Portrait of Calvin

by Thomas Henry Louis Parker

Introduction
The Training of a Reformer
The First Attempts
Man of Letters
The Theologian
Number Eleven, Rue Des Chanoines
Minister of the Word of God
The Conflict of the Word
The Ecumenical Churchman
Last Words
For Futher Reading

Genres: Biography, Church History, Christianity, Theology, History, Christian

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Thomas Henry Louis Parker

Reviews

[Shawn Durham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really know what the point of the book was. It was just a bunch of random stories and glimpses. None is the chapters flowed. A few good quotes from Calvin was included but I do not see myself ever rereading this.

[Laurent Dv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and relevant, the last pages were the best and very emotional.

[Tim Littleford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little bio of Calvin.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very real, a very compelling, a very instructive portrait of this very important (and frequently misunderstood) man. This is not a biography as such (a "Life of Calvin") but an overview of the theme(s) of his life and the circumstances in which he carried out his work and cultivated his theology. I suspect that the present Calvin would most appreciate for his 500th birthday is a band of young men and women who were stirred by this Portrait to spend themselves, as he did, to see the church of their day fascinated by and focused on the majesty of God and the glory of Christ.

[Allen Tsai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fragmented and hard to follow. I don't feel like I have a portrait of Calvin; just some random pieces I'm trying to put together.

[Brandon Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short book on Calvin. Definitely paints a one sided perspective on him and leaves out his less desirable qualities but super interesting and overall gives a great view of his theology and impact on the reformation. This quote pretty much sums up his view of scripture and exposition: "This therefore is the only means of retaining as well as restoring pure doctrine to place Christ before the view just as He is, with all His blessings, that His excellence may be truly perceived."

[Carol K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick and easy read and it felt like a great introduction to the life of Calvin. The author definitely managed to stirr up some emotions making me feel like I want to know more about Calvin and being sympathetic to him - not just as the theologian but also to the person, his history and context. Great introductory reading.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairly short account of major highlights of Calvin’s life and theology. It contains many quotes by him which show his thinking at key moments. Parker is a skilled writer, making for an enjoyable read and recommended intro to Calvin. This edition contains a foreword by John Piper who mentions that this book was his “first serious exposure to Calvin.”

[C.J. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a decent biography of Calvin. Good introduction to the man. Don't go to this one if you want a detailed work.

[Michael Burchfield]

Brief sketch of the reformers life - an introduction, and a quick read.

[Miles Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short introductory biography of Calvin by a Church of England scholar.

[Szilard Kui · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and welcomed introduction to Calvin. I recommend it.

[Beth Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A portrait with very broad strokes. Left me wanting a more meticulous biography!

[Andrew Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good starting point for getting to know John Calvin (in spite of attempts to enlist Calvin for some British/Anglican quirkiness and a lower view of biblical inerrancy).

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an informative little book about the life and influence of John Calvin. Though there are far more informative books out there, this book is a great introduction for someone wanting to know about Calvin or to add to one's knowledge about this reformer.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for someone who doesn't want to read much about Calvin. It is well written, and it serves its purpose well - that purpose is to create a "word portrait" of Calvin. Since this book is not designed to be a full-fledged biography, it shouldn't be judged as such. I personally could not help but feel that the primary purpose of this book was to present a shallow understanding of Calvin for those who only desired a shallow understanding.
There isn't anything specifically objectionable about this book, but I would personally recommend that if you are one who is willing to read this kind of book, please consider picking up a full-fledged biography instead. It will serve you better.
There is one point I'd like to give special notice to, however. I thought that the author in this book navigates both his criticisms and defenses of Calvin very well. The author did an excellent job in dealing with Calvin's episode with Michael Servetus in the final pages of the book.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars because it achieves its designed purpose well. -1 star because the sequence of the topics discussed seems almost random, and because the purpose of this book is a little weak. -1 star because it is somewhat hagiographic, and truly only scratches the surface of Calvin.

[Lynette]

“In an interesting passage in the Institutes, Calvin summarized the gospel that he himself preached. When we preach, we must tell a man ‘that he was alienated from God by sin, an heir of wrath, liable to the punishment of eternal death, excluded from all hope of salvation, a total stranger to the blessing of God, a slave to Satan, a captive under the yoke of sin, and, in a word, condemned to and already involved in, a horrible destruction; that, in this situation, Christ interposed as an intercessor; that He has taken upon Himself and suffered the punishment which by the righteous judgment of God impended over all sinners; that by His blood He has expiated those crimes which make them odious to God; that by this expiation God the Father has been duly satisfied and atoned; that by this intercessor His wrath has been appeased; that this is the foundation of peace between God and men; and that this is the bone of His benevolence towards them.’” (page 70)

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly what it claims to be. A portrait or snapshot of Calvin. Good for someone like me who is curious to know more about Calvin but does not want to read his mammoth work, the Institutes, just yet. Calvin is sometimes a controversial figure for modern Christians and I imagine a lot of biographies about him can be one-sided, but I feel like this one shows a good balance. It also focuses on Calvin the man and not just predestination. As with most historical figures he was more than one topic. Still a man with good and bad, but a great man none the less and the progress and establishment of the Protestant church owes him a great deal of thanks.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written apologetical overview of John Calvin's life and thought, focusing on his time in Geneva. The author appears himself to be a believer, ecumenical in the sense that he speaks in favor of the contemporaneous attempts to unify the protestant churches against Rome. He rather lightly passes over the execution of Servetus by saying that that reformer lived, unfortunately, three hundred years before his time. How he reconciles this judicial murder and all the others with his version of a Calvanist Christianity centered on the bible and Jesus Christ escapes me.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sailed through this short little book about this often misunderstood Reformer. The writing is great, and the title is accurate: it's more a "portrait" than an event-by-event biography. Still, the great moments, theological themes, and overall sense of the man shines through. Its great to read a book with historical perspective as well - it was written over 50 years ago and has a shimmering sense of hope and plain speaking that is alarmingly missing in our cynical age. Highly recommended.

[Andrew Mcneill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new edition of Parker's Portrait of Calvin from Desiring God is an enjoyable and helpful little book. Parker doesn't set out to write a comprehensive biography but rather a short portrait of Calvin. He succeeds remarkably and in the short volume provides a concise and fresh glimpse of one of the great Reformers and his theology.

[Paul Bower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish it was more in depth concerning Calvin's Life and especially His different Theological views. However, it did cover a good deals worth of information in just 128 pages (including a foreword). If you desire to learn about who Calvin was, then this is a great introduction to the life of John Calvin.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A balanced look at the life of Calvin. We get a glimpse into his life through the consideration of various topics. Parker is not afraid to mention his shortcomings but also addresses common mistaken caricatures of Calvin. Particularly useful are the excerpts of many letters of Calvin included where we can clearly see his thoughts.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short overview of the life of John Calvin. It was written with a simple, balanced perspective, not offering him up as a hero or villain, just a gifted and educated writer, and a man who desired to glorify God.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good, short biographical sketch of the Reformer John Calvin. Parker shows the good and the bad--Calvin did make mistakes and his theology has its shortcomings.

This is probably a good place to start learning about Calvin before moving on to more thorough biographies.

[Todd Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, well-written look at the life of John Calvin. I will read his longer book before passing judgment on this. I think there is more to tell, though it is clear that Parker is an able and fair writer.

[Ryan James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has changed my outlook on church, church leadership, Christianity, and my own pursuit of the glory of God. I am truly thankful for the life of John Calvin and anyone that believes he is most know for 5 points is completely wrong.

I recommend this book to every Christian out there.

[Shane Hatfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to Calvin, but doesn't offer much in the way of his theology.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy read of Calvin. It covers the significant facts and events in his life. The incident with Servetus provided as a somewhat sad chapter in Calvin's otherwise exemplary life.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little sketch of Calvin's life. It helps you get a feel for the man through learning the salient points of his life and personality. Enjoyable read.