truth in them shows that he doesn't have an ax to grind. Instead, he seems like a very sensible Christian scholar telling the story of a decent man who was a sinner like all of us, and that's certainly not contrary to the spirit of a man who so firmly insisted on total depravity and absolute grace.
March 14, 2019
"Luther had brilliantly expressed what it meant to be saved by God. That discovery had changed Europe. Calvin's genius was to discover the Church, and teach what it was to be part of that body if one lived in a besieged city..."
"Exile was his defining experience... it endowed with his most powerful and resonant message: the Christian is never alone, for the Christian is at home in God."
···
This is the only Calvin biography I've read, but I can see why so many have praised it as the one biography to rule them all. Not only does Gordon get Calvin and the things he had his mind set on, but he also presents the Genevan reformer in connection to the broader European church. Most people only know of Calvin because of his precise stance on the doctrine of predestination, but that's not what his life was about. Calvin wanted to reform and build Christ's church, in Geneva and all over Europe, and he threw himself entirely into the pursuit of that goal.
"Exile was his defining experience... it endowed with his most powerful and resonant message: the Christian is never alone, for the Christian is at home in God."
···
This is the only Calvin biography I've read, but I can see why so many have praised it as the one biography to rule them all. Not only does Gordon get Calvin and the things he had his mind set on, but he also presents the Genevan reformer in connection to the broader European church. Most people only know of Calvin because of his precise stance on the doctrine of predestination, but that's not what his life was about. Calvin wanted to reform and build Christ's church, in Geneva and all over Europe, and he threw himself entirely into the pursuit of that goal.
March 19, 2021
Gordon composes a fantastic overview of the famed reformer that depicts a idealistic yet very human man who strove ceaselessly for the sanctification of the Church.
April 22, 2025
Encouraging, thorough overview of Calvin's life and significance. I was especially encouraged by the way the author took pains to show the reader Calvin's humanity. Calvin was a brilliant mind. He also had a short temper. And by God's grace, he also had the humility to repent and apologize when he spoke too harshly.
Fascinating to see his relationships with different reformers, in the midst of navigating political expectations among the Protestant Swiss cantons, as a non-native. Heartening to see his love for France and desire to help the church in France, even decades after leaving.
Fascinating to see his relationships with different reformers, in the midst of navigating political expectations among the Protestant Swiss cantons, as a non-native. Heartening to see his love for France and desire to help the church in France, even decades after leaving.
March 18, 2018
Despite what appear to be a few historical errors and distortions (and overall sparse use of footnotes to support the text), this was a pretty spectacular biography of Calvin.
Read
May 8, 2020This is a superb, lucid, and thorough biography that situates the Genevan Reformer within the major contexts of his life work -- the fractious, volatile, and perilous state of the Reformation in early modern Europe. A striking feature is the in-depth depiction of Calvin's impassioned, often fraught, relationships with other second-generation Protestant Reformers -- such figures as Bullinger, Melanchton, Bucer, Farel, Viret, and Beza. This is a fine resource for new students of Calvin and for those with interests in early modern intellectual, political, and religious history. I suspect that Calvin scholars (one of which which I am not) will find it useful as well.
August 30, 2022
Very helpful overview of Calvin’s life
September 17, 2017
Fantastic. This book does not shy away from the more controversial aspects of the reformer's life. It presents a picture of Calvin as an imperfect man, who was ravished by health issues, clearly thought quite highly of himself, and yet was dedicated to serving God and preserving pure doctrine and worship. Its very thorough, yet readable and engaging. It does not present Calvin as a perfect hero, nor does it present him as demonic monster. It is fair, and shows both Calvin's strengths and his weaknesses.
Overall, just a great piece of literary work on one of the most important figures of the protestant reformation.
Overall, just a great piece of literary work on one of the most important figures of the protestant reformation.
December 7, 2011
I keep wanting the time to get my thoughts together and write a review worthy of this book. Not going to happen (Happily, Sean Lucas wrote a short but worthy review.
Thoughts at random.
Thank God we don't live in the sixteenth-century.
Calvin may not have been a bishop, but he didn't operate as a Presbyterian either. His "ruling elders" were state-appointed officers and his consistory was neither precisely a Presbytery nor a Session. It ssemed to function much more like a Family Services department in some ways.
Calvin was never "in power" the way we tend to think, though perhaps after 1555 he got close. When you can get killed and need to worry about being killed in a riot, you are not really in power.
Geneva itself was too small a city to matter as a "power." Rather, Calvin and Geneva were constantly trying to make their friends happy (for protection) while still trying to save some independence.
"Nationalism" or immigration was an issue I had never realized affected Calvin's ministry. Calvin found local pastors mainly inadequate, so he brought in talent from France (arguably, I should write "France" in scare quotes). So Genevans found their personal lives being run by foreigners. Not a welcome situation.
Calvin came to repudiate Bucer's ecumenical attempts of the early 1540s. I had no idea.
Calvin spent much of his time trying to convince French Evangelicals to totally break from the Roman Catholic Church in France and suffer the consequences. Again, Calvin the divider.
Calvin later spent much of his time trying to convince French Protestants to willingly suffer rather than resort to violence and revolution. Weird since he owed his place in a city created by revolution. But it shows that any relationship between Calvin and political resistance is not the result of his own teaching on the matter.
France seemed at first like it would be open to Evangelicals (when Calvin still lived there). But with the break in Germany, French royalty came down on the side of the Roman Catholic establishment. Why? Because the same impulse that led the king to appreciate Evangelicals had led him to win concessions from the Pope that gave him control over the Church in his lands. Opposing the Papacy would make these concessions worthless.
Bullinger thought Calvin's writings on predestination were over-the-top and could imply that God was the author of sin.
For a time Calvin's writings were publicly burned in the Protestant city of Berne.
Calvin actively opposed an ecumenical movement in France in the 1550s because it was trying to use the Augsburg Confession. Though earlier in his ministry he had offended Bullinger by agreeing with it, now he saw it as a tool of Lutheran extremists who would try to hurt the swiss churches and disturb the French Protestants who were not Lutherans.
...and much more...
Thoughts at random.
Thank God we don't live in the sixteenth-century.
Calvin may not have been a bishop, but he didn't operate as a Presbyterian either. His "ruling elders" were state-appointed officers and his consistory was neither precisely a Presbytery nor a Session. It ssemed to function much more like a Family Services department in some ways.
Calvin was never "in power" the way we tend to think, though perhaps after 1555 he got close. When you can get killed and need to worry about being killed in a riot, you are not really in power.
Geneva itself was too small a city to matter as a "power." Rather, Calvin and Geneva were constantly trying to make their friends happy (for protection) while still trying to save some independence.
"Nationalism" or immigration was an issue I had never realized affected Calvin's ministry. Calvin found local pastors mainly inadequate, so he brought in talent from France (arguably, I should write "France" in scare quotes). So Genevans found their personal lives being run by foreigners. Not a welcome situation.
Calvin came to repudiate Bucer's ecumenical attempts of the early 1540s. I had no idea.
Calvin spent much of his time trying to convince French Evangelicals to totally break from the Roman Catholic Church in France and suffer the consequences. Again, Calvin the divider.
Calvin later spent much of his time trying to convince French Protestants to willingly suffer rather than resort to violence and revolution. Weird since he owed his place in a city created by revolution. But it shows that any relationship between Calvin and political resistance is not the result of his own teaching on the matter.
France seemed at first like it would be open to Evangelicals (when Calvin still lived there). But with the break in Germany, French royalty came down on the side of the Roman Catholic establishment. Why? Because the same impulse that led the king to appreciate Evangelicals had led him to win concessions from the Pope that gave him control over the Church in his lands. Opposing the Papacy would make these concessions worthless.
Bullinger thought Calvin's writings on predestination were over-the-top and could imply that God was the author of sin.
For a time Calvin's writings were publicly burned in the Protestant city of Berne.
Calvin actively opposed an ecumenical movement in France in the 1550s because it was trying to use the Augsburg Confession. Though earlier in his ministry he had offended Bullinger by agreeing with it, now he saw it as a tool of Lutheran extremists who would try to hurt the swiss churches and disturb the French Protestants who were not Lutherans.
...and much more...
May 2, 2010
Gordon reveals a Calvin who loved and hated; who believed in God’s sovereignty and sometimes manipulated; whose powerful intellect contrasted his weak body. His ability to interpret the Bible is what stands him out from all other 16th century writers (p.vii). If Luther’s discovery was justification by faith, Calvin’s was the Church (p.vii). He sensed that his was a special calling and often identified himself with the great characters of the Bible—especially the Apostle Paul. He invested heavily in relationships: “Much of the attention of this book will be focused upon the ebb and flow of his contacts” (p.ix).
Gordon’s biography is intended for those who are interested in Calvin but know little about him and his 16th century background (p.xi). I fit that audience perfectly, and am thus qualified to say that Gordon delivers.
In reading this book I learned about the prevailing political and religious tensions which form the background to Calvin’s life. I also learned about his privileged education in law and humanism, his conversion, and his life of exile in Switzerland. His primary allies were Farel, Viret, Bullinger, and Bucer. His most hated enemies were Servetus, Castellio, and Westphal. Brutal opposition makes Calvin’s achievements all the more noteworthy. His establishing the Reformation in Geneva, writing of The Institutes and many commentaries, were all accomplished despite the great pressure against him.
The matter of Michael Servetus is handled in chapter 13 (pp. 217-232). While not convincing me (nor trying to) that Calvin was entirely innocent, the context and detail Gordon provides go a long way to helping me understand the (limited) role Calvin played in the affair.
Biographies I’ve read of great men of God like Robert M’Cheyne and Robert Chapman challenged me to grow in the life of holiness and conformity to Christ. This biography of Calvin leaves me wanting to grow in discipline in the life of the mind.
Gordon’s biography is intended for those who are interested in Calvin but know little about him and his 16th century background (p.xi). I fit that audience perfectly, and am thus qualified to say that Gordon delivers.
In reading this book I learned about the prevailing political and religious tensions which form the background to Calvin’s life. I also learned about his privileged education in law and humanism, his conversion, and his life of exile in Switzerland. His primary allies were Farel, Viret, Bullinger, and Bucer. His most hated enemies were Servetus, Castellio, and Westphal. Brutal opposition makes Calvin’s achievements all the more noteworthy. His establishing the Reformation in Geneva, writing of The Institutes and many commentaries, were all accomplished despite the great pressure against him.
The matter of Michael Servetus is handled in chapter 13 (pp. 217-232). While not convincing me (nor trying to) that Calvin was entirely innocent, the context and detail Gordon provides go a long way to helping me understand the (limited) role Calvin played in the affair.
Biographies I’ve read of great men of God like Robert M’Cheyne and Robert Chapman challenged me to grow in the life of holiness and conformity to Christ. This biography of Calvin leaves me wanting to grow in discipline in the life of the mind.
October 6, 2024
Gordon’s Calvin (written for Calvin and Calvinism with Dr. Jennifer McNutt, Fall 2024)
Dr. Bruce Gordon’s 2009 biography of Calvin presents the reader with his life and writings in context and the discrepancies between them. As a Zwingli scholar, Gordon brings an outsider’s perspective to the study of Calvin’s person and life. Written in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth and “for those with an interest in John Calvin who may have little familiarity with either the reformer or the sixteenth century” (pg. xi), Gordon aims to present Calvin in context and conversation with the broader Reformation movement. Calvin was, and still is, a controversial figure. While writings on his life can vary between hagiography and character assassination, Gordon strives to present “the Calvin we can know” (pg. x). He does this by presenting the key events of his life, the interactions that formed him, and the highlights of his literary output.
I. De Vita Morteque Calvini
While “the sources on Calvin’s youth are extremely sparse” (pg. 4), Gordon presents what can be known and what can be expected of a child of his time. From the sparse information about his early life to his death as a European celebrity, Gordon leads the reader through the headlines and footnotes of Calvin’s life, involving exiles, travels, and controversies, and culminating in his death surrounded by his friends. To do so, Gordon interacts with sources from all parties involved in said events and those on the sidelines observing them.
II. De Amiciis Calvini (et non)
Yet Calvin’s life was mainly formed by the people he had around him. “Calvin was constantly in dialogue”, Gordon comments: “That was how he defined both his theology and his role in the church” (Gordon, pg. ix). Calvin greatly valued his friends and greatly despised his enemies. Gordon shows the birth of the “Triumvirate” (Calvin, Farel, and Viret) in his early years of ministry, the importance of Bucer’s pastoral mentorship in Strasbourg, and the complications of his relationship with Bullinger and Melanchthon. These relationships are expressed through excerpts from Calvin’s letters, which provide a more intimate perspective of their interactions. Gordon makes clear that these friendships were not always sweet, but often troubled. Yet the worst of it was to be received by Calvin’s enemies, against whom Calvin was a cruel and cutthroat adversary. He was certainly no Luther, but Calvin could be a bully too, and Gordon hides none of it.
III. De Scriptiis Calvini
Gordon comments that Calvin was a man who “never felt he had encountered an intellectual equal, and he was probably correct” (pg. vii). In fact, according to Gordon, what made Calvin stand apart was not the events of his life or his social ties, but “his brilliance as a thinker and writer, and, above all, his ability to interpret the Bible” (pg. viii). This was largely due to the immensity of his literary output, and Gordon presents, by lucid brevity, Calvin’s highlights, including an excellent summary of his commentary on Romans in chapter 7 (pg. 103-120) and a 3-page outline of the 1559 edition of the Institutes in chapter 16 (pgs. 301-303). As previously mentioned, Calvin was greatly formed by his interactions with others, and often this was against his enemies in polemics. From the Psychopannychia to his long debate with Westphal, Gordon presents the reader with an outline of his arguments and their importance.
IV. Cogitationes Interrogantes
Gordon comments that “it would be easy to sketch an overly negative view of the man, but that is by no means the intention here” (pg. x). However, that does not keep Gordon from assessing Calvin’s character and motives, and this judgment does often come across as a negative one. The claim itself that it “would be easy” to do so already casts such a judgment. For Gordon to be in the wrong, Calvin would have to never have been, yet he was a sinner and this is made clear in Gordon’s biography. Knowing little about Calvin’s life and having been exposed exclusively to his commentaries, Gordon makes the discrepancies between his life and his writings quite evident. The same man who wrote that “ministers are nothing and can nothing” (Commentary on John 1:26) and that “we are not our own masters, but belong to God” (Institutes, 3.7.1) also “intimidated, bullied, and humiliated, saving some of his worst conduct for his friends” (pg. vii). The same man who wrote that “[Paul] at the same time admonishes us to think and meditate only on such subjects as are calculated to make us sober and modest” (Commentary on Romans 12:3) was “happiest in the company of friends whom he enjoyed and needed, yet with their acknowledgment of his superiority to the extent of being afraid of him” (pg. 333). This leads to the question of how faithful Gordon’s portrait of Calvin truly is – not that it is intentionally misleading, but that, perhaps, it fails to present the whole picture. Was Calvin’s life really one of arrogance, strife, and frustration? In chapter 9, Gordon paints a portrait of what we can know about Calvin’s personality, which involved a sense of humor (pg. 144) and enjoyment of the beauties and pleasures of life (pg. 147). Yet this Calvin rarely shows up – most of what we get is the frustrated belligerent man who always had to have the last word. I do not want to deny this side of Calvin, but I do want to maintain the hope that the beauty and humility I’ve seen in his writings was one that he was well acquainted with. Conflict forms us in ways that are often much more visible than the small joys in life. It is human to dwell on the hardships of life more than its joys. Calvin certainly had his fair share of hardships and shared those with friends (e.g. pg. 329). The small joys of life happen to slip through the cracks, for we are ingrateful sinners, this is sure.
The remaining question is this: do I read Calvin in light of this biography, or vice versa? The answer is both. Calvin was not a man without faults, for that belongs only to Christ. Yet at the same time, I believe that it is right of the Christian to assume the best of others, as “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). Calvin, as did the Law, tells us what it truly means to follow God, yet that does not mean we can meet the mark. Calvin lived in a body of sin and death. But “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 7:25-8:1). It was through Calvin that I understood that. The least I could do is extend my fallen brother that same grace.
Dr. Bruce Gordon’s 2009 biography of Calvin presents the reader with his life and writings in context and the discrepancies between them. As a Zwingli scholar, Gordon brings an outsider’s perspective to the study of Calvin’s person and life. Written in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Calvin’s birth and “for those with an interest in John Calvin who may have little familiarity with either the reformer or the sixteenth century” (pg. xi), Gordon aims to present Calvin in context and conversation with the broader Reformation movement. Calvin was, and still is, a controversial figure. While writings on his life can vary between hagiography and character assassination, Gordon strives to present “the Calvin we can know” (pg. x). He does this by presenting the key events of his life, the interactions that formed him, and the highlights of his literary output.
I. De Vita Morteque Calvini
While “the sources on Calvin’s youth are extremely sparse” (pg. 4), Gordon presents what can be known and what can be expected of a child of his time. From the sparse information about his early life to his death as a European celebrity, Gordon leads the reader through the headlines and footnotes of Calvin’s life, involving exiles, travels, and controversies, and culminating in his death surrounded by his friends. To do so, Gordon interacts with sources from all parties involved in said events and those on the sidelines observing them.
II. De Amiciis Calvini (et non)
Yet Calvin’s life was mainly formed by the people he had around him. “Calvin was constantly in dialogue”, Gordon comments: “That was how he defined both his theology and his role in the church” (Gordon, pg. ix). Calvin greatly valued his friends and greatly despised his enemies. Gordon shows the birth of the “Triumvirate” (Calvin, Farel, and Viret) in his early years of ministry, the importance of Bucer’s pastoral mentorship in Strasbourg, and the complications of his relationship with Bullinger and Melanchthon. These relationships are expressed through excerpts from Calvin’s letters, which provide a more intimate perspective of their interactions. Gordon makes clear that these friendships were not always sweet, but often troubled. Yet the worst of it was to be received by Calvin’s enemies, against whom Calvin was a cruel and cutthroat adversary. He was certainly no Luther, but Calvin could be a bully too, and Gordon hides none of it.
III. De Scriptiis Calvini
Gordon comments that Calvin was a man who “never felt he had encountered an intellectual equal, and he was probably correct” (pg. vii). In fact, according to Gordon, what made Calvin stand apart was not the events of his life or his social ties, but “his brilliance as a thinker and writer, and, above all, his ability to interpret the Bible” (pg. viii). This was largely due to the immensity of his literary output, and Gordon presents, by lucid brevity, Calvin’s highlights, including an excellent summary of his commentary on Romans in chapter 7 (pg. 103-120) and a 3-page outline of the 1559 edition of the Institutes in chapter 16 (pgs. 301-303). As previously mentioned, Calvin was greatly formed by his interactions with others, and often this was against his enemies in polemics. From the Psychopannychia to his long debate with Westphal, Gordon presents the reader with an outline of his arguments and their importance.
IV. Cogitationes Interrogantes
Gordon comments that “it would be easy to sketch an overly negative view of the man, but that is by no means the intention here” (pg. x). However, that does not keep Gordon from assessing Calvin’s character and motives, and this judgment does often come across as a negative one. The claim itself that it “would be easy” to do so already casts such a judgment. For Gordon to be in the wrong, Calvin would have to never have been, yet he was a sinner and this is made clear in Gordon’s biography. Knowing little about Calvin’s life and having been exposed exclusively to his commentaries, Gordon makes the discrepancies between his life and his writings quite evident. The same man who wrote that “ministers are nothing and can nothing” (Commentary on John 1:26) and that “we are not our own masters, but belong to God” (Institutes, 3.7.1) also “intimidated, bullied, and humiliated, saving some of his worst conduct for his friends” (pg. vii). The same man who wrote that “[Paul] at the same time admonishes us to think and meditate only on such subjects as are calculated to make us sober and modest” (Commentary on Romans 12:3) was “happiest in the company of friends whom he enjoyed and needed, yet with their acknowledgment of his superiority to the extent of being afraid of him” (pg. 333). This leads to the question of how faithful Gordon’s portrait of Calvin truly is – not that it is intentionally misleading, but that, perhaps, it fails to present the whole picture. Was Calvin’s life really one of arrogance, strife, and frustration? In chapter 9, Gordon paints a portrait of what we can know about Calvin’s personality, which involved a sense of humor (pg. 144) and enjoyment of the beauties and pleasures of life (pg. 147). Yet this Calvin rarely shows up – most of what we get is the frustrated belligerent man who always had to have the last word. I do not want to deny this side of Calvin, but I do want to maintain the hope that the beauty and humility I’ve seen in his writings was one that he was well acquainted with. Conflict forms us in ways that are often much more visible than the small joys in life. It is human to dwell on the hardships of life more than its joys. Calvin certainly had his fair share of hardships and shared those with friends (e.g. pg. 329). The small joys of life happen to slip through the cracks, for we are ingrateful sinners, this is sure.
The remaining question is this: do I read Calvin in light of this biography, or vice versa? The answer is both. Calvin was not a man without faults, for that belongs only to Christ. Yet at the same time, I believe that it is right of the Christian to assume the best of others, as “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). Calvin, as did the Law, tells us what it truly means to follow God, yet that does not mean we can meet the mark. Calvin lived in a body of sin and death. But “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 7:25-8:1). It was through Calvin that I understood that. The least I could do is extend my fallen brother that same grace.
January 31, 2010
Easily the greatest biography on Calvin. Here are some strengths and one weakness:
Strengths:
1. Gives a great account of the reformation movement in France before the prominence of Calvin. This is extremely enlightening in understanding the times of Calvin and the rest of Europe.
2. Helpful in understanding just how severe the debate was over the Lord's Supper and how it affected the relationship of the Reformed, Lutheran, and Zwinglian churches.
3. Gives a superb account of Calvin's involvement in the execution of Servetus. Very balanced.
4. Helps us understand Calvin's impact in Europe and his legacy in England, developing into Puritanism.
Weaknesses:
1. Bruce's one weakness is that he imports so much of Calvin's context into his theology.
Strengths:
1. Gives a great account of the reformation movement in France before the prominence of Calvin. This is extremely enlightening in understanding the times of Calvin and the rest of Europe.
2. Helpful in understanding just how severe the debate was over the Lord's Supper and how it affected the relationship of the Reformed, Lutheran, and Zwinglian churches.
3. Gives a superb account of Calvin's involvement in the execution of Servetus. Very balanced.
4. Helps us understand Calvin's impact in Europe and his legacy in England, developing into Puritanism.
Weaknesses:
1. Bruce's one weakness is that he imports so much of Calvin's context into his theology.
October 27, 2021
A rich biography produced with excellent scholarship. To this point, I've mainly read biographies of men and women of faith that veer toward hagiography. This book, on the other hand, presents Calvin as a man—imperfect, yet genuinely devout—who still looms as a colossal figure in 16th century Europe.
One of the things I particularly like about this biography is how fully it paints the picture of Calvin. Dr. Gordon has diligently combed through the countless works and correspondence of an indefatigable and prolific writer to provide readers with an account of Calvin as a Frenchman, a Swiss exile, a husband, a leading thinker of an international religious movement, a friend who shows loyalty to those loyal to him but can be brutal to those who don't meet his expectations, an astute legal mind, a man with a complicated relationship to his family, and of course a man who lived before God and whose self-understanding was that of a chosen prophet by God to lead the Church out of a benighted age and recover the Gospel and the whole counsel of God untainted by the superstitions of men. I came into the biography with an intense admiration of Calvin, and I leave with the same reverence for a spiritual forefather. Yet, I feel chastened to remember that he is but a man—which Calvin was anxious for Genevans to remember upon his death by instructing that he have no memorial and that he be laid in an unmarked grave. His life was one of intense discipline and devotion—making the whole life and his studies an extended prayer to God—and the fruits of his labor continue down through the centuries to this new millennium. But, as he so often reminded his followers, the Christian life is one of exile and daily struggle against sin and the flesh, and his life reflects that struggle as well while he dealt with a temper that was prone to boil over and was a player in the death of Servetus (which, I hasten to add, is often caricatured by his enemies and is more complicated than some would let on). With the encouragement of Martin Bucer and others, Calvin did show signs of repentance after some of his youthful abuses, and while he was an uncompromising man of conviction he was also one who strove desperately for church unity among the Reformed and Lutheran churches, working tirelessly with both Heinrich Bullinger and Philip Melanchthon to forge a way forward over the inflammatory differences they had over the Lord's Supper.
One of the interesting parts of reading this biography is that it totally transports you to a different world. The separation of church and state that is seems so fundamentally true today was completely unheard of at that point. The church was integrated into the civil and moral order of the city or nation, and discipline against heresy and error was a matter of civil importance. To undermine the doctrines of the church was to undermine the authority of the magistrates, which was a recipe for social unrest. It's fascinating to read about pastors who railed against abuses of authority from the pulpit along with naming ordinary citizens for their sins during the Lord's Day sermon. After hearing about dancing at a wedding, Calvin was furious and absolutely lit into those who were involved! Additionally, many Swiss and German cities had to house refugees from countries such as France and England because of the persecution they faced in their own land. This was not an easy thing to do, and ministers such as Calvin had to constantly remind the people of their Christian duties to welcome these brothers and sisters who were exiles for true religion.
It is also noteworthy to understand how influential of a city Geneva was. When Calvin first moves there, it is a smaller city that constantly needed help from Berne, Basle, or Zurich. You get the sense that it was a fledgling city that couldn't really stand on its own two feet for very long without serious help. Yet, by the end of Calvin's life, it is a model city for many—though Calvin was always reticent about this and would remind people that it was not the New Jerusalem and should not necessarily be copied. John Knox counted his time at Geneva as one of the best times of his life. Geneva trained an incredible amount of ministers and would send them back to their countries to continue the work of building the Church. Beza, Calvin's protege, also played an instrumental role in starting a university in the city to encourage even more training. While producing an immense body of written work and continuously revising and improving his Institutes (which proved a major boost to the Genevan economy because of his printing sales for all his works), Calvin was a great churchman. He was devoted to teaching the ministers under his care, and he would preach to the people and perform baptisms up to the point of his death, even under immense pain. Though their relationship was rocky at certain points, Calvin made Geneva his home and the people there came to revere him.
This biography is outstanding and would benefit anyone who wishes to know more about Reformation history or about Calvin, who, because of his care for churches in countries spanning from Scotland to Hungary, continues to impact our world today. Though used as a pejorative both in his time and ours, Calvinism is the consequence of rich intellectual tradition that has transformed the world and has recovered the pure worship of God according to His Word.
One of the things I particularly like about this biography is how fully it paints the picture of Calvin. Dr. Gordon has diligently combed through the countless works and correspondence of an indefatigable and prolific writer to provide readers with an account of Calvin as a Frenchman, a Swiss exile, a husband, a leading thinker of an international religious movement, a friend who shows loyalty to those loyal to him but can be brutal to those who don't meet his expectations, an astute legal mind, a man with a complicated relationship to his family, and of course a man who lived before God and whose self-understanding was that of a chosen prophet by God to lead the Church out of a benighted age and recover the Gospel and the whole counsel of God untainted by the superstitions of men. I came into the biography with an intense admiration of Calvin, and I leave with the same reverence for a spiritual forefather. Yet, I feel chastened to remember that he is but a man—which Calvin was anxious for Genevans to remember upon his death by instructing that he have no memorial and that he be laid in an unmarked grave. His life was one of intense discipline and devotion—making the whole life and his studies an extended prayer to God—and the fruits of his labor continue down through the centuries to this new millennium. But, as he so often reminded his followers, the Christian life is one of exile and daily struggle against sin and the flesh, and his life reflects that struggle as well while he dealt with a temper that was prone to boil over and was a player in the death of Servetus (which, I hasten to add, is often caricatured by his enemies and is more complicated than some would let on). With the encouragement of Martin Bucer and others, Calvin did show signs of repentance after some of his youthful abuses, and while he was an uncompromising man of conviction he was also one who strove desperately for church unity among the Reformed and Lutheran churches, working tirelessly with both Heinrich Bullinger and Philip Melanchthon to forge a way forward over the inflammatory differences they had over the Lord's Supper.
One of the interesting parts of reading this biography is that it totally transports you to a different world. The separation of church and state that is seems so fundamentally true today was completely unheard of at that point. The church was integrated into the civil and moral order of the city or nation, and discipline against heresy and error was a matter of civil importance. To undermine the doctrines of the church was to undermine the authority of the magistrates, which was a recipe for social unrest. It's fascinating to read about pastors who railed against abuses of authority from the pulpit along with naming ordinary citizens for their sins during the Lord's Day sermon. After hearing about dancing at a wedding, Calvin was furious and absolutely lit into those who were involved! Additionally, many Swiss and German cities had to house refugees from countries such as France and England because of the persecution they faced in their own land. This was not an easy thing to do, and ministers such as Calvin had to constantly remind the people of their Christian duties to welcome these brothers and sisters who were exiles for true religion.
It is also noteworthy to understand how influential of a city Geneva was. When Calvin first moves there, it is a smaller city that constantly needed help from Berne, Basle, or Zurich. You get the sense that it was a fledgling city that couldn't really stand on its own two feet for very long without serious help. Yet, by the end of Calvin's life, it is a model city for many—though Calvin was always reticent about this and would remind people that it was not the New Jerusalem and should not necessarily be copied. John Knox counted his time at Geneva as one of the best times of his life. Geneva trained an incredible amount of ministers and would send them back to their countries to continue the work of building the Church. Beza, Calvin's protege, also played an instrumental role in starting a university in the city to encourage even more training. While producing an immense body of written work and continuously revising and improving his Institutes (which proved a major boost to the Genevan economy because of his printing sales for all his works), Calvin was a great churchman. He was devoted to teaching the ministers under his care, and he would preach to the people and perform baptisms up to the point of his death, even under immense pain. Though their relationship was rocky at certain points, Calvin made Geneva his home and the people there came to revere him.
This biography is outstanding and would benefit anyone who wishes to know more about Reformation history or about Calvin, who, because of his care for churches in countries spanning from Scotland to Hungary, continues to impact our world today. Though used as a pejorative both in his time and ours, Calvinism is the consequence of rich intellectual tradition that has transformed the world and has recovered the pure worship of God according to His Word.
July 21, 2011
Excellent. Gordon paints a complex portrait of a complex human. Often sympathetic and often highly critical, above all he attempts to be fair and it shows. If you want a drooling hagiography or on the other hand, something that trashes Calvin, you will be disappointed.
January 2, 2011
It is lengthy, but it is the best comprehensive scholarly treatment of Calvin's life.
February 28, 2013
This is a great biographical book on Calvin - I highly recommend if you are interested about Calvin or the Reformation.
August 1, 2017
No hagiography, Gordon’s stark portrayal of Calvin as proud, dissembling, bullying, persistent, thorough, and determined man is good history. We protestants have no saints, and we should not make Calvin out to be one. He seldom foregrounded himself though he often defended himself. He was placed in an unmarked grave by his own request. I have long disliked Calvin, though I have profited from his insight. What Gordon has done is make the unattractive man intelligible and admirable.
Calvin got himself in trouble trying to manufacture union among Protestants. Calvin also influenced the English, Dutch and French reformations profoundly. The controversies, the bad decisions, the hypocrisy, the endurance, the high output of fine prose, many things are here described. This kind of history is the most helpful, in my estimation, because it allows you to learn not only from the successes Calvin had, but also his failures.
Gordon’s Calvin was a man in exile, a man with a high view of himself, a man of order intent on order, influencing many widely because of the exemplar order he achieved in Geneva, a man who ruined his health by his severe study regimen and then tried to fix his health by fasting. Calvin was a Christian stoic, and the truth is the few we’ve had have been invaluable. It is an admirable though not an attractive philosophy.
85 “The manner in which Calvin placed order above compassion or grief is telling. His overarching concern to convey to Farel that he had acted well in ministering permits a glimpse of his troubled state. Not only was Calvin yet to find his pastoral voice, but he was mentally and physically shattered, disorientated and without emotional articulation.”
It is important to remember that these men develop. Calvin found his pastoral voice, but he struggled to do so. His life went a torturous, winding way.
197 “The evangelical culture in France had survived by dissembling, as Calvin himself during 1534. Persecution was erratic and not always well organized, but it was real and effective. People were dying for their faith. Calvin had chosen exile and had developed a visceral hatred for compromise; this put him at odds with the very people he sought to evangelize. During the 1540s he worked to discredit any form of conduct that fell short of a full and open confession of faith.”
He paid a price for that. It was a carefully formed judgment, but whether it was correct remains ambiguous. Often life has ambiguous situations. Calvin’s end, as a consequence, was not a happy one.
279-80 “In 1555 Calvin was forty-six years old, a widower and in failing health. The triumphalist view of history remembers his ascendancy in Geneva over the Perrinists in a manner akin to Moses parting the Red Sea. To Calvin, however, the world looked very different. By the middle of the decade the daily grind of work was taking a terrible toll on a physical frame hardly able to bear the load. In addition to the migraines and bowel problems that plagued him through much of his adult life, Calvin suffered from gout. The excess of uric acid led | to the gallstones of which he frequently complained in his letters. Political victory brought no release from physical pain; he began to suffer severe night sweats that induced the coughing up of blood, indicating pulmonary tuberculosis. It grew much worse. His bowel movements were full of parasites such as hookworms, which exacerbated blood loss and left him exhausted and anaemic. Coughing and fatigue frequently rendered him unable to dictate letters or tracts for weeks or even months at a time. He ate very little, usually once a day, and frequently fasted, all of which contributed to his physical degeneration.”
Calvin got himself in trouble trying to manufacture union among Protestants. Calvin also influenced the English, Dutch and French reformations profoundly. The controversies, the bad decisions, the hypocrisy, the endurance, the high output of fine prose, many things are here described. This kind of history is the most helpful, in my estimation, because it allows you to learn not only from the successes Calvin had, but also his failures.
Gordon’s Calvin was a man in exile, a man with a high view of himself, a man of order intent on order, influencing many widely because of the exemplar order he achieved in Geneva, a man who ruined his health by his severe study regimen and then tried to fix his health by fasting. Calvin was a Christian stoic, and the truth is the few we’ve had have been invaluable. It is an admirable though not an attractive philosophy.
85 “The manner in which Calvin placed order above compassion or grief is telling. His overarching concern to convey to Farel that he had acted well in ministering permits a glimpse of his troubled state. Not only was Calvin yet to find his pastoral voice, but he was mentally and physically shattered, disorientated and without emotional articulation.”
It is important to remember that these men develop. Calvin found his pastoral voice, but he struggled to do so. His life went a torturous, winding way.
197 “The evangelical culture in France had survived by dissembling, as Calvin himself during 1534. Persecution was erratic and not always well organized, but it was real and effective. People were dying for their faith. Calvin had chosen exile and had developed a visceral hatred for compromise; this put him at odds with the very people he sought to evangelize. During the 1540s he worked to discredit any form of conduct that fell short of a full and open confession of faith.”
He paid a price for that. It was a carefully formed judgment, but whether it was correct remains ambiguous. Often life has ambiguous situations. Calvin’s end, as a consequence, was not a happy one.
279-80 “In 1555 Calvin was forty-six years old, a widower and in failing health. The triumphalist view of history remembers his ascendancy in Geneva over the Perrinists in a manner akin to Moses parting the Red Sea. To Calvin, however, the world looked very different. By the middle of the decade the daily grind of work was taking a terrible toll on a physical frame hardly able to bear the load. In addition to the migraines and bowel problems that plagued him through much of his adult life, Calvin suffered from gout. The excess of uric acid led | to the gallstones of which he frequently complained in his letters. Political victory brought no release from physical pain; he began to suffer severe night sweats that induced the coughing up of blood, indicating pulmonary tuberculosis. It grew much worse. His bowel movements were full of parasites such as hookworms, which exacerbated blood loss and left him exhausted and anaemic. Coughing and fatigue frequently rendered him unable to dictate letters or tracts for weeks or even months at a time. He ate very little, usually once a day, and frequently fasted, all of which contributed to his physical degeneration.”
May 10, 2022
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/calvin-by-f-bruce-gordon/
A pretty dry and detailed biography of the major figure of Geneva's history, what he was trying to do and what he did. As usual (I keep saying this about theology books, but it's true) the ideological points mostly soared over my head, but I found a lot of interesting stuff. Calvin lived from 1509 to 1564, and from 1541 became the most important person in Geneva – he never held public office, but politics in the city became completely polarised between his supporters and his opponents, and usually his supporters won. (But not always.)
There's a lot here about the politics of Geneva as a city-state and Calvin as an individual with regard to France (where he was born and brought up), vs the Holy Roman Empire, vs Berne and the nascent Swiss Confederation (which Geneva did not fully align with until 1584, twenty years after Calvin's death). I'd have liked a bit more reflection on how Geneva became a theocracy in the first place – it had been an ideologically Protestant republic since 1536, before Calvin arrived – and also how it managed to survive as such, when other such experiments failed (for instance in Münster shortly before). But the books is about Calvin, not Geneva.
Calvin's wife died in 1649 after only nine years of marriage; he is not reported to have had other partners, but his brother Antoine was a major supporter throughout his career, and he had many other close friendships, some of which went sour when ideological differences emerged. He is remembered for his writing – and his output at the peak of his career was phenomenal – but his preaching was clearly an important factor as well; none of that survives, apart from a few second-hand notes taken by people in the congregation. Gordon is clearly a fan of his subject (most biographers are) and does his best to find in his favour, performing particularly intense gymnastics when it comes to the execution of Michael Servetus.
The most interesting part for me was the relationship between Calvin and England. He actually had something resembling a personal relationship with Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and regent of England in the first couple of years of the reign of Edward VI (1547-1549). But Somerset was overthrown, and when Edward died in 1553 his Catholic sister Mary took over. Calvin had hopes of winning England back when Elizabeth, a Protestant, came to the throne in 1558. However, in what Gordon calls "perhaps the worst mistiming of the European Reformation", that same year saw the publication in Geneva of Knox's The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women and Goodman's How superior Powers ought to be obeyed of their subjects, both of which opposed the legitimacy of women as rulers. Knox and Goodman had been thinking of Mary I of England and Mary of Guise in France, but Elizabeth took huge offence and returned Calvin's correspondence unopened, and although he still had some powerful sympathisers in England, he never again had the access to the top in London that he'd had ten years before. He was much more successful in Scotland, but there is surprisingly and disappointingly little about that here; he was of course less directly involved, Knox being the main figure.
Anyway, really a book for specialists only, but I got a bit more out of it than I had expected.
A pretty dry and detailed biography of the major figure of Geneva's history, what he was trying to do and what he did. As usual (I keep saying this about theology books, but it's true) the ideological points mostly soared over my head, but I found a lot of interesting stuff. Calvin lived from 1509 to 1564, and from 1541 became the most important person in Geneva – he never held public office, but politics in the city became completely polarised between his supporters and his opponents, and usually his supporters won. (But not always.)
There's a lot here about the politics of Geneva as a city-state and Calvin as an individual with regard to France (where he was born and brought up), vs the Holy Roman Empire, vs Berne and the nascent Swiss Confederation (which Geneva did not fully align with until 1584, twenty years after Calvin's death). I'd have liked a bit more reflection on how Geneva became a theocracy in the first place – it had been an ideologically Protestant republic since 1536, before Calvin arrived – and also how it managed to survive as such, when other such experiments failed (for instance in Münster shortly before). But the books is about Calvin, not Geneva.
Calvin's wife died in 1649 after only nine years of marriage; he is not reported to have had other partners, but his brother Antoine was a major supporter throughout his career, and he had many other close friendships, some of which went sour when ideological differences emerged. He is remembered for his writing – and his output at the peak of his career was phenomenal – but his preaching was clearly an important factor as well; none of that survives, apart from a few second-hand notes taken by people in the congregation. Gordon is clearly a fan of his subject (most biographers are) and does his best to find in his favour, performing particularly intense gymnastics when it comes to the execution of Michael Servetus.
The most interesting part for me was the relationship between Calvin and England. He actually had something resembling a personal relationship with Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and regent of England in the first couple of years of the reign of Edward VI (1547-1549). But Somerset was overthrown, and when Edward died in 1553 his Catholic sister Mary took over. Calvin had hopes of winning England back when Elizabeth, a Protestant, came to the throne in 1558. However, in what Gordon calls "perhaps the worst mistiming of the European Reformation", that same year saw the publication in Geneva of Knox's The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women and Goodman's How superior Powers ought to be obeyed of their subjects, both of which opposed the legitimacy of women as rulers. Knox and Goodman had been thinking of Mary I of England and Mary of Guise in France, but Elizabeth took huge offence and returned Calvin's correspondence unopened, and although he still had some powerful sympathisers in England, he never again had the access to the top in London that he'd had ten years before. He was much more successful in Scotland, but there is surprisingly and disappointingly little about that here; he was of course less directly involved, Knox being the main figure.
Anyway, really a book for specialists only, but I got a bit more out of it than I had expected.
April 30, 2020
A Father of the Reformation, John Calvin is a man that any Christian has to read about. Certainly for me as a Calvinist, the book helped frame Calvin outside of his later attributed Reformed system of thought (Council of Dordt), and instead gave me a picture of Calvin the man.
His personality lives up to stereotypes (reserved, studious, disciplined, etc.), but the Reformer was also more warm and full of life than people give him credit for. I especially loved reading about his various friendships between men like Beza, Farel, and Viret. Interesting to note that most of these friendships over the course of his life went sour (Farel, in particular, after he married a woman 50 years younger than him. Calvin later apologized for his negative reaction.)
Overall, Bruce Gordon gave a fair approach to Calvin, his life, and particularly his handling of Servetus. At no point did it ever feel to me like he was either trying to vilify or heroize the Reformer. If anything, the Servetus trial seems to be one that haunted Calvin for the course of his life—both for its moral handling as well as its place in history.
Lastly, I will note that Calvin’s legacy seems to be far more reaching than just his writings and church governance. His personality and approach to the Bible seem to still impact the culture of the Reformed Church today (in good ways and bad). We are a church that is overly dogmatic at times, but nevertheless extremely thoughtful when it comes to the worship of God and the place of theology.
His personality lives up to stereotypes (reserved, studious, disciplined, etc.), but the Reformer was also more warm and full of life than people give him credit for. I especially loved reading about his various friendships between men like Beza, Farel, and Viret. Interesting to note that most of these friendships over the course of his life went sour (Farel, in particular, after he married a woman 50 years younger than him. Calvin later apologized for his negative reaction.)
Overall, Bruce Gordon gave a fair approach to Calvin, his life, and particularly his handling of Servetus. At no point did it ever feel to me like he was either trying to vilify or heroize the Reformer. If anything, the Servetus trial seems to be one that haunted Calvin for the course of his life—both for its moral handling as well as its place in history.
Lastly, I will note that Calvin’s legacy seems to be far more reaching than just his writings and church governance. His personality and approach to the Bible seem to still impact the culture of the Reformed Church today (in good ways and bad). We are a church that is overly dogmatic at times, but nevertheless extremely thoughtful when it comes to the worship of God and the place of theology.
September 12, 2025
Gordon's work is just outstanding. Thorough, balanced, and contextual, Gordon places us down in 16th century Geneva and forces to stare this man full in the face. Extensively sourced without being academic, this walk through the life of the other JC (as I call him) is deep and wide. He shows us the intellectual brilliance, the corresponding arrogance, and the harshness aggravated by the times. He also shows us the pastoral care by way of dictatorial fiat that was Calvin's style, a style challenged even in his own day.
There is much to appreciate here from a literary aspect as well. One of the more important things in this respect is that Gordon resists the urge to make this an examination of Calvin's theology. He does not ignore that theology but he certainly doesn't focus on it. In fact, at one point, he apologizes for summarizing one of Calvin's books with a mere paragraph. This is not because Calvin's theology didn't matter. It does. Enormously. It is rather that everyone and their brother is/has examined that theology, but few have looked at the man. And I think understanding the man is necessary in order to understand the man's theology.
I'm not a Calvinist. I'm the furthest thing from it. But I now have a greater understanding, a greater respect, and a greater horror of the man at the centre of so much Christian doctrine and practice. You must reckon with him. Gordon will help you.
There is much to appreciate here from a literary aspect as well. One of the more important things in this respect is that Gordon resists the urge to make this an examination of Calvin's theology. He does not ignore that theology but he certainly doesn't focus on it. In fact, at one point, he apologizes for summarizing one of Calvin's books with a mere paragraph. This is not because Calvin's theology didn't matter. It does. Enormously. It is rather that everyone and their brother is/has examined that theology, but few have looked at the man. And I think understanding the man is necessary in order to understand the man's theology.
I'm not a Calvinist. I'm the furthest thing from it. But I now have a greater understanding, a greater respect, and a greater horror of the man at the centre of so much Christian doctrine and practice. You must reckon with him. Gordon will help you.
October 19, 2017
John Calvin's Institutes is perhaps the most important reformation era work and one of the most significant works of theology ever written. I was surprised, therefore, to learn from Bruce Gordon's thorough book on John Calvin's life how little we actually know of him, particularly his early years.
This is an academic work, one that isn't particularly easy to read- not because of poor writing, but because Gordon does an excellent job of situating us to the historical context and steering clear of hagiography. The benefit of Gordon's life of Calvin is that we get a well-rounded picture of a controversial figure. In this, I think Gordon has modeled how the command to love others should apply even to historical figures (we should remember that historical figures are people and to love them well means we should work to understand them rightly).
It's not a biography that I could easily pass on to others, however. This is fine, but I'd love to read a biography of Calvin that so accurately depicts Calvin (as Gordon has done) while also capturing Calvin's gift of 'lucid brevity.' Calvin's writing is so beautiful, so devotional and edifying. Gordon's biography on Calvin is edifying in it's own way, but if given a choice between reading this biography of Calvin or Calvin's Institutes and commentaries I'd encourage people to pick the latter!
This is an academic work, one that isn't particularly easy to read- not because of poor writing, but because Gordon does an excellent job of situating us to the historical context and steering clear of hagiography. The benefit of Gordon's life of Calvin is that we get a well-rounded picture of a controversial figure. In this, I think Gordon has modeled how the command to love others should apply even to historical figures (we should remember that historical figures are people and to love them well means we should work to understand them rightly).
It's not a biography that I could easily pass on to others, however. This is fine, but I'd love to read a biography of Calvin that so accurately depicts Calvin (as Gordon has done) while also capturing Calvin's gift of 'lucid brevity.' Calvin's writing is so beautiful, so devotional and edifying. Gordon's biography on Calvin is edifying in it's own way, but if given a choice between reading this biography of Calvin or Calvin's Institutes and commentaries I'd encourage people to pick the latter!
December 16, 2021
Gordon's biography of the life of John Calvin is essential reading for any serious student of the Reformation. In his account, Calvin emerged as a complex personality, blessed by God with intellect and talents, and positioned by Providence as one of the most outstanding evangelical church leaders. The reader becomes acquainted with Calvin, the author, the theologian, the diplomat, and the churchman, not the martinet as some historians have depicted.
The book's strength is its detailed explanation of the ecumenical and civil political dynamics swirling through the Swiss Confederation and surrounding regions of the Holy Roman Empire during the Reformation's infancy and early development. The interplay and theological conflicts between Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, Melanchthon, and Bullinger were complex yet presented compellingly and understandably.
Gordon assumes his readers will already have a working knowledge of theology, the Holy Roman Empire, Roman Catholicism, and French and English monarchies. He often launched into chapters that required this background to comprehend his narrative.
Calvin's life and works have always held my intense interest as an evangelical Christian, ordained Presbyterian elder, and adherent of Reformed theology. Gordon's biography has added immeasurable depth and enjoyment to my scholarship of the Reformation.
The book's strength is its detailed explanation of the ecumenical and civil political dynamics swirling through the Swiss Confederation and surrounding regions of the Holy Roman Empire during the Reformation's infancy and early development. The interplay and theological conflicts between Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, Melanchthon, and Bullinger were complex yet presented compellingly and understandably.
Gordon assumes his readers will already have a working knowledge of theology, the Holy Roman Empire, Roman Catholicism, and French and English monarchies. He often launched into chapters that required this background to comprehend his narrative.
Calvin's life and works have always held my intense interest as an evangelical Christian, ordained Presbyterian elder, and adherent of Reformed theology. Gordon's biography has added immeasurable depth and enjoyment to my scholarship of the Reformation.
May 5, 2018
I don’t understand how there are reviews with three stars or less. This is an excellent book. It’s a biography so the theology is a little late. It reminds me a lot of Roland Bainton’s here I stand. Just like that book of Luther it gives a great background on the situation, his youth, and the environment. I enjoyed that there were a couple chapters given just to the cities around. Geneva is it’s own character in the story. If more biographies were like this I might read them I enjoyed that there were a couple chapters given just to the cities around. Geneva is it’s own character in the story. If more biographies were like this I might read them more more
April 22, 2019
This was a great biography on Calvin. The author did a good job of portraying Calvin evenhandedly. Gordon brought out Calvin's tremendous strengths as a bible interpreter, church leader, and international reformer and also his weaknesses -- losing his cool with his friends, taking criticisms too personally, and having a low view of those from non-aristocratic backgrounds. Nevertheless, despite these weaknesses in Calvin's character, I thank God for Calvin who was such a great gift to Christ's church. He was one of the godliest and most productive pastors the church has ever seen. This book faithfully chronicles Calvin's great labors for the church.
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