John Calvin Biography

John Calvin, Theologian
Born asJehan Cauvin
Occup.Theologian
FromFrance
BornJuly 10, 1509
Noyon, Picardy, France
DiedMay 27, 1564
Geneva, Republic of Geneva (present-day Switzerland)
Aged54 years
Early Life and Background
John Calvin, initially born as Jehan Cauvin, went into the world on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, a town in the Picardy area of France. Raised in a modest but hopeful family, his dad, Gérard Cauvin, worked as a lay administrator in the service of the regional bishop, which afforded him particular privileges in society, while his mom, Jeanne le Franc, was kept in mind for her piety. Calvin's childhood in such a scene laid the groundwork for his later doctrinal expedition. His father at first planned him for the church, which led to John getting a benefice (an ecclesiastical workplace or position that provides a living) to support his education.

Education and Conversion
In pursuit of ecclesiastical education, Calvin was sent out to Paris at the age of 14 to study at the Collège de la Marche and after that the Collège de Montaigu. Here, he was immersed in the scholastic curriculum of the Middle Ages, which prompted him to develop a strong foundation in Latin and viewpoint. However, as time went on, Calvin's dad chose a legal career would be more economically fulfilling, and Calvin consequently studied law at the universities of Orléans and Bourges.

Throughout his research studies, Calvin experienced an extensive spiritual conversion around 1533, shifting his alignment towards the Protestant Reformation. Influenced by the works of reformers like Martin Luther and the humanist scholarship of Erasmus, he broke away from the Catholic Church, aligning with the nascent Protestant motion. This moment was pivotal, affecting him to dedicate his life to doctrinal study and reform.

Impact and Work
Calvin's most considerable contribution to Protestant faith was his magnum opus, "Institutio Christianae Religionis" (Institutes of the Christian Religion), first released in 1536. This work methodically described Protestant beliefs and ended up being a seminal text for Reformed theology, underscoring teachings such as predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.

Calvin settled in Geneva, Switzerland, where his leadership and organizational abilities were instrumental in establishing a theocratic governance design. In spite of initial resistance, his structured approach to church federal government, discipline, and liturgy laid the structure for what ended up being called Calvinism-- a branch of Protestantism noteworthy for its austere practices and emphasis on predestination.

Associates and Legacy
Throughout his life, Calvin was surrounded by influential figures who both supported and challenged his work. One such individual was William Farel, a fervent Protestant reformer whose persuasion was crucial in bringing Calvin to Geneva. Calvin also corresponded with and influenced other reformers such as Heinrich Bullinger and Martin Bucer, with whom he shared and disputed doctrinal concepts. Furthermore, he faced opposition from figures like Sebastian Castellio, who critiqued Calvin's views on predestination and spiritual tolerance.

Calvin's impact extended beyond faith into the socio-political world, promoting a design of church governance that affected the development of modern-day representative democracies. His academic reforms and the starting of the Academy of Geneva also set the phase for the spread of Reformed believed across Europe, particularly in Scotland under John Knox, one of Calvin's students.

Death and Enduring Influence
John Calvin passed away on May 27, 1564, in Geneva, where he invested the last years of his life. His impact has withstood through numerous Calvinist denominations, that include the Reformed churches and Presbyterianism. Calvin's thoughts on the church, governance, and his focus on a disciplined life rooted in scripture have actually continued to resonate throughout generations, making him a towering figure in the history of Christianity and the Protestant Reformation.

Our collection contains 21 quotes who is written / told by John.

Related authors: John Portman (Architect), Saint Augustine (Saint), John Knox (Clergyman)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: John Calvin Reformation
    A: John Calvin's role in the Reformation was pivotal in the establishment of a distinct Reformed tradition within Protestantism, influencing religious practices and beliefs.
  • Q: What did John Calvin do in the Reformation
    A: In the Reformation, John Calvin's teachings and writings helped solidify and spread Protestant ideas, especially through his work in Geneva.
  • Q: Why was John Calvin important
    A: John Calvin was important for his contributions to theology, particularly his role in shaping Reformed theology and influencing Protestant churches.
  • Q: John Calvin, predestination
    A: John Calvin strongly advocated the doctrine of predestination, the belief that God has predetermined who will be saved and who will be damned.
  • Q: John Calvin Religion
    A: John Calvin was a Protestant theologian and a key leader in the Reformed tradition of Christianity.
  • Q: John Calvin beliefs
    A: John Calvin's beliefs emphasized the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and the doctrine of predestination.
  • Q: What did John Calvin do
    A: John Calvin was a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation, known for his influential role in developing Calvinism.
  • Q: How old was John Calvin?
    A: He became 54 years old
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21 Famous quotes by John Calvin

Small: The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul
"The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul"
Small: God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of th
"God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation"
Small: Every one of us is, even from his mothers womb, a master craftsman of idols
"Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols"
Small: A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that Gods truth is attacked and y
"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent"
Small: There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence
"There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence"
Small: Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ
"Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ"
Small: Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?
"Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?"
Small: I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels
"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels"
Small: However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes an
"However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts"
Small: God tolerates even our stammering, and pardons our ignorance whenever something inadvertently escapes u
"God tolerates even our stammering, and pardons our ignorance whenever something inadvertently escapes us - as, indeed, without this mercy there would be no freedom to pray"
Small: There is no work, however vile or sordid, that does not glisten before God
"There is no work, however vile or sordid, that does not glisten before God"
Small: For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up against him when
"For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up against him when he resists and strives against God"
Small: Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the mid
"Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness"
Small: No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is th
"No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief"
Small: Mans mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition so much so that if a man believes his own mind i
"Man's mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain"
Small: You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy
"You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy"
Small: Yet consider now, whether women are not quite past sense and reason, when they want to rule over men
"Yet consider now, whether women are not quite past sense and reason, when they want to rule over men"
Small: We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too
"We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too"
Small: There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoic
"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice"
Small: Augustine does not disagree with this when he teaches that it is a faculty of the reason and the will t
"Augustine does not disagree with this when he teaches that it is a faculty of the reason and the will to choose good with the assistance of grace; evil, when grace is absent"
Small: All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they sho
"All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors"