Victor R. Claveau, MJ
Calvinism is a theological system of Christian interpretation initiated by John Calvin (b. Jean Cauvin, July 10, 1509, died at Geneva, Switzerland on May 27, 1564). It emphasizes predestination and salvation. The five points of Calvinism were:
- Total depravity: that man is touched by sin in all parts of his being: body, soul, mind, and emotions,
- Unconditional Election: that God’s favor to Man is completely by God’s free choice and has nothing to do with Man. It is completely undeserved by Man and is not based on anything God sees in man (Eph. 1:1-11),
- Limited atonement: that Christ did not bear the sins of every individual who ever lived, but instead only bore the sins of those who were elected into salvation (John 10:11, 15),
- Irresistible grace: that God’s call to someone for salvation cannot be resisted,
- Perseverance of the saints: that it is not possible to lose one’s salvation (John 10:27-28).
As a second-generation reformer, Calvin was familiar with the writings and theology of Martin Luther, discussed these theories with friends and read his Bible with them in mind. Not an original thinker, his doctrine is largely that of Luther. He believed in the total corruption of human nature as a result of Adam’s sin, the powerlessness of a person to do good, the sinfulness of every act, and the impossibility of following the commandments of God, and justification by faith alone. He also taught that it is impossible that a person can merit anything in the sight of God, and the idea that a person’s own good works could have any redeeming value was blasphemy. He claimed that sacraments (two only) are divine signs meant to enliven and to confirm faith and the idea that all people are predestined by God from all eternity to heaven or to hell regardless of the life they lead. The essence of Luther’s message was the essence of Calvin’s message. For both men the foundation of their beliefs was the Sacred Scriptures, which all people had the right to, and duty to read for themselves. Calvin believed that he was God’s messenger and as such had the right to demand assent to the message he delivered.
Calvin became a driving force and got his way as a practical reformer. Calvin had the cold ruthlessness of the righteous. Edict followed edict from the councils. Philip Hughes describes some of the restrictions:
“Playing cards were forbidden, and dice, light songs, dancing; the taverns were closed and a new species of eating-house set up where a man could read his Bible in peace. There were, of course, the five weekly sermons which all must attend. The offender’s place in social life was no protection. The great ladies of the community were sent to prison just as easily as their servants would. One man was given a spell for playing bowls during church time and another for leaving church during the sermon. The fashion of dress and of shoes, for men and for women, was relegated, and the women’s hair styles also. All days but Sundays were working days, because the Scripture read, “Six days shalt thou labor.” Needless to say, every least sign of the old religion was most rigorously forbidden; to say a prayer in Latin, for example, to hint a disbelief that the pope was Antichrist, or to repeat that he was said to be kind to the poor. No child was to be given any name except those found in the Bible, and a father who protested when the minister christened his son Abraham paid for his insolence in prison. Anabaptists were banished, with death as the penalty should they return. The rare atheist-the man, who denied that Scripture was inspired or that the soul was immortal-was put to death, tortured and beheaded.… Few crimes were more swiftly and decisively punished than that of contradicting the master’s teaching. Intellectual give-and-take had no place in Geneva. There is quite a litany of distinguished theologians-all of the Reformed school-whom he set on the road to exile for such temerity. And even to say that Calvin was not a good teacher could mean prison. Or, such a remark, coming from the sermon, as, ‘Calvin doesn’t like us coughing! We’ll belch and make ruder noises still if we feel that way’ brought a prison sentence.”