International Calvinism

This book examines John Calvin’s sense of vocation.

1) It begins with an analysis of thinking on prophecy in early, medieval, and Reformation theology.

2) It finds Calvin within a non-mystical, non-apocalyptic prophetic tradition that focused on scriptural interpretation.

3) It argues Calvin believed his prophetic authority was the same as Isaiah and Jeremiah, and suggests that he may have held himself to be infallible in matters related to Christian doctrine.

4) It argues that starting from about 1555, Calvin began to conceive the idea of encouraging one of the French 'lesser magistrates' (the princes of the blood royal) to rise up in armed conflict against the sitting French king with the aim of taking the throne.

5) Thus, it argues that when that did happen in 1562 when Louis of Condé gathered troops in Orléans and declared their intentions to liberate King Charles IX from the evil councillors surrounding him, this had Calvin's fingerprints on it -- Calvin was to a significant degree responsible for this turn of events.

6) Calvin pursued this plan, I argue, as one of a number of approaches to winning France for the gospel. In this way, the volume explores Calvin's sense of vocation and the impact this had on his political thought.

Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1562) was an influential second generation reformer.  His collected Common Places became a popular systematic theology through the early 1600’s.  This Introduction and cleaned up Table of Contents will wet your taste to read more of this sometimes neglected reformer.  Vermigli's Common Places are now freely available online at EEBO-TCP.

Poucos dos nossos documentos confessionais reformados são tão valiosos e, no entanto, tão negligenciados quanto os cânones de Dordt. Hoje a maioria dos que os conhecem pensam neles como os chamados “Cinco Pontos do Calvinismo” ou TULIP. De fato, é anacrônico e reducionista chamá-los de "Cinco Pontos do Calvinismo", porque Calvino estava morto há cinquenta e quatro anos quando o Sínodo de Dordt se reuniu na Holanda. É reducionista porque os Cânones nunca tiveram a intenção de ser uma declaração completa da fé reformada. Eles foram o produto da deliberação eclesiástica na tentativa de alguns membros da Igreja Reformada na Holanda fundamentalmente de revisar nossas doutrinas de Deus, homem, salvação, igreja e sacramentos. Além disso, o que as igrejas estavam defendendo era a Palavra de Deus como confessada pelas igrejas, não as formulações de um único pastor, por mais significativa e influente que fosse.

In this Very Short Introduction, Jon Balserak explores major ideas associated with the Calvinist system of thought. Beginning during the Protestant Reformation in cities like Zurich, Geneva, and Basel, Calvinism—also known as Reformed Theology—spread rapidly throughout Europe and the New World, eventually making its way to the African Continent and the East. Balserak examines how Calvinist thought and practice spread and took root, helping shape church and society. Much of contemporary thought, especially western thought, on everything from theology to civil government, economics, the arts, work and leisure, education, and the family has been influenced by Calvinism. Balserak explores this influence. He also examines common misconceptions and objections to Calvinism, and sets forth a Calvinist understanding of God, the world, humankind, and the meaning of life.

Preface

Chapter 1 Calvinism – What’s in a Name?
Chapter 2 Conversion
Chapter 3 Culture
Chapter 4 Church
Chapter 5 Knowledge
Chapter 6 Covenant
Chapter 7 Humanity and New Humanity
Chapter 8 God and Hell

Chronology
Further Reading

This article discusses a 1649 incident involving an alleged haunting of Oksa – a small, private Calvinist town near Cracow, Poland. This event is recounted in a contemporary primary source, until now almost completely overlooked by historians of Polish Reformation. The alleged demonic visitation shines a light on Polish Calvinist piety and the strength of the Reformed ministry during a time of Calvinist numerical decline. The article argues that even as the fortunes of the Reformed Church in Poland were receding, the faithful in Oksa embarked in 1649 on a small-scale further reformation demonstrating a remarkable vitality of their devotional and congregational life and similarities to Dutch Nadere Reformatie with which the town's owner and pastor were well acquainted with. Finally, the article provides an explanation of the 1649 events by considering Roman Catholic strategies of suppressing Polish Calvinism.