Historians have credited--or blamed--Calvinism for many developments in the modern world, including capitalism, modern science, secularization, democracy, individualism, and unitarianism. These same historians, however, have largely ignored John Calvin the man. When people consider him at all, they tend to view him as little more than the joyless tyrant of Geneva who created an abstract theology as forbidding as himself. This volume, written by the eminent historian William J. Bouwsma, who has devoted his career to exploring the larger patterns of early modern European history, seeks to redress these common misconceptions of Calvin by placing him back in the proper historical context of his time. Eloquently depicting Calvin's life as a French exile, a humanist in the tradition of Erasmus, and a man unusually sensitive to the complexities and contradictions of later Renaissance culture, Bouwsma reveals a surprisingly human, plausible, ecumenical, and often sympathetic Calvin. John Calvin offers a brilliant reassessment not only of Calvin but also of the Reformation and its relationship to the movements of the Renaissance.

This abridgement of Ford Lewis Battles' Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion will better acquaint readers with the seminal work in Reformed theology. In an easy-to-read, concise format, Donald McKim follows the main development of Calvin's thought, accentuating his contributions without lingering over matters whose importance has become outdated.

Elsie McKee, "Calvin and His Colleagues as Pastors: Some New Insights into the Collegial Ministry of Word and Sacraments"; Jeffrey R. Watt, "Childhood and Youth in the Geneva Consistory Minutes"; Christoph Strohm, "Methodology in Discussion of 'Calvin and Calvinism'"; Max Engammare, "D’une forme l’autre: Commentaires et sermons de Calvin sur la Genèse "; Cornelis Augustijn / Christoph Burger / Frans P. van Stam, "Calvin in the Light of the Early Letters" ; Christian Link, "Die Finalität des Menschen Zur Perspektive der Anthropologie Calvins"; Robert M. Kingdon, "Calvin’s last years"; Victor E. d’Assonville jr., "Dogma und Doctrina Bei Calvin in einer begrifflichen wechselwirkung: Ein Seminarbericht "; Wim Janse, "Calvin, a Lasco und Beza: Eine gemeinsame Abendmahlserklärung (Mai 1556)? Bericht eines Forschungsseminars mit offenem Ausgang"; A.N.S. Lane, "Calvin and Article 5 of the Regensburg Colloquy"; Jae Sung Kim, "Prayer in Calvin’s soteriology "; Barbara Pitkin: "Redefining Repentance: Calvin and Melanchthon"; Wilhelmus H.Th. Moehn, "Abraham – 'père de l’église de Dieu'. A Comparison of Calvin’s Commentary and Sermons on Acts 7:1-6 287"; Christian Grosse, "’En esprit et en vérité’? La part du rituel dans la culture religieuse réformée (Genève, XVIe siècle)"; Mihály Márkus, "Calvin und Polen. Gedankenfragmente in Verbindung mit einer Empfehlung"; Dr. E.A. de Boer, "Calvin and Colleagues. Propositions and Disputations in the Context of the Congrégations in Geneva"; Irena Backus, "Calvin’s knowledge of Greek language and philosophy"; Randall C. Zachman, "Crying To God on the Brink of Despair: The Assurance of Faith Revisited ".

This book attempts to understand Calvin in his 16th-century context, with attention to continuities and discontinuities between his thought and that of his predecessors, contemporaries, and successors. Muller pays particular attention to the interplay between theological and philosophical themes common to Calvin and the medieval doctors, and to developments in rhetoric and method associated with humanism.

By exploring how Martin Luther, Martin Bucer, and John Calvin interpreted a set of eight messianic psalms (Psalms 2, 8, 16, 22, 45, 72, 110, 188), Sujin Pak elucidates key debates about Christological exegesis during the era of the Protestant reformation. More particularly, Pak examines the exegeses of Luther, Bucer, and Calvin in order to (a) reveal their particular theological emphases and reading strategies, (b) identify their debates over the use of Jewish exegesis and the factors leading to charges of 'judaizing' leveled against Calvin, and (c) demonstrate how Psalms reading and the accusation of judaizing serve distinctive purposes of confessional identity formation. In this way, she portrays the beginnings of those distinctive trends that separated Lutheran and Reformed exegetical principles.

This volume translates selected works of John Calvin (1509-1564), the great reformer of Geneva, with special emphasis on his piety.

The book illuminates Calvin's thought by placing it in the context of the theological and exegetical traditions--ancient, medieval, and contemporary-- that formed it and contributed to its particular texture. Steinmetz addresses a range of issues almost as wide as the Reformation itself, including the knowledge of God, the problem of iconoclasm, the doctrines of justification and predestination, and the role of the state and the civil magistrate. Along the way, Steinmetz also clarifies the substance of Calvin's quarrels with Lutherans, Catholics, Anabaptists, and assorted radicals from Ochino to Sozzini. For the new edition he has added a new Preface and four new chapters based on recent published and unpublished essays. An accessible yet authoritative general introduction to Calvin's thought, Calvin in Context engages a much wider range of primary sources than the standard introductions. It provides a context for understanding Calvin not from secondary literature about the later middle ages and Renaissance, but from the writings of Calvin's own contemporaries and the rich sources from which they drew.

In the heart of this study, Part Two, "Equity in Calvin's Ethics," Haas presents a thorough exposition and analysis of the extensive role the concept of equity plays in Calvin's ethics. He clearly demonstrates that Calvin's approach to ethics is not restricted to the meditation of the text of Scripture.

Many would argue that a true understanding of contemporary Christian thought is impossible without a basic understanding of Calvin's contributions. William Stacy Johnson, a leading Presbyterian theologian, offers this clear and fundamental study of Calvin's insights as a primer for those with little or no knowledge of his work. This volume, enhanced with questions for discussion and a handy glossary, is sure to be an invaluable resource for those who seek an accessible way into a deeper understanding of Calvin's impact on the development of Christian faith and on society.

Protestant and Catholic scholars examine the relationship of John Calvin to Roman Catholicism, offering historical essays on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century interactions and contemporary assessments.