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Christianity Today, May (Web-only), 2009 |

THEOLOGY IN THE NEWS

Man of His Time for All Times

W. Robert Godfrey paints popular portrait of Calvin as pilgrim and pastor.

Interview by Collin Hansen | posted 5/18/2009 10:29AM

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If people want to learn more about and from Calvin, how do you suggest they proceed?

I hope people will not neglect to read Calvin himself. The best places to begin are with his sermons and his commentaries. He is very accessible. His Genevan Catechism and his Reply to Sadoleto are also good beginning points. The Institutes of the Christian Religion is, of course, his greatest single work, but in its final form it was intended for theology students. It is heavier and more polemic than some of his other work, but certainly well worth reading.

Collin Hansen is a CT editor at large and author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists.

Related Elsewhere:

John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor is available from ChristianBook.com and other book retailers.

Recent Christianity Today coverage of the John Calvin quincentenary includes "Long Live the Law: What would John Calvin say to Dick Cheney?" "The Real Prosperity Gospel," and "Reverence for the Mystery."

Previous Theology in the News columns are available on our site.

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May (Web-only) 2009, Vol. 53

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Dave	Posted: May 29, 2009 5:18 PM

Those that continued to post negative feedback about Calvin have still failed to answer my question: are you doing so from a first-hand knowledge of his actual writings? Since none have so far been able or willing to do so, I must conclude that you are still reacting to caricatures of him and statements taken out of context. I invite you to read Calvin's writings for yourself before jumping to conclusions about him. I don't mean quick quotes taken out of context, but an actual open-minded study of his writings. If you then continue to object to his work and can demonstrate why based on first-hand knowledge of his writing, your objections to him will carry more weight. Otherwise, I must conclude that you are speaking from ignorance.

Dr. James Willingham

Posted: May 27, 2009 9:56 PM

Dr. Godfrey's article was insightful and helpful, and I rather suspect that his book will be of value, too. I looked at his article on Calvin as The Counselor o the Afflected" in the work edited by Burk Parsons, John Calvin: A Heart For Devotion, Doctrine & Doxology," while perusing this item in Christianity Today. Both works provide a better perspective on Calvin who is still a scholar that merits consideration and attenion. I have to admit, however, that I stll have a real problem with his burning of Servetus, but that might be due to my being a Baptist who really believes in religious liberty.

Johann

Posted: May 27, 2009 10:54 AM


It's kind of funny, in a sad way, when one group of heretics attack another group of heretics. You're all just playing Christianity in made-up churches that aren't even 500 years old. Get real.

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