Lecture Notes on John Calvin and the Reformation

Introduction

• Focus on Martin Luther and the Reformation during the 1500s.
• Introduction of John Calvin, a contemporary of Martin Luther and a significant figure in the Reformation.

Early Life of John Calvin

• Born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, France.
• Raised in a Roman Catholic family; father worked for a local bishop.
• Originally intended to become a priest.

Education

• Attended Collège des Marchés in Paris at age 14.
• Studied seven subjects: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music.
• Transferred to Collège Montague in 1523.

Influence and Shift to Reformation

• Influences from new theological teachings by Luther and others during his time in Paris.
• Developed reform-minded friendships in 1527.
• Advised by his father to study law, influencing his later work in civil law.
• Studied Renaissance humanism influenced by Erasmus.

Conversion and Theological Work

• Around 1533, experienced a sudden conversion after encountering Luther's works.
• Fled Paris due to opposition to his reformist views.
• Settled in Basel, Switzerland, where he wrote the "Institutes of the Christian Religion" in 1536.

The Institutes of the Christian Religion

• Calvin's magnum opus and a significant work in Protestant theology.
• Structure:
  • Part 1: God the Father
  • Part 2: The Son
  • Part 3: The Holy Spirit
  • Part 4: The Church
• Emphasizes salvation by grace, faith over works.

Systematic Theology

• Calvin was the first to organize Reformation teachings into a systematic theology.
• His systematic approach separated him from other reformers.

Calvin's Detour to Geneva

• Planned to leave France for Strasbourg, but war altered his course, leading him to Geneva.

Personal Reflection and Application

• The lecture draws parallels between Calvin's detours and personal life detours.
• Encourages reflection on personal life paths and divine guidance.
• Emphasizes God as the measure of all things in Reformation teachings.