John+Calvin

media type="file" key="calvin.mp3"Born July 10, 1509 in Noyon, France, Jean Calvin was raised in a staunch Roman Catholic family. The local bishop employed Calvin's father as an administrator in the town's cathedral. The father, in turn, wanted John to become a priest. Because of close ties with the bishop and his noble family, John's playmates and classmates in Noyon (and later in Paris) were aristocratic and culturally influential in his early life. At the age of 14 Calvin went to Paris to study at the College de Marche in preparation for university study. His studies consisted of seven subjects: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Toward the end of 1523 Calvin transferred to the more famous College Montaigu. While in Paris he changed his name to its Latin form, Ioannis Calvinus, which in French became Jean Calvin. During this time, Calvin's education was paid for in part by income from a couple of small parishes. So although the new theological teachings of individuals like Luther and Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples were spreading throughout Paris, Calvin was closely tied to the Roman Church. However, by 1527 Calvin had developed friendships with individuals who were reform-minded. These contacts set the stage for Calvin's eventual switch to the Reformed faith. Also, at this time Calvin's father advised him to study law rather than theology. By 1528 Calvin moved to Orleans to study civil law. The following years found Calvin studying in various places and under various scholars, as he received a humanist education. By 1532 Calvin finished his law studies and also published his first book, a commentary on De Clementia by the Roman philosopher, Seneca. The following year Calvin fled Paris because of contacts with individuals who through lectures and writings opposed the Roman Catholic Church. It is thought that in 1533 Calvin experienced the sudden and unexpected conversion that he writes about in his foreword to his commentary on the Psalms. For the next three years, Calvin lived in various places outside of France under various names. He studied on his own, preached, and began work on his first edition of the //Institutes of the Christian Religion//. By 1536 Calvin had disengaged himself from the Roman Catholic Church and made plans to permanently leave France and go to Strasbourg. However, war had broken out between Fra ncis I and Charles V, so Calvin decided to make a one-night detour to Geneva. But Calvin's fame in Geneva preceded him. Farel, a local reformer, invited him to stay in Geneva and threatened him with God's anger if he did not. Thus began a long, difficult, yet ultimately fruitful relationship with that city. He began as a lecturer and preacher, but by 1538 was asked to leave because of theological conflicts. He went to Strasbourg until 1541. His stay there as a pastor to French refugees was so peaceful and happy that when in 1541 the Council of Geneva requested that he return to Geneva, he was emotionally torn. He wanted to stay in Strasbourg but felt a responsibility to return to Geneva. He did so and remained in Geneva until his death May 27, 1564. Those years were filled with lecturing, preaching, and the writing of commentaries, treatises, and various editions of the //Institutes of the Christian Religion//. 

(http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/?show=biography)

(Saari, Peggy and Aaron (2002). //Renaissance & Reformation Biographies//. Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group, Inc.) 

Few theologians have had more influence on Western Christian thought and culture than John Calvin, one of the fathers of the Reformed branch of Protestant Christianity. Born to a Roman Catholic family of means, Calvin was schooled in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, philosophy, and law in Paris, Orleans and Bourges. Around 1533 he had what he later described as "conversion," and by 1534 religion had become foremost in his writing and work. He sympathized with the Protestant sentiments sweeping Europe since [|Martin Luther] 's appearance on the scene. In Basel in 1536 Calvin published //Institutes of the Christian Religion//, a six-chapter catechism that grew to 80 chapters by its final edition in 1559. It is widely regarded as the clearest, most systematic treatise of the Reformation. Calvin's is the most famous presentation of the much debated doctrine of predestination: that God decided, before creating the world, who will and will not be saved. After years as a minister, writer and leader in Geneva and then Strassburg, Calvin returned to Geneva and resumed efforts to make the city a model Christian community, in part through tight restrictions on individual and social behavior and by the scrutiny (and punishment) of citizens by church and civil authorities. Thus Calvin's name is often connected with grim moral austerity and denial of pleasure, though this is probably an unfair oversimplification of his theology. Calvin's influence lives on in the doctrines and worship of many modern-day Reformed and Protestant denominations. Calvin married Idelette de Bure in 1540; she died in 1549. Their only child, Jacques (1542), died as an infant... In 1559 Calvin founded what is now the University of Geneva... A prolific writer, Calvin differed from Luther on key theological points, including the nature of the Lord's Supper. The two were a generation apart and never met... Some scholars attribute capitalism to Calvinism's influence. Among the first was Max Weber in //The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism// (1904)... Calvin is often criticized for approving of the 1553 trial, conviction and death by burning of Michael Servetus for heresy... Calvin's rambunctious namesake in the "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip bears no similarity to the religious reformer. However, creator [|Bill Watterson] has hinted at a similarity: "I wouldn't want Calvin in my house, but on paper, he helps me sort through my life and understand it." not, given (2008). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/john-calvin In 1541, added by the city council, Calvin drew up the Ecclesiastical Ordinances. He rejected the organisation of the Medieval Church as contrary to the New Testament. He wanted a church modelled on the church in Apostolic times. There were to be no bishops. All ministers were equal. They had to preach, administer the sacraments and look after the spiritual welfare of the people. Moral discipline was also upheld by the ministers - but they were helped by the elders. The elders were civilian (laymen) who lived within the congregation and who were elected by the city council. Calvin was not keen on this but it provided a link between the Church and state. The elders and deacons (also laymen who looked after the relief of the poor were subject to popular appointment and in that respect they introduced an important element of democracy into the church. All officers in the church belonged to the consistory and if there was a power struggle between the ministers and the laymen the outcome of that power struggle determined whether the church became Erastian (i.e. followed the way Erasmus wished a church to go) or the state would become theocratic i.e. the church controlled all aspects of life. Eventually Geneva became theocratic. Calvin was a strong believer in behaving as God wished. Immorality was severely condemned but to begin with the consistory was not an effective body. It only started to be so when the number of appointed ministers was greater than the elders. Also in 1555, the city council gave the consistory the right to excommunicate offenders. Only after this date was a strict moral code imposed and every sin was made a crime e.g. no work or pleasure on a Sunday; no extravagance in dress. If you were excommunicated you were banished from the city. Blasphemy could be punished by death; lewd singing could be punished by your tongue being pierced. Calvin believed that the church and state should be separate but the consistory tried moral and religious offenders. Two members of the consistory, accompanied by a minister, visited every parish to see that all was well and that people could see that they were being checked on. The state had to obey the teachings of the church, according to Calvin, and once he had managed to ensure this power, he felt confident enough to shut down taverns - though this was actually done by magistrates - and replace them with "evangelical refreshment places" where you could drink alcohol but this was accompanied by Bible readings. Meals (in public) were preceded by the saying of grace. Not surprisingly these were far from popular and even Calvin recognised that he had gone too far and the taverns were re-opened with due speed!! Was Calvin totally supported in Geneva? It must be remembered that he was introducing a very disciplined code to the city and that this code effectively controlled peoples lives. There were those who opposed Calvin and he was never totally secure until he had the support of Geneva’s most important families. These 1,500 men had a right to elect the city council which governed the city’s 13,000 people. Many felt angered that their privacy was being trespassed on and though a moral code to maintain standards was accepted, Calvin saw it going all the way so that everybody in the city was affected - a view not shared by everyone. This changed in favour of Calvin when a Spanish scholar called Michael Servetus came to Geneva in 1553. He questioned the validity of the Trinity which is central to all Christianity. The Libertines sided with Servetus to ‘get’ at Calvin and but his trial and burning as a heretic gave Calvin the opportunity to target the Libertines who fled Geneva. In May 1555, the Libertines attempted a take-over of Geneva which was a disaster. The ringleaders were caught and executed and this success further strengthened Calvin’s hand. not, given (2000-2008). John calvin. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from Ask.com Web site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/John_Calvin.htm

Script

John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 under the name Jean Calvin in Noyon, France. He grew up with a strong christian background since his father was an administrator in the town's cathedral. His father originally wanted John to become a priest but when John befriended reform-minded friends, he was urged to study law instead. By 1528, he had moved to Orleans, as well as other places, to study law. While he studied in Paris, he developed friendships with people who opposed the Roman Catholic Church. He then experienced a conversion that he never saw coming.

He began to write books such as The Institutes of Christian Religion catechism which became the clearest version of information on the Protestant Reformation. the cornerstone of his theology was the belief that God was all powerful and all knowing. He used this belief to develop doctrines such as predestination which states that before you are born, God has already determined whether you are saved or sentenced to damnation.

Calvin moved around more as he got older. As he traveled throughout Europe he went about preaching his doctrine of predestination. He moved to places such as Geneva, which he percieved as the model Christian community. there all people were required to attend Refrom services so his beliefs were widely spread. His visit to Geneva greatly spread the word of Calvanism but the people of Geneva were not his most ardent followers. that title belonged to the people of the Netherlands and Scotland. they used his teachings to overthrow "ungodly" rulers. Their argument was that, as Calvin said, they must obey authority but not if it causes them to go against the teachings of God. From then on, Calvinism became the dominant force in Western Europe and was the base for other movements in the 1600 and 1700s.

Most of his work was influenced by the works of Martin Luther, even though they were alive a generation apart, who is said to be the father of the Reformation. However, they did have differences on theoligical points such as the Lord's Supper.

Calvin eventually moved back to Geneva where he became a writer and a lecturer but was later asked to leave because of theological differences. He then moved to Strasbourg and became a preacher to French refugees. He was then asked to return to Geneva where he stayed until his death on May 27, 1564.

In just a short time, Calvin accomplished many tasks within the Protestant Reformation. He will forever be looked upon as one of the most influential people in the history of the Reformation. He will forever be put up on the pedestal with great people the likes of MartinLuther and Huldrych Zwingli, both other men that were very influential to the Reformation.

media type="file" key="calvin.mp3" width="125" height="108"