french lawyer and theologian who fled to switzerland

by Liza Langosh 9 min read

After religious tensions erupted in widespread deadly violence against Protestant Christians in France, Calvin fled to Basel, Switzerland, where in 1536 he published the first edition of the Institutes.
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John Calvin
EraProtestant Reformation
Tradition or movementCalvinism
Main interestsSystematic theology
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Why was the Reformation in trouble in Geneva?

French-Swiss theologian Alexandre Vinet was a major figure of the Protestant Reformation in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland. While he initially taught French and theology at the universities of Basel and Lausanne, he later spoke against religious dogma and supported the separation of church and the state.

What did John Calvin do in Strasbourg?

The work of Zwingli was continued by â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..a French lawyer, who fled to Switzerland when the French king opposed him for his support to Lutheranism. Immanuel Kant John Calvin David Hume Adam Smith

Was Geneva a theocracy?

French theologian, pastor, and reformer John Calvin was a major figure during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. He was influential in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church to embrace Protestantism.

Why was John Calvin expelled from the city of Geneva?

Zwingli, a pastor and theologian, based the Reformation on Bible study. In his opinion the Reformation comprised fighting social injustice. ... His Reformation spread to Basel and Bern, and to French-speaking Switzerland, thanks to the reformer Guillaume Farel. In 1531 Zwingli died at the battle of Kappel, the chaplain for Zurich troops. The ...

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Why was John Calvin told to leave Geneva?

After religious tensions provoked a violent uprising against Protestants in France, Calvin fled to Basel, Switzerland, where in 1536 he published the first edition of his seminal work, "Institutes of the Christian Religion". Later invited by William Farel to help reform the church in Geneva.

What was John Calvin famous for?

John Calvin is known for his influential Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), which was the first systematic theological treatise of the reform movement. He stressed the doctrine of predestination, and his interpretations of Christian teachings, known as Calvinism, are characteristic of Reformed churches.

What did John Calvin do in Geneva?

He was constantly overworked. During his life he wrote an enormous number of religious treatises, was always preaching, sometimes for more than an hour at a time and without notes. In Geneva he preached over two thousand sermons, once on weekdays and twice on Sundays.May 28, 2019

What did William Farel do?

William Farel (1489 – 13 September 1565), Guilhem Farel or Guillaume Farel (French: [gijom faʁɛl]), was a French evangelist, Protestant reformer and a founder of the Calvinist Church in the Principality of Neuchâtel, in the Republic of Geneva, and in Switzerland in the Canton of Bern and the (then occupied by Bern) ...

Why did Calvin start Calvinism?

Calvinism was based around the absolute power and supremacy of God. The world was created so that Mankind might get to know Him. Calvin believed that Man was sinful and could only approach God through faith in Christ – not through Mass and pilgrimages.Mar 16, 2015

Was Calvin a Calvinist?

Calvinism , the theology advanced by John Calvin, a Protestant reformer in the 16th century, and its development by his followers. The term also refers to doctrines and practices derived from the works of Calvin and his followers that are characteristic of the Reformed churches.

What city in Switzerland became the center of Calvinism?

Geneva
Geneva, home of Calvinism, was one of the great centres of the Protestant Reformation.

Where is John Calvin buried?

Image of Where is John Calvin buried?
The Cimetière des Rois, is a cemetery in Geneva, Switzerland. The cemetery is commonly named after la rue des Rois near which it is situated. The graveyard was established in 1482 for people who died from plague in the Middle Ages, during the second plague pandemic.
Wikipedia

What did Calvinists implement in Geneva?

What did Calvinists implement in Geneva? They imposed strict penalties for blasphemy and immoral behavior.

In what great movement was Farel a leader?

the Reformation
Guillaume Farel, (born 1489, Gap, Dauphiné, France—died September 13, 1565, Neuchâtel, Switzerland), Reformer and preacher primarily responsible for introducing the Reformation to French-speaking Switzerland, where his efforts led to John Calvin's establishment of the Reformed church in Geneva.

How old is William Farrel?

What were John Calvin's followers in France called?

Huguenots were French Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who followed the teachings of theologian John Calvin.Mar 16, 2018

Who was John Calvin?

John Calvin was a French lawyer, theologian, and ecclesiastical statesman who lived in the 1500s. He was the most important figure in the second ge...

How did John Calvin impact the world?

John Calvin is known for his influential Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), which was the first systematic theological treatise of the re...

Where is John Calvin buried?

John Calvin died in 1564 at age 54. He requested to be buried in an unmarked grave and is believed to be interred somewhere in the Cimetière des Ro...

Where did John Calvin study law?

Calvin was originally interested in the priesthood, but he changed course to study law in Orléans and Bourges. Painting titled Portrait of Young John Calvin from the collection of the Library of Geneva. John Calvin was born as Jehan Cauvin on 10 July 1509, at Noyon, a town in Picardy, a province of the Kingdom of France.

How did Calvin develop his theology?

Calvin developed his theology in his biblical commentaries as well as his sermons and treatises, but the most comprehensive expression of his views is found in his magnum opus, the Institutes of the Christian Religion . He intended that the book be used as a summary of his views on Christian theology and that it be read in conjunction with his commentaries. The various editions of that work spanned nearly his entire career as a reformer, and the successive revisions of the book show that his theology changed very little from his youth to his death. The first edition from 1536 consisted of only six chapters. The second edition, published in 1539, was three times as long because he added chapters on subjects that appear in Melanchthon's Loci Communes. In 1543, he again added new material and expanded a chapter on the Apostles' Creed. The final edition of the Institutes appeared in 1559. By then, the work consisted of four books of eighty chapters, and each book was named after statements from the creed: Book 1 on God the Creator, Book 2 on the Redeemer in Christ, Book 3 on receiving the Grace of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and Book 4 on the Society of Christ or the Church.

What did Calvin write?

In addition to his seminal Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible, confessional documents, and various other theological treatises. Calvin was originally trained as a humanist lawyer. He broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530.

Who was Calvin recruited by?

In that same year, Calvin was recruited by Frenchman William Farel to join the Reformation in Geneva, where he regularly preached sermons throughout the week; but the governing council of the city resisted the implementation of their ideas, and both men were expelled.

Where was John Calvin born?

John Calvin was born as Jehan Cauvin on 10 July 1509, at Noyon, a town in Picardy, a province of the Kingdom of France. He was the second of three sons who survived infancy. His mother, Jeanne le Franc, was the daughter of an innkeeper from Cambrai.

What was Calvin's ultimate triumph over the libertines?

After the death of Servetus, Calvin was acclaimed a defender of Christianity, but his ultimate triumph over the libertines was still two years away. He had always insisted that the Consistory retain the power of excommunication, despite the council's past decision to take it away. During Servetus's trial, Philibert Berthelier asked the council for permission to take communion, as he had been excommunicated the previous year for insulting a minister. Calvin protested that the council did not have the legal authority to overturn Berthelier's excommunication. Unsure of how the council would rule, he hinted in a sermon on 3 September 1553 that he might be dismissed by the authorities. The council decided to re-examine the Ordonnances and on 18 September it voted in support of Calvin—excommunication was within the jurisdiction of the Consistory. Berthelier applied for reinstatement to another Genevan administrative assembly, the Deux Cents (Two Hundred), in November. This body reversed the council's decision and stated that the final arbiter concerning excommunication should be the council. The ministers continued to protest, and as in the case of Servetus, the opinions of the Swiss churches were sought. The affair dragged on through 1554. Finally, on 22 January 1555, the council announced the decision of the Swiss churches: the original Ordonnances were to be kept and the Consistory was to regain its official powers.

Was Calvin anti-Semitic?

Scholars have debated Calvin's view of the Jews and Judaism. Some have argued that Calvin was the least anti-semitic among all the major reformers of his time , especially in comparison to Martin Luther. Others have argued that Calvin was firmly within the anti-semitic camp.

Who is the Swiss theologian best known for his work The Epistle to the Romans?

Swiss theologian Karl Barth is best remembered for his iconic work The Epistle to the Romans. His opposition to the German National Socialism got him suspended as a professor at the University of Bonn. Along with Eduard Thurneysen, he revolutionized Protestant ideals. He also delivered sermons to prisoners in Basel.

Who was Karl Barth?

Died: December 10, 1968. Swiss theologian Karl Barth is best remembered for his iconic work The Epistle to the Romans. His opposition to the German National Socialism got him suspended as a professor at the University of Bonn. Along with Eduard Thurneysen, he revolutionized Protestant ideals.

Where was Karl Barth born?

Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland. Died: December 10, 1968. Swiss theologian Karl Barth is best remembered for his iconic work The Epistle to the Romans. His opposition to the German National Socialism got him suspended as a professor at the University of Bonn.

What is Karl Barth's zodiac sign?

Sun Sign: Taurus. Birthplace: Basel, Switzerland. Died: December 10, 1968. Swiss theologian Karl Barth is best remembered for his iconic work The Epistle to the Romans. His opposition to the German National Socialism got him suspended as a professor at the University of Bonn.

6 Marcel Lefebvre

Marcel Lefebvre was a French Roman Catholic archbishop who founded the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). He joined the Holy Ghost Fathers for missionary work as a young man and was ordained a diocesan priest in 1929. Years later, he was appointed the Vicar Apostolic of Dakar, Senegal, and the Apostolic Delegate for West Africa.

7 Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès

Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, also known as the Abbé Sieyès, was a French Roman Catholic Abbé, clergyman, and political writer. He was a chief political theorist of the French Revolution and held offices in the French Consulate government. He is credited to have coined the term sociologie in an unpublished manuscript.

8 Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort

Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort is known as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI. The French Roman Catholic priest also authored several books which later became classic Catholic titles and influenced several popes.

Who was the organiser of the Reformation?

Jean Calvin (1509-1564) A generation after Luther, the Frenchman Jean Calvin became the organiser of the Reformation : he organised the Church, shaped the doctrine and defined the role of the Church in state government.

Where did Luther meet Zwingli?

Luther and Zwingli met in Marburg in 1529. The meeting was organised by Prince Philip of Hesse who wished the various reformed trends to be allied. Luther wrote a text comprising fifteen articles. About the fifteenth that deals with The Last Supper, the two reformers agreed on several issues, such as the eucharist in two kinds, the idea of sacrament, contrary to the idea of deserving work; but they disagreed on the actual presence of Christ in the bread and the wine. The heavy confrontation prevented any agreement.

Who was Ulrich Zwingli?

Musée protestant > The 16th century > Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) Zwingli, a pastor and theologian , based the Reformation on Bible study. In his opinion the Reformation comprised fighting social injustice.

What did Zwingli find out about the Bible?

As he was studying the New Testament, Zwingli found out that the doctrine and the practice of the Church often differed from, or even contradicted what was said in the Bible. Luther’s writings reinforced this conviction, though Luther’s central concern was with salvation, whereas Zwingli’s was with fully understanding ...

Did Calvin read Zwingli?

Apparently Calvin neither met nor read Zwingli. He was nevertheless influenced by him through Farel and Bullinger (Zwingli’s successor in Zurich) with whom he signed the Consensus Tigurinus (« Zurich agreement ») that unified the reformed movements.

Where did the Reformation take place?

In 1519 he became a curate in Zurich and started reforming the city – the local authorities progressively adopted his views and sided with him against the bishop of Constance. His Reformation spread to Basel and Bern, and to French-speaking Switzerland, thanks to the reformer Guillaume Farel.

What was the radical reformation?

The expression “radical Reformation” was given to a complex and multifarious movement that found the lutherans and the swiss Reformers not daring enough, and considered that the Reformation had only gone half-way.

Who was the greatest theologian of the 20th century?

Also, he considered Karl Barth, who was a leader of the resistance against the German state church in World War II, the greatest theologian of the 20th century.

Who is Jacques Ellul?

Jacques Ellul ( / ɛˈluːl /; French:

What did Ellul believe about social justice?

Ellul believed that social justice and true freedom were incompatible. He rejected any attempt to reconcile them. He believed that a Christian could choose to join a movement for justice, but in doing so, must admit that this fight for justice is necessarily, and at the same time, a fight against all forms of freedom. While social justice provides a guarantee against the risk of bondage, it simultaneously subjects a life to necessities. Ellul believed that when a Christian decides to act it must be in a way that is specifically Christian. "Christians must never identify themselves with this or that political or economic movement. Rather, they must bring to social movements what they alone can provide. Only so can they signalize the kingdom. So far as they act like the others—even to forward social justice, equality, etc.—I say that there is no sense and nothing specifically Christian in acting like the others. In fact the political and revolutionary attitude proper to the Christian is radically different than the attitude of others; it is specifically Christian or else it is nothing.

Who was Karl Marx's inspiration?

By the early 1930s, Ellul's three primary sources of inspiration were Karl Marx, Søren Kierkegaard, and Karl Barth. Ellul was first introduced to the ideas of Karl Marx during an economics lecture course taught by Joseph Benzacar in 1929–30; Ellul studied Marx and became a prolific exegete of his theories.

What is Ellul's landmark work?

Ellul discusses these topics in detail in his landmark work, Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes. He viewed the power of the media as another example of technology exerting control over human destiny. As a mechanism of change, the media are almost invariably manipulated by special interests, whether of the market or the state.

What did Saint Denis Abelard do?

At Saint-Denis Abelard extended his reading in theology and tirelessly criticized the way of life followed by his fellow monks. His reading of the Bible and of the Fathers of the Church led him to make a collection of quotations that seemed to represent inconsistencies of teaching by the Christian church. He arranged his findings in a compilation entitled Sic et non (“Yes and No”); and for it he wrote a preface in which, as a logician and as a keen student of language, he formulated basic rules with which students might reconcile apparent contradictions of meaning and distinguish the various senses in which words had been used over the course of many centuries. He also wrote the first version of his book called Theologia, which was formally condemned as heretical and burned by a council held at Soissons in 1121. Abelard’s dialectical analysis of the mystery of God and the Trinity was held to be erroneous, and he himself was placed for a while in the abbey of Saint-Médard under house arrest. When he returned to Saint-Denis he applied his dialectical methods to the subject of the abbey’s patron saint; he argued that St. Denis of Paris, the martyred apostle of Gaul, was not identical with Denis of Athens (also known as Dionysius the Areopagite), the convert of St. Paul. The monastic community of Saint-Denis regarded this criticism of their traditional claims as derogatory to the kingdom; and, in order to avoid being brought for trial before the king of France, Abelard fled from the abbey and sought asylum in the territory of Count Theobald of Champagne. There he sought the solitude of a hermit’s life but was pursued by students who pressed him to resume his teaching in philosophy. His combination of the teaching of secular arts with his profession as a monk was heavily criticized by other men of religion, and Abelard contemplated flight outside Christendom altogether. In 1125, however, he accepted election as abbot of the remote Breton monastery of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys. There, too, his relations with the community deteriorated, and, after attempts had been made upon his life, he returned to France.

Where was Abelard born?

He was born the son of a knight in Brittany south of the Loire River.

Who died in Switzerland?

PARIS, June 15 (Reuters) - A French man who fought for years for the right to euthanasia at home has died in a medically assisted suicide in Switzerland at the age of 58, friends and euthanasia activists said on Tuesday. Alain Cocq, who for decades had suffered a painful and incurable degenerative disease, died on Tuesday in a hospital in Berne, ...

Where is Alain Cocq?

Alain Cocq, 57, in his medical bed he has been confined to for years as a result of a degenerative disease that has no treatment, poses after an interview with Reuters at his home in Dijon, France, August 19, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Which countries allow assisted dying?

France's neighbours Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have adopted laws that allow medically assisted dying in some cases. France has resisted that step, in part under pressure from the Catholic church. Cocq had unsuccessfully appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron to be allowed euthanasia at home.

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Life

  • Early life
    John Calvin was born as Jehan Cauvin on 10 July 1509, at Noyon, a town in Picardy, a province of the Kingdom of France. He was the second of three sons who survived infancy. His mother, Jeanne le Franc, was the daughter of an innkeeper from Cambrai. She died of an unknown caus…
  • Reform work commences
    In March 1536, Calvin published the first edition of his Institutio Christianae Religionis or Institutes of the Christian Religion. The work was an apologia or defense of his faith and a statement of the doctrinal position of the reformers. He also intended it to serve as an elementary instruction boo…
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Theology

  • Calvin developed his theology in his biblical commentaries as well as his sermons and treatises, but the most comprehensive expression of his views is found in his magnum opus, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. He intended that the book be used as a summary of his views on Christian theology and that it be read in conjunction with his commentaries. The various edition…
See more on en.wikipedia.org

Political Thought

  • The aim of Calvin's political theory was to safeguard the rights and freedoms of ordinary people. Although he was convinced that the Bible contained no blueprint for a certain form of government, Calvin favored a combination of democracy and aristocracy (mixed government). He appreciated the advantages of democracy. To further minimize the misuse of political power, Calvin propose…
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Selected Works

  • Calvin's first published work was a commentary of Seneca the Younger's De Clementia. Published at his own expense in 1532, it showed that he was a humanist in the tradition of Erasmus with a thorough understanding of classical scholarship. His first theological work, the Psychopannychia, attempted to refute the doctrine of soul sleep as promulgated by the Anabaptists. Calvin probab…
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Legacy

  • After the deaths of Calvin and his successor, Beza, the Geneva city council gradually gained control over areas of life that were previously in the ecclesiastical domain. Increasing secularisation was accompanied by the decline of the church. Even the Geneva académie was eclipsed by universities in Leiden and Heidelberg, which became the new strongholds of Calvin'…
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References

  1. Baron, Salo (1972), "John Calvin and the Jews", in Feldman, Leon A. (ed.), Ancient and Medieval Jewish History, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, OCLC 463285878(originally publis...
  2. Berg, Machiel A. van den (2009), Friends of Calvin, Grand Rapids, Mi.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., ISBN 978-0-8028-6227-3
  1. Baron, Salo (1972), "John Calvin and the Jews", in Feldman, Leon A. (ed.), Ancient and Medieval Jewish History, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, OCLC 463285878(originally publis...
  2. Berg, Machiel A. van den (2009), Friends of Calvin, Grand Rapids, Mi.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., ISBN 978-0-8028-6227-3
  3. Bouwsma, William James (1988), John Calvin: A Sixteenth-Century Portrait, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-504394-5.
  4. Calvin, John (1989) [1564], Institutio Christianae religionis [Institutes of the Christian Religion] (in Latin), Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Further Reading

  1. Backus, Irena; Benedict, Philip, eds. (2011). Calvin and His Influence, 1509–2009. Oxford University Press.
  2. Balserak, Jon (2014), John Calvin as Sixteenth-Century Prophet, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-198-70325-9.
  3. Calvin, Claude Wesley (1945), The Calvin Families: Origin and History of the American Calvins…
  1. Backus, Irena; Benedict, Philip, eds. (2011). Calvin and His Influence, 1509–2009. Oxford University Press.
  2. Balserak, Jon (2014), John Calvin as Sixteenth-Century Prophet, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-198-70325-9.
  3. Calvin, Claude Wesley (1945), The Calvin Families: Origin and History of the American Calvins, with a Partial Genealogy, Ann Arbor: Edwards Brothers, Inc., ISBN 978-0-598-99702-9.
  4. Gordon, Bruce (2009), Calvin, London/New Haven: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17084-9.

Archive Sources

  1. The State Archives of Neuchâtelpreserve the autograph correspondence sent by John Calvin to other reformers
  2. 1PAST, Fonds: Archives de la société des pasteurs et ministres neuchâtelois, Series: Lettres des Réformateurs. Archives de l'État de Neuchâtel.
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External Links

  1. Works by John Calvin at Project Gutenberg
  2. Works by or about John Calvin at Internet Archive
  3. Works by John Calvin at LibriVox(public domain audiobooks)
  4. Works by John Calvin at Post-Reformation Digital Library
See more on en.wikipedia.org