Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Tracts and Letters, Volume 5: Letters, Part 2, 1545-1553

Rate this book

454 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2009

1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read

About the author

John Calvin

1,704 books541 followers
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.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
3 (100%)
4 stars
0 (0%)
3 stars
0 (0%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Profile Image for Catherine.
250 reviews
May 15, 2022
This collection is amazing, but this volume in particular was exceptional. Not only do we see regular correspondence to big Reformation names like Bullinger, Bucer, Melanchthon, Beza, and Farel…but in this volume we also have letters to the Duke of Somerset (protector to young King Edward VI), Cranmer, and King Edward VI himself. We also see Calvin deal with the death of his wife Idelette, Bucer, and the still-young Edward VI. We also have a quiet chuckle as he calls the following monarch a “haughty animal” (Mary had that coming).

I wish we learned more history by reading the letters and the reactions of those living through their times, instead of modernist reflections and limited commentary to “relevance to our time.” Yes, history IS relevant to our time—but firstly, it was relevant in its OWN time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.