Tracing a series of political crises in Anglo-American history from the 16th-century Reformation to the civil rights movement Coffey excavates the history of deliverance politics testifying to the powerful political appeal of the Exodus, the Jubilee and the biblical language of liberty.
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.
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.
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.
Grace enables us to do what we could not do, to be what we could not be, and to believe what we could not believe, among other things. In this third book in The Institutes of Religion, John Calvin teaches about the grace of Christ and show the reader how to obtain His grace.
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.
Although he wrote comprehensively on a wide range of doctrinal issues, it is Predestination with which Calvin is most associated today. In this, his definitive text on the subject, he outlines fully a doctrine he feels has been wilfully misinterpreted to the detriment of the Church. Readers will witness Calvin masterfully arguing his points, wrestling with the scriptures, and fully engaging in the polemical world of sixteenth-century theological debate as he refutes the views of three of his chief detractors. J.K.S. Reid’s widely praised translation preserves the nuances of Calvin’s thought and the strength of his rhetoric, while his introduction offers a critical examination of Calvin’s theological argument.
This is the definitive English-language edition of one of the monumental works of the Christian church. All previous editions--in Latin, French, German, and English--have been collated; references and notes have been verified, corrected, and expanded; and new bibliographies have been added.The translation preserves the rugged strength and vividness of Calvin's writing, but also conforms to modern English and renders heavy theological terms in simple language. The result is a translation that achieves a high degree of accuracy and at the same time is eminently readable. Long recognized for the quality of its translations, introductions, explanatory notes, and indexes, the Library of Christian Classics provides scholars and students with modern English translations of some of the most significant Christian theological texts in history. Through these works--each written prior to the end of the sixteenth century--contemporary readers are able to engage the ideas that have shaped Christian theology and the church through the centuries.
John Calvin (10 July 1509 - 27 May 1564) was one of the most influential Christians of the last millennium. An influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation, Calvin was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later named after him. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530, and after religious tensions provoked a violent uprising against Protestants in France, Calvin fled to Basel, Switzerland, where he published the first edition of his seminal work Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536. Calvin was a tireless polemic and apologetic writer who generated much controversy. He also exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger. In addition to the Institutes, he wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible, as well as theological treatises and confessional documents. He regularly preached sermons throughout the week in Geneva. Calvin was influenced by the Augustinian tradition, which led him to expound the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation. Calvin's writing and preachings provided the seeds for the branch of theology that bears his name. The Reformed and Presbyterian churches, which look to Calvin as a chief expositor of their beliefs, have spread throughout the world.
Shepherd's Notes- Christian Classics Series is designed to give readers a quick, step by step overview of some of the enduring treasures of the Christian faith. They are designed to be used along side the classic itself- either in individual study or in a study group. The faithful of all generations have found spiritual nourishment in the Scriptures and in the works of Christians of earlier generations. Martin Luther and John Calvin would not have become who they were apart from their reading Augustine. God used the writings of Martin Luther to move John Wesley from a religion of dead works to an experience at Aldersgate in which his "heart was strangely warmed." Shepherd's Notes will give pastors, laypersons, and students access to some of the treasures of Christian faith.
John Calvin's first catechism--originally written in French in 1537 and then in Latin in 1538--provides a valuable, clear, and concise introduction to his thought. Now for the first time, readers have available Ford Lewis Battles' English translation of the 1538 Latin edition and a current discussion of it in the same volume. This commentary on the first catechism also utilizes other sources such as Calvin's Commentaries and Institutes, as well as the latest Calvin research. This volume is an excellent introduction to Calvin's theology and will be useful as a text for college and seminary courses as well as church discussion groups. The Columbia Series in Reformed Theology represents a joint commitment by Columbia Theological Seminary and Westminster John Knox Press to provide theological resources from the Reformed tradition for the church today. This series examines theological and ethical issues that confront church and society in our own particular time and place.
The chief work of the theologian John Calvin, the institutes have set the theological framework of Calvinists and Reform thinkers for many hundreds of years. Although originally written in the 16th century, Calvins work still holds many truths that we can learn from today
John Calvin (10 July 1509 - 27 May 1564) was one of the most influential Christians of the last millennium. An influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation, Calvin was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later named after him. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530, and after religious tensions provoked a violent uprising against Protestants in France, Calvin fled to Basel, Switzerland, where he published the first edition of his seminal work Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536. Calvin was a tireless polemic and apologetic writer who generated much controversy. He also exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger. In addition to the Institutes, he wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible, as well as theological treatises and confessional documents. He regularly preached sermons throughout the week in Geneva. Calvin was influenced by the Augustinian tradition, which led him to expound the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation. Calvin's writing and preachings provided the seeds for the branch of theology that bears his name. The Reformed and Presbyterian churches, which look to Calvin as a chief expositor of their beliefs, have spread throughout the world. Calvin was mostly concerned with reforming the Church, both in terms of doctrine and in terms of how the Church preached and persecuted. He covers all these topics in these commentaries.
The year 2009 brought with it the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, a global celebration. With this commemorative event came a new and renewed appreciation for the life and thought of the French Reformer and his profound impact on the world. Scholars universally have acknowledged that while "The Theologian of Geneva" is mostly appreciated for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, it is Calvin as a biblical commentator that needs to be taken with revised interest. When Calvin first set out to write a commentary on virtually every book of the Bible, he was drawn to the exegetical work of the great Greek Patriarch of the fourth century, John Chrysostom, because of his "straightforward, non-allegorical approach to the genuine, simple sense of the text." It was also the method of Chrysostom to which Calvin was attracted, "a continuous exposition" that explains each verse. Calvin, in his life long work to produce commentaries on sacred Scripture, sought to emulate the approach and method of the amazing early church theologian, John Chrysostom. This book celebrates Calvin as Biblical commentator, and what he saw in the literary work of the Greek Father that was so influential on Calvin's immense contribution to our understanding the Bible.
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