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Christianity Today, July, 2009 |

My Top 5 Books on Calvin

Michael Horton, editor in chief of Modern Reformation | posted 7/10/2009 10:53AM

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Institutes of the Christian Religion
by John Calvin

There's no better entry point into Calvin's teaching than this richly edifying work by the man himself. It is a summary of the Christian faith written for pastors (many of whom were risking their lives).

* * *

John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor
by W. Robert Godfrey

Hot off the press, this very readable book serves as an ideal introduction to Calvin's life and emphases.

* * *

John Calvin: A Biography
by T. H. L. Parker

For decades, this volume has been considered the standard introduction to Calvin.

* * *

The Unaccommodated Calvin
by Richard A. Muller

Muller's academic treatment places Calvin in his historical context and challenges various misconceptions and rabbit trails in 20th-century Calvin scholarship.

* * *

Calvin, Participation, and the Gift
by J. Todd Billings

Billings's award-winning exploration of Calvin's emphasis on union with Christ includes up-to-date engagement with recent criticisms of Calvin's doctrine of grace.

Related Elsewhere:

Previous Top 5 lists have featured neglected doctrines, spiritual memoirs, marriage, Lent, fiction books for the soul, managing your money, devotionals, how character shapes belief, food, Atheism, China, Presidents, World Christianity, Ancient-Future Faith, the Civil Rights Era, Social Justice, Church History, Popular Culture, the Civil War, Apologetics, Atheism, and Sex.

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July 2009, Vol. 53, No. 7

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Anonymous

Posted: July 16, 2009 4:23 PM

James wrote: "i have read very little about Calvin, and read virtually nothing BY Calvin." So, let's get this straight, James. Anything you think you know about John Calvin and his life and ministry did NOT come through your own careful evaluation of his writings, right? You get your "facts" about Calvin through the filters of hearsay, speculation and even, potentially, gossip, and, of course, the "learned" opinions of others. That's both frightening and the worst kind of ignorance, not to mention blatant arrogance!

Michael Servetus

Posted: July 15, 2009 3:33 AM


I'm surprised you didn't list the Spanish physician Michael Servetus to your reading list. Though he was a Christian, his opinion on Calvin might be somewhat different. But we all know what Calvin enjoyed doing to those who challenged him.

James

Posted: July 13, 2009 5:42 PM

Frankq, you are fairly close to correct...i have read very little about Calvin, and read virtually nothing BY Calvin. You're right, i've gone mostly on what i've heard from others, but aside from all that, have been writing more regarding the Protest-ing mindset that fostered Calvin, and others like him, as well as the movement they spawned and is still encouraged today. In a nutshell, it has been a legacy of division and not unity. Pride rather than humility. As a great thinker once said, "Nobody wants a pope, but everyone wants to BE the pope." Well-intentioned as Protest-ing might be, I think that quote sums it up pretty well. I doubt most modern Christians give "authority" much thought, but a lack of submitting to it is at the foundational core of all theological disagreements. (imho)

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