Calvinism

Calvinism, a denomination within orthodox Protestantism, was originally developed by John Calvin, a French theologian, in the sixteenth century. Calvin was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, and in the twenty-first century, Calvinism can be considered equivalent to Reformed Protestantism.

Calvinism is based on the Scriptures, and the main principle of Calvinism is "Sola Scriptura," or Scripture alone. Calvin’s beliefs derive from his conviction that the Bible is the word of God, so it is the final authority on practice and belief. Calvin and his followers believed in Christian traditions, but Scripture dominated traditional practices. They maintained that Scripture’s authority was established by the witness of the Holy Spirit and not by rational proofs.

A basic tenet of Calvinism is double predestination, or the idea that God predetermines some people to go to hell and others to go to heaven, regardless of the actions of those people. God’s sovereignty is an important principle of Calvinism.

Brief History

The Calvinistic Reformation was started by John Calvin, but it continued long after he had passed away. Its effects lasted roughly from 1539 to 1625, and the repercussions were felt in Switzerland, Germany, France, England, Spain, and America.

John Calvin (1509-64) was a French lawyer who eventually became a pastor practicing in Geneva, Switzerland. Of his many commentaries on the books of the Bible, The Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), which he published at age twenty-six, is the best known. He first mentioned the English Reformation in a letter he wrote in 1539, criticizing the religious judgment of King Henry VIII. Calvin complained that the king was practicing teachings adapted from the Roman Catholic Church and not Anglican practices.

Once Edward IV ascended to the throne, Calvin’s ideas were implemented. Church services took place in common languages instead of Latin, and in 1549, the Book of Common Prayer, which reflected Calvinistic points of view, was put into use.

When Mary Tudor became queen in 1553, she wanted to revert the church’s practices to Catholicism, and she persecuted those who opposed her. She rescinded the pro-reformation laws of King Edward, prompting Calvin to flee to Switzerland for refuge. Nonetheless, during that time, the Geneva Bible, which Calvin had translated with Theodore Beza, became the most popular Bible in Europe.

Calvin’s influence strengthened during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, which was from 1558 to 1603. His ideas remained prevalent throughout the seventeenth century. Queen Elizabeth swayed England toward Protestantism and helped the Dutch and French Calvinistic Protestants struggle against their Roman Catholic rulers.

James I, who became king in 1603, fully adopted Calvinism and rejected Roman Catholic theology. He wrote four books about Calvinism and had nonbelievers burned at the stake. In contrast, his successor, Charles I, embraced the opposing ideas of Arminianism and the Puritan reformers. Many of those Puritans left England for the New World, bringing Calvin’s ideas to America.

In 1618, the Dutch Reformed Church held a synod, which is an assembly of clergy in a division of a church. At the Synod of Dordrecht, the supporters of Arminianism and the supporters of Calvinism each argued their case. Orthodox Calvinistic theology was declared the victor. At that time, the TULIP (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints) beliefs, or the five main points of Calvinism, were canonized.

Overview

John Calvin, who initiated the movement of Calvinism, upended the order of Catholicism. He challenged numerous basic beliefs, such as the system of man’s contribution to salvation, the role of clergy, the hierarchy, and the authority of traditional roles, practices, and customs. As a result of his ideas, the word of God and Christ rose to become the main focus of the religious interpretation of the Bible, with an emphasis on the benefits of Christ and the promises of God.

Calvinism is centered on God’s sovereignty, declaring that God is willing and able to do whatever He wants with his creations. It states that God predetermines whether people will receive salvation, or deliverance from sin, and it is impossible for those people to lose their salvation. People are entirely at the mercy of God, and only His grace can save them.

Calvinism teaches monergism, or the belief that salvation is accomplished by God’s work alone through spiritual regeneration, even if the person being saved does not cooperate. Regeneration occurs when the Holy Spirit enters someone, making that individual a spiritually alive person. Calvinism trusts that nothing can happen in this world unless God permits it.

Arminianism, the contrasting belief to Calvinism, says that God has predestined people for salvation, but not in an absolute sense. Believers in Arminianism maintain that God peered into the future to see who would choose Him, and He then chose those people for salvation. Each individual can decide whether they want to be saved because Jesus died for all the people’s sins, whether or not they are Christian. Furthermore, it is possible for a person to lose their salvation once it has been granted.

The judgments made at the Synod of Dordrecht are known as the "five points of Calvinism." The central thrust of the points is that God can save every person to whom He turns his mercy, and He is not stymied by the unrighteousness of man. The five points of Calvinism express the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. The points correspond to each letter in the word "TULIP":

Total depravity: Every person in the world is enslaved to serve sin as a result of the sins of Adam and Eve. People are naturally inclined to serve their own interests and reject God’s rule. Without intervention, people are unable to choose to follow God and be saved.

Unconditional election: Only God’s mercy guides the choice of who will be saved; salvation is not dependent on the faith or merit of people.

Limited atonement: Jesus’s death averts punishment for sin, but only on those whom God has chosen to have mercy. Only the sins of the elect can be atoned.

Irresistible grace: The saving grace of God is applied to those whom He has chosen. Eventually, those people will obey the call of the gospel.

Perseveration of the saints: Anyone who was once saved from damnation cannot later be condemned.

Bibliography

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Nelson, Robert H. "Calvinism Without God: American Environmentalism as Implicit Calvinism." Implicit Religion, vol. 17, no. 3, 2014, pp. 249-73.

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Zavada, Jack. “TULIP Acronym: Calvinism Explained in 5 Simple Points.” Learn Religions, 17 May 2024, www.learnreligions.com/five-point-calvinism-700356. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.