John Calvin Publishes First Edition of Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin published the first edition of his significant theological work, *Institutes of the Christian Religion*, on August 1, 1536. This publication emerged during a period of growing discontent with the Catholic Church in Europe, marked by increasing criticism of its practices and the rise of figures like Martin Luther. Calvin, born in 1509 in France, initially pursued a career in law after abandoning his priestly studies and experienced a personal conversion that led him to reject Catholicism. His *Institutes* outlined key principles of Calvinism, including the innate depravity of humankind, the absolute sovereignty of God, salvation by grace alone, and the doctrine of predestination.
Calvin's ideas not only contributed to the formation of a distinct Protestant sect but also shaped the trajectory of religious reform in Europe, influencing communities such as the Puritans in America. After a brief exile, Calvin returned to Geneva, where he implemented his ideas into local governance, leading to a theocratic society that emphasized moral regulation and social welfare. His legacy remains a topic of interest, as various Protestant denominations continue to draw from his teachings, despite the complexities and challenges that characterized the practice of Calvinism.
John Calvin Publishes First Edition of Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin Publishes First Edition of Institutes of the Christian Religion
The theologian and leading Protestant reformer John Calvin published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion on August 1, 1536. This work and the ideas contained within it would influence the development of Protestantism in Europe and, later, North America.
John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France, and baptized Jehan Cauvin. His father, a lay administrator, sent him to the University of Paris in 1523 to study for the priesthood. Calvin never took priestly vows, however, and in 1528, at his father's urging, he turned to the study of civil law and graduated from the university in Orléans in 1531. During these studies he was exposed to Renaissance humanism, which would be reflected in his later beliefs. Calvin also developed an interest in reading the scriptures in their original languages, so he studied Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. At some point shortly thereafter—probably between 1533 and 1535—he experienced what he would call a “conversion” and turned from the Roman-Catholic Church.
In Calvin's time, Catholicism still dominated Europe, despite past rumblings of opposition from clergymen such as John Wycliffe, who had broken church law by translating the Bible from Latin into English in the 14th century, and the Bohemian priest John Huss (also spelled Jan Hus), whose execution as a heretic in 1415 had led to a popular rebellion. The Catholic Church was an object of resentment, for it was rich and powerful, held many lands and estates, and in some countries was not even required to pay taxes. Many people began to criticize the church for the avarice of some of its clergy, who were often more interested in their worldly comforts than serving God or their parishioners. There were also a growing number of scholars, clergymen, and intellectuals who disputed its teachings, not the least of whom was Martin Luther, the German monk whose 95 Theses challenging church practices led to his excommunication by Rome and his own break from the Catholic Church.
In 1535 Calvin sought refuge in Basel, Switzerland, where in 1536 he published in Latin his Institutes of the Christian Religion, regarded by many as the most important religious work of the 16th century. In the Institutes, which would undergo several revisions and a translation into French by Calvin himself in 1541, he made clear his break with Roman Catholicism and began an entirely new Christian sect, known as Calvinism. In addition to the rejection of papal authority, the chief principles of the Calvinist faith set forth in the Institutes included the innate depravity of humankind, a belief in the absolute will of God, an emphasis on faith over good works, the receipt of salvation by grace alone, and the predestination of certain Elect individuals for salvation. The latter doctrine proved to be especially troublesome, for one never could be sure of one's Election, even if one practiced one's faith with great piety and devotion. These principles, along with a general prohibition on all forms of frivolous entertainment, could make Calvinism a depressing and repressive religion to follow. Nevertheless, when Calvin traveled to Geneva in late 1536, he was persuaded by Guillaume Farel to remain and assist in the reformation movement there. Geneva had recently won its independence but it was still divided, and not everybody welcomed Calvin's proposed reforms. In 1538 he and Farel were expelled from Geneva.
In September 1541 Calvin was asked to return to Geneva to once again help reform the church there. He agreed and found the people more cooperative than before. Calvin's goal was to use the principles of God's law as he interpreted them and set down in the Institutes to regulate people's lives. To achieve this end, he drafted rules which the government codified into a constitution addressing secular as well as religious matters. While there was officially a separation between church and state, in practice the government was transformed into a virtual theocracy, with Calvin viewed by many as “the dictator of Geneva.” Personal behavior was strictly regulated and activities such as dancing and card playing were prohibited. Calvin also supported social measures, such as special care for the sick and poor, and the development of a city school system for all children.
The threat of attack against Geneva from enemy Catholic armies was nearly unrelenting. This threat, in addition to resistance to the reforms that he had promulgated, caused Calvin to resort to some harsh measures. Christians who disagreed with Calvin's teachings were often expelled from the city, and Michael Servetus, a Unitarian who was captured while in the city, was burned to death in 1553 with Calvin's approval.
Calvin's ideas continued to spread throughout Europe long after his death on May 27, 1564. The Puritans from England who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were devout Calvinists who, for a time, established their own theocracy based on the principles found in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. By the 19th century, the influence of Calvinism had waned, but several Protestant denominations derive a significant portion of their theology from the teachings of Calvin.