Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume 2

Commentary on Genesis

by John Calvin, Ford Lewis Battles (Translator), John T. McNeill (Editor)

The Henry Beveridge translation of one of the monumental works of the Christian Church.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Christian, Religion, Classics, Reference

884 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1536

About the author

French-Swiss theologian John Calvin broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1533 and as Protestant set forth his tenets, known today, in Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536).

The religious doctrines of John Calvin emphasize the omnipotence of God, whose grace alone saves the elect.

* Jehan Cauvin
* Iohannes Calvinus (Latin)
* Jean Calvin (French)

Originally trained as a humanist lawyer around 1530, he went on to serve as a principal figure in the Reformation. He developed the system later called Calvinism.

After tensions provoked a violent uprising, Calvin fled to Basel and published the first edition of his seminal work. In that year of 1536, William Farel invited Calvin to help reform in Geneva. The city council resisted the implementation of ideas of Calvin and Farel and expelled both men. At the invitation of Martin Bucer, Calvin proceeded to Strasbourg as the minister of refugees. He continued to support the reform movement in Geneva, and people eventually invited him back to lead. Following return, he introduced new forms of government and liturgy. Following an influx of supportive refugees, new elections to the city council forced out opponents of Calvin. Calvin spent his final years, promoting the Reformation in Geneva and throughout Europe.

Calvin tirelessly wrote polemics and apologia. He also exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger. In addition, he wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible as well as treatises and confessional documents and regularly gave sermons throughout the week in Geneva. The Augustinian tradition influenced and led Calvin to expound the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.

Calvin's writing and preaching provided the seeds for the branch of Protestantism that bears his name. His views live on chiefly in Presbyterian and Reformed denominations, which have spread throughout the world. Calvin's thought exerted considerable influence over major figures and entire movements, such as Puritanism, and some scholars argue that his ideas contributed to the rise of capitalism, individualism, and representative democracy in the west.

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think that it was possible, but the second volume is actually better than the first! Five hundred years later, and John Calvin's conclusions are still as relevant today as they were back then.

[Trevor Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part good. This could have been way shorter if Calvin laid off the Catholics for a bit. I found his sacrament section disappointing. I was looking forward to his articulation of eating by faith, but it was not well developed and turned into anti-Catholic polemics. Overall though, glad I read it.

[C.H. Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Institutes are Calvin's magnum opus. It is hard to conceive of anyone having such a comprehensive grasp of Scripture. It's equally difficult to think of someone writing such a voluminous work by pen and paper alone, without the aid of a computer. Very lengthy, but well-worth reading.

[Dwayne Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magisterial, indeed. Standout: excellent discussions on the sacraments of the Lord's Supper and baptism. The multi-chapter fusillade against Roman ecclesiology dragged, but Calvin's view of civil government was a bracing finale: "Audiant principes, et terreantur."