The first English translation of a classic text of pastoral theology. / John Calvin (1509 1564) originally wrote his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion in Latin. Beginning with the second edition of his work published in 1541, Calvin translated each new version into French, simultaneously adapting the text to suit lay audiences, shaping it subtly but clearly to teach, exhort, and encourage them. Besides reflecting a more pastoral bent on Calvin's part, this 1541 Institutes is also notable as one of the founding documents of the modern French language. / Elsie Anne McKee's masterful translation of the 1541 French Edition the first-ever English version offers full access to the brilliant mind of John Calvin as he considered what common Christian people should all know and practice. / This sparkling translation of John Calvin s 1541 French Institutes offers modern-day readers in the English-speaking world the opportunity to read Calvin s first version of his masterwork intended for a general audience. Elsie McKee is to be commended for her faithful yet accessible translation of this key text. Karin Maag / Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies, Calvin College and Seminary / major event for Calvin students! English-language readers can, at last, access and use the 1541 version of the Institutes. Scholars of repute consider this version the most admirable of all: it combines freshness and maturity, it is not overloaded with polemical developments, and, as the first theological work in the vernacular, it made a decisive contribution toward shaping modern French. It is a landmark in Calvin s corpus. Elsie McKee s translation, checked against the original French, remains scrupulously accurate, while it reads with ease and harmonious fluidity. Henri Blocher / Facult Libre de Thologie Evanglique / Wheaton College Graduate School / I am impressed with what Elsie McKee has accomplished. It is amazing how she has managed to translate Calvin s smooth French into an English that is a pleasure to read. Even more important, however, is that she has made this important work of Calvin accessible for a wide audience, so all can experience the stimulus that reading Calvin can give to the church and theology today. Herman J. Selderhuis / Theologische Universiteit Appeldoorn / The 1541 edition of the Institutes has long been considered a gem among the various editions of Calvin s classic. Its special virtues are that it is more concise than the final 1559 edition and also more pastoral and practical, reflecting Calvin s years in the ministry. Finally we have a superb English translation of this edition by a premier Calvin scholar. Elsie McKee knows Calvin and knows French. The result is a wonderful contribution to Calvin studies in the English-speaking world. Readers of this version will gain fresh perspectives and new insights into the Reformer s theology. I. John Hesselink / Western Theological Seminary

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, Calvin's work still holds many truths that we can learn from today.

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.

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.