John Calvin - The Thomas Edison of the Reformed Church

John Calvin and the great thinkers who followed Martin Luther brought the seeds of change Luther planted to fruition. The Reformed Church was an essentially modern statement. Modernity, in theology, describes the expansion of interpretative limits that accompanied the increase in autonomy and individual liberties characteristic of that time period. This increased freedom of interpretation helps authors help readers by giving the writers the chance to provide their audience with new perspectives that would be considered socially acceptable. Interpretative flexibility is technology for theology. We might think of Martin Luther as the Benjamin Franklin of Christianity, and John Calvin as its Thomas Edison.

The reformation of the Christian Church began in the 15th century with the writings of Martin Luther and his viewpoints on church and power. Luther’s polemical discourse sparked new and radical ideas that would forever impact the institution of Christianity in Europe and throughout the world. Luther’s notion of sola scriptura was incredibly radical. Thanks to it he was able to take the power of interpretation out of the clutches of what was a deeply entrenched institution and open Scripture to a multiplicity of potential understandings. The import of this first step cannot be over-emphasized. Though Luther anticipated many of the developments that would take place during the modern era, he did not necessarily agree with them. His arguments with Ulrich Zwingli regarding the symbolic nature of the Lord’s Supper reveal the limits of his time period’s revolutionary capacities. His unwillingness to accept communion as a sign show that he was unready to throw open the floodgates of interpretation. Perhaps this was bred out of a fear of being perceived as too radical, as well as a worry that symbolism would distort or destroy the sanctity of Scripture. Nevertheless, the re-interpretation of religious texts became inevitability as soon as the authority to explain them moved from an institution to the public. The two separate schools of thought led by Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli respectively were ultimately reconciled by the 16th century Consensus Tigurinus as the one great reformed Church. As society became more democratic and receptive to change, writers, thinkers, and theologians all exerted their influence on the public’s perception of religion.

For instance, John Calvin used his famed doctrine of predestination to allay the guilty conscience of his Christian readers. The idea that God has already decided on the saved and the damned takes responsibility away from humans and places it all on Him. Christians should never worry about their own salvation, or even about judging themselves. Though Calvin does not draw attention to his method, it surely has a positive impact on the reader. The idea of inner peace as conducive to the development of faith is first communicated by Luther. He stresses the primacy of the “inner man” and its ability to determine how successfully one develops his faith. He notes that a Christian “cannot be justified, freed, or saved by any outer work” (Quoted in Hillerbrand 36). He claims that it is disbelief in this faith, and in the salvation and damnation of every human, that “make [a Christian] guilty and a damnable servant of sin” (36). Luther emphasizes the importance of genuinely coming to terms with one’s conscience. Otherwise, the guilt a Christian feels for being a sinner becomes paralyzing and debilitating.

Clearly, Calvin shares many of the same views as Luther, albeit with slight modifications. He argues that law should be based off of scripture and that the civil government should be more biblically directed. He contends that the primary goal of the government should be "to cherish and protect the outward worship of God,” while we simultaneously “form our social behavior to civil righteousness” (Quoted in Hillerbrand 281). In general, Calvin seems more cynical about human nature than Luther, but more optimistic about the role that God plays. As a result, Calvin places more emphasis on his doctrine of predestination and draws out the methods of punishment which he finds acceptable. Essentially, he does not share with Luther the belief that humans will despair of their abilities on their own. He therefore emphasizes the concept of predestination in order to portray humans as utterly powerless. He stresses that sinners should be admonished, but "dealt with in love," (211) simply due to the frequency of transgressions he expects. For Calvin, civil government should attempt to push people in the right direction and should not discipline them with “such a degree of rigor that anyone be cast down, for all corrections are but medicinal to bring back sinners to the Lord" (212). Conversely, an authoritarian government should be handled with unyielding faith. In the same way he advises the pious woman in an environment not receptive to her religion to “fight more valiantly than she has, drawing upon the power of the Holy Spirit, to show her husband her faith, doing so in gentleness and humility," (219) Calvin insists that in the face of oppressive governments we should turn the other cheek. Here his ideology seems reminiscent of Luther’s; he endorses passive resistance until the threat of death or loss of faith provides one with the right to flee as if from “ravenous wolves.” Calvin supports most of Luther’s views, but gives them a more purposefully Christian spin. Though they might be equally strong Christian proponents, Calvin presumes that faith should be what predominantly governs government.

Calvin identifies the same problem but uses his interpretative ability as a tool to help his Christian readers. Rather than push them to despair, he asks them to trust in God’s infinite righteousness. He claims that God is responsible for divine and "orderly justice" (Quoted in Hillerbrand 262) and that an individuals should accordingly always be clear. This seems to be because God’s “will is so much the highest rule of righteousness that whatever He wills, by the very fact that He wills it, must be considered righteous” (202). Calvin’s idea of predestination offers further reassurance by illustrating God’s power and mercy. Since no one deserves to be saved, the very presence of an elect indicates that God is merciful in addition to being omniscient and omnipotent. Calvin’s reading of predestination compels Christians to find solace in the divine rather than their individual salvation and accordingly placates their consciences. Luther’s earlier actions allow the interpretative flexibility that Calvin benefits from. This flexibility, in turn, allows Calvin to implicitly help his readers in their faith-building journey.

John Calvin played a critical role in the Reformation of the Church. His writings built on Martin Luther’s legacy, even while pulling readers in a different direction. His works would not only change the Church, but the relationship between the Church and the Government it worked with. Calvin’s writings were responsible for attracting many followers to the Reformed Church, and his ideas would revolutionize the way laymen and clergy looked upon Christianity. The light bulb above his head was certainly bright and would light the future course taken by the Church.

Works Cited

George, Timothy. John Calvin and the church: a prism of reform. Louisville, KY: Westminster/J. Knox Press, 1990.

Hillerbrand, Hans Joachim. The Protestant Reformation. New York: Harper Perennial, 2009.

Rauschenbusch, Walter. A theology for the social gospel,. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1917.