John Calvin, Theology, Believes, Calvinism, Protestant Reformation

John Calvin, Theology, Believes, Calvinism, Protestant Reformation

                    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469078117451217117/

John Calvin was born in 1509, Theologian, reformer and central figure of Protestant Reformation. At the age of 12 he was appointed a clerk in Church by the Bishop; with dedication he starts working for the Church. His father was interested to see him as lawyer; he went to University of Orleans for law. He became humanistic lawyer.  He was appointed clerk in Church. He developed Christian theology called Calvinism spread out throughout the world. He worked against Roman Catholic Church in most of his lifetime when violence started in France against Protestant reformation he fled to the Genève where he started to preach his ideas. In Geneva he faced strong resistance and expelled but he continued to support reform movement in Geneva. After some time he was called back to his city, where he was again introduced new reforms for the Church.

 

In 1536 he published Institutes of the Christian Religion. This book was his expression of theology. For the second edition, published in 1539, Calvin dropped this format in favor of systematically presenting the main doctrines from the Bible. He clearly mentioned separation of church with the State in his theology. Calvin faced opposition in Geneva as well. He exchanges many letters with Michael Servetus who introduced Islamic Idea of Pulmonary circulation, later he was denounced by Calvin and executed.  

Protestant movement was very strong in Geneva although lacked central organizational directions. This movement received financial assistance from the Geneva and Calvin gave his maximum energies to the French Protestants. Main idea of his theology consisted of two parts, Knowledge of God and of us. Everyone to arrive at God the creator he needs scripture as his guide and teacher. In the third book, Calvin describes how the spiritual union of Christ and humanity is achieved. He first defines faith as the firm and certain knowledge of God in Christ. In his final book he wrote about church, ministry and duties. He believed that church was a body of believers who placed church at its head. He completely rejected the Catholic doctrine of  and the treatment of the Supper as a sacrifice. He had some different point of view from Luther more near to the idea of Zwingli. Central theme of Calvin ideology was to safeguard the rights and freedom of ordinary people. 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/112027109551033256/

He was in favoured of Democracy and aristocracy at the same time. State and church are separate, though they have to cooperate to the benefit of the people. Christian magistrates have to make sure that the church can fulfill its duties in freedom. In extreme cases the magistrates have to expel or execute dangerous heretics. But nobody can be forced to become a Protestant. Calvin was died in 1564. After his death his all of life was controlled by Geneva. After the declined of church universities in Leiden and Heidelberg secularization was increased. Which became the new strongholds of Calvin's ideas, first identified as by Joachim Westphal in 1552. Calvin missionary worked a lot in France reached in Netherlands and throughout the Europe.