Download or read book Calvin s Doctrine of the State written by Mark J. Larson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-01-08 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemporary treatments of Calvin's political views often imply that he embraced a theocratic civil polity and that he was committed to holy war doctrine. On the basis of the primary sources, the first half of this volume argues that neither position is correct. Calvin, in his political thought, maintained the superiority of a republic as a civil polity. In addition, he placed himself firmly within the medieval just war tradition that was established by Augustine of Hippo and later reaffirmed by Thomas Aquinas. In terms of his commitment to classical just war teaching, Calvin stood in continuity with Martin Luther, even while he distanced himself from the holy war perspective of the Zurich Reformers Henry Bullinger and Peter Martyr Vermigli. In the thinking of Calvin, a war could only be authorized by the state, not the church. War had to be prosecuted with humanity and restraint, and not in the tradition of the medieval crusade. The second half of the book sets forth what Calvin actually believed on the matter of government and war. Here we examine his teaching on parliamentary resistance to monarchical tyranny and the full dimensions of his commitment to justice of war categories. Unlike Luther and Bullinger, Calvin provided a parliamentary remedy for the perennial evil of tyranny. With Vermigli and Theodore Beza siding with Calvin on this right, a body of Reformed doctrine was established to which succeeding generations could appeal for teaching, direction, and justification for taking up arms. It is clear that Calvin's political legacy is profoundly evident in the American Revolutionary War and in the constitutional determination for a republic in the United States of America. Calvin's ecclesiastical republicanism, as it came to fruition in Presbyterian church government, was a powerful impetus toward the creation of republican institutions in civil government.
Download or read book Calvin s Doctrine of the Word and Sacrament written by Ronald Wallace and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 1997-09-30 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Hodge viewed Calvin's doctrine of the union of believers with Christ's humanity in the Lord's Supper as an uncongenial foreign element in Calvin's thought, having no root in the system. Robert L. Dabney found Calvin's doctrine to be a strange opinion, which he had to reject because it is not only incomprehensible, but impossible. Were these eminent theologians correct, or did they miss the genius of Calvin's thinking at this point? Back in print at last, Ronald Wallace's classic study is a careful examination of Calvin's Commentaries, Institutes, Sermons, and Tracts, designed to clarify the teaching of the great Reformer. The following two sentences from the preface aptly sum up the author's intention: ÒWhat is most important in the study of Calvin today is to reveal what the Reformer himself actually said, in order that misconceptions about his teaching may be cleared away. Therefore this work is not a critical study of Calvin, but an attempt to express his teaching as copiously, fairly, and sympathetically as possible. Dr. Wallace's book is also valuable for the insight it gives into Calvin's method of interpreting Scripture, especially the Old Testament.
Download or read book Calvin and the Reformed Tradition written by Richard A. Muller and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2012-11-15 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Richard Muller, a world-class scholar of the Reformation era, examines the relationship of Calvin's theology to the Reformed tradition, indicating Calvin's place in the tradition as one of several significant second-generation formulators. Muller argues that the Reformed tradition is a diverse and variegated movement not suitably described either as founded solely on the thought of John Calvin or as a reaction to or deviation from Calvin, thereby setting aside the old "Calvin and the Calvinists" approach in favor of a more integral and representative perspective. Muller offers historical corrective and nuance on topics of current interest in Reformed theology, such as limited atonement/universalism, union with Christ, and the order of salvation.
Download or read book Calvin s Doctrine of the Last Things written by H. Quistorp and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-06-05 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The far-reaching revival of evangelical theology is linked in Europe, Britain, and the United States with a re-discovery of the fundamental truths which the great reformers taught. In no instance is this more sharply seen than in the reformers' view of the fundamental eschatological character of the Gospel. In this book Heinrich Quistorp provides an illuminating survey of Calvin's conception of Hope, Immortality, Judgment, and Consummation in Christ. In his exposition of Calvin's Doctrine the author shows that for the reformer hope is in fact the touchstone of a true and living faith. . . . Christ is the foundation and the end of the hope of those who share communion with Him. His second coming is nothing other than the unfolding of that atoning work which He accomplished at His first coming. For those in the reformed tradition who wish to have a concise account of Calvin's teaching this book will be a first-rate book of reference, and for all readers it will reveal something of the range and power of Calvin's view of the Christian faith as it faces present time and eternal destiny.
Download or read book Given for You written by Keith A. Mathison and published by P & R Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the Lord's Supper, a time of communion with our Lord and with his people, a high point in our lives? What thought do we give to biblical teaching on this sacrament? In Given for You Keith Mathison seeks to encourage prayerful reflection and discussion about this now neglected sacrament. He introduces, explains, and defends a particular understanding of the Lord's Supper--a Reformed understanding...The doctrine of the Lord's Supper presented and defended by John Calvin is the biblical doctrine, the basic doctrine of the sixteenth-century Reformed churches, and the doctrine that should be proclaimed in Reformed churches today. In a final chapter on practical issues, Mathison addresses the frequency of communion, the elements to be used, and the practice of paedo-communion.
Download or read book John Calvin s Doctrine of the Christian Life written by John H. Leith and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this thorough investigation of Calvinist doctrine, John Leith defines the Reformer's teaching on Christian life in the context of his theology. He begins with a discussion of what it means to say that the purpose of Christian life is the glory of God. He then discusses Christian life in relation to four aspects of Calvinist thought: justification by faith alone; providence and predestination; history and the transhistorical; church and society. Leith's concluding statement summarizes the importance of this book. "Calvin's doctrine of the Christian life represents a magnificent effort to give expression to what it means to have to do with the living God every moment of one's life. No interpretation of the sola gloria Dei ["only God's glory"] has been more vivid and dynamic than Calvin's. For this reason he speaks to the needs of this generation, which, at least until recently, has been more frequently concerned about the glory of humankind than that of God and which has fallen victim to many false gods and vicious ideologies. Yet if Calvinism is to render its full service to our day, it must be interpreted in the context of the shared faith of the total Christian community. On the basis of Calvin's own principles, no human statement of Christian faith can ever be final and must be continually reformed by the Christian community's apprehension of the word of God as revealed in Jesus Christ."
Download or read book Calvin s Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church written by Matthew J. Tuininga and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-06 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Calvin's Political Theology and the Public Engagement of the Church, Matthew J. Tuininga explores a little appreciated dimension of John Calvin's political thought, his two kingdoms theology, as a model for constructive Christian participation in liberal society. Widely misunderstood as a proto-political culture warrior, due in part to his often misinterpreted role in controversies over predestination and the heretic Servetus, Calvin articulated a thoughtful approach to public life rooted in his understanding of the gospel and its teaching concerning the kingdom of God. He staked his ministry in Geneva on his commitment to keeping the church distinct from the state, abandoning simplistic approaches that placed one above the other, while rejecting the temptations of sectarianism or separatism. This revealing analysis of Calvin's vision offers timely guidance for Christians seeking a mode of faithful, respectful public engagement in democratic, pluralistic communities today.
Download or read book Theology of John Calvin written by Karl Barth and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 1995-11 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This historically significant volume collects Karl Barth's lectures on John Calvin, delivered at the University of Göttingen in 1922. The book opens with an illuminating sketch of medieval theology, an appreciation of Luther's breakthrough, and a comparative study of the roles of Zwingli and Calvin. The main body of the work consists of an increasingly sympathetic, and at times amusing, account of Calvin's life up to his recall to Geneva. In the process, Barth examines and evaluates the early theological writings of Calvin, especially the first edition of the Institutes.
Download or read book JOHN CALVIN written by Burk Parsons and published by Reformation Trust Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-02 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In celebration of the five hundredth anniversary of John Calvins birth (2009), Burk Parsons, editor of Tabletalk magazine and associate minister at St. Andrews in Sanford, Fla., has brought together an impressive group of pastors and scholars to reconsider Calvins life and legacy. Contributors include Jay Adams, Eric Alexander Thabiti Anyabwile, Joel Beeke, Jerry Bridges, Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, D. G. Hart, Michael Horton, Phillip R. Johnson, Steven Lawson, John MacArthur, Keith Mathison, Richard Phillips, Harry Reeder, Philip Graham Ryken, Derek Thomas, Thomas Ascol, and others.
Download or read book The Christian Life written by John Calvin and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-05-01 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A leading expert on John Calvin brings together the reformer's most profound reflections on what it means to live a fully Christian life. The Christian Life includes excerpts from Calvin's impressive theological writings and illuminating sermons, as well as a selection of his stately prayers. Editor John H. Leith focuses on Calvin's spirituality, which arose out of the reformer's conviction that theology's primary importance is to encourage piety, to edify, and to transform human life and society. Calvin's writings have much to tell about the manner and style of Christian living. The writings gathered in The Christian Life draw upon Calvin's own heartfelt commitment to the ideals of life in Christ and to the responsibility to the community he served as pastor, preacher, teacher, and counselor. Here, then, is Calvin's own pattern for the conduct of the fully Christian life, which stresses that it is in Christian people living in Christian community and in society that we see most clearly the reality of faith. The Christian Life shares Calvin's thinking on such essential questions as the nature of sin; the importance of self-denial and cross-bearing to the Christian life; maintaining the proper balance between the present life and the life to come; the role of grace; the concept of Christian freedom; the place of prayer; the centrality of community; ideas of the elect and predestination; and the deepest purposes of God for his people. He relates all issues to the fundamental question of piety and how Christians can best attune themselves to God's unfolding plans in everyday life. This compact volume makes available to readers as never before some of the most accessible and rewarding writings of this foremost figure in the history of Christian thought. The selections in The Christian Life will introduce the reader to an influential form of Christian piety; but above all, they provide a clue to how Christians today may live and cope with the problems of personal and public life in a highly pluralistic and secular culture, in which the traditional guides and support for Christian living seem to have lost vitality and vigor.
Download or read book Calvin s Doctrine of The Christian Life written by Ronald Wallace and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 1997-06-23 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his study of a wide range of Calvin's works, Dr. Wallace has found that all Calvin's decisions on widely differing aspects of the Christian life can be understood and seen in their unity as they arise from his doctrine of the person and work of Christ as involving, once-for-all, the sanctification and destiny of the Church. In this context the book shows that humanity lives the Christian life as they seek to fulfill their calling to royal priesthood in Christ in union with his death and resurrection.
Download or read book Calvin s Doctrine of Predestination written by Fred H. Klooster and published by . This book was released on 1961 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book John Calvin Steward of God s Covenant written by John Calvin and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2006-02-14 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This selection of the writings of John Calvin (1509—1564) is the first for general readers to appear in many years. It showcases his powerful legacy, which has had far-reaching consequences for the development of religion and culture in Western Europe and in the shaping of American identity. Calvin was a prodigious preacher and writer, and his sermons, Bible commentaries, tracts, and letters fill dozens of volumes. The works chosen for John Calvin: Steward of God’s Covenant highlight ideas central to the Reformation but also to his influence on modern life, e.g., the importance of a work ethic and the notion of being “called” to action in the world; his belief in universal education for boys and girls; and his belief in the sanctity and freedom of individual conscience. Calvin’s theology of the “elect” of God motivated the English and Dutch Calvinists who settled the Atlantic seaboard, their Promised Land. The traditions of their communities and churches and laws produced the widespread present-day American belief in a divinely favored national destiny. In her brilliant preface to this edition, Pulitzer Prize—winning novelist Marilynne Robinson makes the clearest connection between John Calvin’s own biblical and patristic heritage and the heritage he in turn left the modern world.
Download or read book Calvin at the Centre written by Paul Helm and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 2010 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of the consequences of various ideas in the thought of John Calvin, and the influence of his ideas on later theologians. The emphasis is on philosophical ideas within Calvin's theology, dealing in turn with epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues. Helm provides a fresh perspective on Calvin's theological context and legacy.
Download or read book The Secret Providence of God written by John Calvin and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2010-01-08 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1558 John Calvin held a prominent position of leadership in the Reform movement. He had written prolifically and his works had been widely circulated-and critiqued. It was at this time that he penned an answer to a critique of his position on divine providence, as articulated in the 1546 edition of the Institutes. His polemical defense of his beliefs, The Secret Providence of God, reflects the boisterous, argumentative tone of the Reformation era and is Calvin's fullest treatment on this most important doctrine. Unfortunately, in recent decades this work has been largely forgotten. With this new English translation of Calvin's work, editor Paul Helm reintroduces The Secret Providence of God to students, pastors, and lay readers of Reformed theology. Translator Keith Goad has modernized the English while preserving a Latinized translation style as far as possible. Helm has provided a full introduction, discussing the work's background, content, style, and relation to Calvin's other writings on providence.
Download or read book Calvin s Calvinism written by John Calvin and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2019-05-31 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Calvin’s Calvinism A Translation of 1. The Eternal Predestination of God 2. The Secret Providence of God By John Calvin and translated by Henry Cole, D.D. This unique book constitutes the only original writings of John Calvin devoted “expressly, exclusively, and purposely” to the capital “Calvinistic” doctrines of The Eternal Predestination of God, and The Secret Providence of God. They are Calvin’s own testimony and real mind concerning the doctrines of God’s electing, predestinating and sovereign grace, constitute his own exposition and expression of faith, and beautifully display the spirit in which he held and taught these great Biblical truths. These important treatises were published in 1552 and 1558 respectively and lay locked in the original language of Calvin’s day until translated by Henry Cole, D. D., 300 years later in 1856 under the present title of Calvin’s Calvinism. The first treatise on Eternal Predestination consists of 131 pages; the second on Secret Providence covers 127 pages, the later embracing arguments (Calumnies) against Calvin and his refutation of each particular point. Illuminating “Dedicatory Prefaces” and prefaces by the translator add significance to the main content of this important volume.
Download or read book Calvin Participation and the Gift written by J. Todd Billings and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2007-11-15 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the God of Calvin a fountain of blessing, or a forceful tyrant? Is Calvin's view of God coercive, leaving no place for the human qua human in redemption? These are perennial questions about Calvin's theology which have been given new life by Gift theologians such as John Milbank, Graham Ward, and Stephen Webb. J. Todd Billings addresses these questions by exploring Calvin's theology of `participation in Christ'. He argues that Calvin's theology of `participation' gives a positive place to the human, such that grace fulfils rather than destroys nature, affirming a differentiated union of God and humanity in creation and redemption. Calvin's trinitarian theology of participation extends to his view of prayer, sacraments, the law, and the ecclesial and civil orders. In light of Calvin's doctrine of participation, Billings reframes the critiques of Calvin in the Gift discussion and opens up new possibilities for contemporary theology, ecumenical theology, and Calvin scholarship as well.
