french lawyer who developed reformed theology

What is the role of Reformed theology in the Netherlands?

John Calvin, French Jean Calvin or Jean Cauvin, (born July 10, 1509, Noyon, Picardy, France—died May 27, 1564, Geneva, Switzerland), theologian and ecclesiastical statesman. He was the leading French Protestant reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation.

What was the official practice of the Reformed faith in France?

 · Calvinism, also known as reformed theology, is a movement within orthodox Protestantism that was developed by John Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian. John Calvin was eight years old when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses. Calvin and Luther never met. Calvin was a lawyer who later became a Pastor in Geneva, Switzerland. He was married in 1539.

Who is the most important Reformed theologian of the modern era?

In Theology of the French Reformed Churches, Martin Klauber aims to resurrect the “theological richness rarely remembered even among Reformed believers in the centuries following their labor” (Introduction). Contributors to this volume accomplish this.

Is there a place for natural law in Reformed theology?

Heinrich Bullinger continued the Zurich reformation after Zwingli’s death; Martin Bucer implemented similar reforms in Starsbourg; John Calvin, Pierre Viret, Guillaume Farel, and Pierre Viret, among others, implemented reform in Geneva and its environs. Then, in the later sixteenth century, Reformed churches spread across Europe.

Who is the founder of Reformed theology?

Calvinism , the theology advanced by John Calvin, a Protestant reformer in the 16th century, and its development by his followers.

Was John Calvin A French lawyer?

Calvin was originally trained as a humanist lawyer. He broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530....John CalvinBornJehan Cauvin10 July 1509 Noyon, Picardy, FranceDied27 May 1564 (aged 54) Geneva, Republic of GenevaOccupationReformer, minister, authorNotable workInstitutes of the Christian Religion10 more rows

What was John Calvin known for?

John Calvin, Martin Luther's successor as the preeminent Protestant theologian, made a powerful impact on the fundamental doctrines of Protestantism. John Calvin, Martin Luther's successor as the preeminent Protestant theologian, made a powerful impact on the fundamental doctrines of Protestantism.

Who was the French scholar and reformer?

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.

What role did John Calvin play in the Reformation?

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 are the three main beliefs of Calvinism?

Five Points of CalvinismTopicCalvinismHuman willTotal depravity: Humanity possesses "free will", but it is in bondage to sin, until it is "transformed".ElectionUnconditional election.Justification and atonementJustification by faith alone. Various views regarding the extent of the atonement.4 more rows

What churches believe in Calvinism?

He is also cited as the father of modern Presbyterianism. In America, there are several Christian denominations that identify with Calvinist beliefs: Primitive Baptist or Reformed Baptist, Presbyterian Churches, Reformed Churches, the United Church of Christ, the Protestant Reformed Churches in America.

What did Martin Luther Think of John Calvin?

John Calvin never met Martin Luther; indeed, they never communicated directly. It is not clear what Luther actually thought of Calvin, as the young Frenchman hardly appears in the German's correspondence,6 although by the end of his life, Luther had placed Calvin among the reviled “sacramentarians” of Zurich.

What is the opposite of Calvinism?

Arminianism, a theological movement in Protestant Christianity that arose as a liberal reaction to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. The movement began early in the 17th century and asserted that God's sovereignty and human free will are compatible.

Who was William Farel?

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 John Calvin create 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.

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.

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...

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.

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 Servetus and Calvin get in contact?

Calvin and Servetus were first brought into contact in 1546 through a common acquaintance, Jean Frellon of Lyon; they exchanged letters debating doctrine; Calvin used a pseudonym as Charles d' Espeville and Servetus used the moniker Michel de Villeneuve. Eventually, Calvin lost patience and refused to respond; by this time Servetus had written around thirty letters to Calvin. Calvin was particularly outraged when Servetus sent him a copy of the Institutes of the Christian Religion heavily annotated with arguments pointing to errors in the book. When Servetus mentioned that he would come to Geneva, "Espeville" (Calvin) wrote a letter to Farel on 13 February 1546 noting that if Servetus were to come, he would not assure him safe conduct: "for if he came, as far as my authority goes, I would not let him leave alive."

Why did Calvin and Farel go to Bern?

Farel and Calvin then went to Bern and Zurich to plead their case. The resulting synod in Zurich placed most of the blame on Calvin for not being sympathetic enough toward the people of Geneva. It asked Bern to mediate with the aim of restoring the two ministers. The Geneva council refused to readmit the two men, who then took refuge in Basel. Subsequently, Farel received an invitation to lead the church in Neuchâtel. Calvin was invited to lead a church of French refugees in Strasbourg by that city's leading reformers, Martin Bucer and Wolfgang Capito. Initially, Calvin refused because Farel was not included in the invitation, but relented when Bucer appealed to him. By September 1538 Calvin had taken up his new position in Strasbourg, fully expecting that this time it would be permanent; a few months later, he applied for and was granted citizenship of the city.

What did Calvin introduce to the church?

Following his return, Calvin introduced new forms of church government and liturgy, despite opposition from several powerful families in the city who tried to curb his authority. During this period, Michael Servetus, a Spaniard regarded by both Roman Catholics and Protestants as having a heretical view of the Trinity, arrived in Geneva. He was denounced by Calvin and burned at the stake for heresy by the city council. Following an influx of supportive refugees and new elections to the city council, Calvin's opponents were forced out. Calvin spent his final years promoting the Reformation both in Geneva and throughout Europe.

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.

Why did Calvin cut his hair?

By age 12, he was employed by the bishop as a clerk and received the tonsure, cutting his hair to symbolise his dedication to the Church. He also won the patronage of an influential family, the Montmors. Through their assistance, Calvin was able to attend the Collège de la Marche, Paris, where he learned Latin from one of its greatest teachers, Mathurin Cordier. Once he completed the course, he entered the Collège de Montaigu as a philosophy student.

Who was the organiser of the Reformation?

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.

What law separating the Churches from the State guaranteed the freedom of public worship for the Reformed Church?

The law of 9th December 1905 separating the Churches from the State guaranteed the freedom of public worship for the Reformed Church and a legal framework. Hardly surprisingly, most Protestants welcomed this law.

What was the law of 9th December 1905?

The law of 9th December 1905, concerning the separation of the churches and the state, instituted and defined the secularity of France. It guaranteed freedom of worship in the spirit of the 1789 revolution, creating for it a legal framework and marking the end of the struggle between the lay Republic and the Catholic Church.

Why was the Union of Eglises Evangéliques Libres founded?

The Union des Eglises Evangéliques Libres (UEEL) (Union of Evangelical Free Churches) was set up in 1849, because its members wanted to openly strengthen their links with the Reform movement and to prevent the State from having any control over its organisation or activities. When the Eglise Réformée de France (Reformed Church of France) was set up in 1938, they did not wish to become part of it. They have been confederate members of the Fédération des Eglises Evangéliques Baptistes de France (the Federation of French Evangelical Baptist Churches) since 1987 and also of the Fédération Internationale des Eglises Evangéliques Libres (International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches) ;they were also founder members of the Fédération Protestante de France (French Federation of Protestant Churches) in 1905 and in fact one of their most distinguished members, Edouard Gruner (who had studied at the “Ecole de Mines” in 1869) became its first president (1905 – 1927). At the beginning of the 60’s they chose to distance themselves from the Fédération Protestante de France (French Federation of Protestant Churches) ; however in 1996 they joined forces again.

Who was Marc Boegner?

Marc Boegner was a pastor with outstanding charisma, and a prominent figure in contemporary French Protestantism. He also acknowledged its various tendencies, and very early accepted big responsibilities. During the 1939-1945 war he fought against discrimination notably towards the Jews in the name of the French Protestant Federation. Throughout his life his “ecumenical demand” made him a pioneer in Christian churches unification strivings.

Who founded the ERF?

The ERF was founded in 1938 by Marc Boegner at a meeting where there were representatives of each tendency. He had previously worked over a period of years at bringing the orthodox and liberal members closer together. Those who were present at this meeting were :

What was the law of 18th germinal?

In April 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte, the first consul, established the law of 18 th germinal in year X (the organic Articles dealing with protestant acts of worship) which officially recognized the reformed Churches. Each Church was limited to 6,000 protestants and was ruled by a council called a consistory, which consisted of pastors and from ten to twelve leading citizens. The pastors were appointed and paid by the State. Each reformed Church (known as a consistorial Church) continued to lead an independent existence because in the organic Articles there was no mention of any synod. When Napoleon became emperor he gave catholic churches and disused convent chapels to the reformed Churches.

Who rehabilitated the natural law tradition in Reformed theology?

More recently, the work of David VanDrunen has rehabilitated the natural law tradition in Reformed theology which played a signal role in both the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Who was the first person to reform theology?

While Zwingli provided the initial formative impulse for Reformed theology, others soon came to play prominent roles. Heinrich Bullinger continued the Zurich reformation after Zwingli’s death; Martin Bucer implemented similar reforms in Starsbourg; John Calvin, Pierre Viret, Guillaume Farel, and Pierre Viret, among others, implemented reform in Geneva and its environs. Then, in the later sixteenth century, Reformed churches spread across Europe. To France, the Low Countries, England, and Scotland. By the end of the seventeenth century, churches adhering to Reformed theology were found.

What was the role of the Reformed theology in the Netherlands?

In more recent centuries, Reformed theology played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the Netherlands, particularly through the figure of Abraham Kuyper who founded a denomination, a newspaper, a university, and a political party. He also served as Prime Minister. In Kuyper, Reformed theology came to take on a cultural ambition not seen since the Reformation of the sixteenth century and, through Kuyper’s friend and colleague, Herman Bavinck, found one of its most articulate and talented theologians. The latter’s four volume Reformed Dogmatics represents the last great attempt to offer a comprehensive account of Reformed theology in dialogue with modernity. One unfortunate dimension to Dutch Reformed theology was the role it played in South Africa where it was used as partial justification for apartheid, although, in a more liberal form, it also proved a resource for those who opposed the regime such as Alan Boesak.

What is reformed theology?

Definition. Reformed theology is the term used to refer to the belief system (s) of those Protestant churches which trace their origins to the work of Reformers such as Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin.

What distinguishes the Reformed from the Lutherans?

At the heart of that which distinguishes the Reformed from the Lutherans as the two primary representatives of Protestant theological traditions, lie the sacraments. The Reformed understand baptism in covenantal terms, as replacing circumcision and as pointing back to God’s unilateral commitment to his people in the covenant of grace. As such (like the Lutherans) the Reformed hold to infant baptism but (unlike the Lutherans) do not see baptism as the moment of regeneration so much as the sign of entry into the visible church. Reformed Baptists reject infant baptism but retain a covenantal understanding, seeing God as the agent rather than reducing baptism simply to an outward means of profession of faith.

What is the Reformed position?

The Reformed position rejects the idea of direct communication, asserting instead that the properties of Christ’s divinity are communicated to the person of the mediator, and only therefore indirectly to the human nature. This position became known as the extra Calvinisticum: the idea that though the divinity of Christ is truly united to the humanity, it is not circumscribed by the humanity. Thus, the humanity of Christ remains finite and cannot be present in the bread and wine because it is currently seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

What did the Reformed believe?

This was the corollary of a belief in the significance of original sin and human depravity as rendering human being impotent to initiate their own salvation.

When did the Reformation start in France?

Emerging from the Reformation in the 16th century , the reformed churches in France were organised independently and, by force of circumstance, clandestinely. The first national synod of the Reformed Churches was held in 1559; the first formal confession of faith, the Confession of La Rochelle, was composed in 1571. Recognised but restricted by the Edict of Nantes in 1598, the last official synod met in 1659; subsequently, the churches were suppressed in France by the Edict of Fontainebleau of 1685, which revoked the Edict of Nantes.

When did Pope Benedict send a message to the Synod of the Reformed Church of France?

In 2005, Pope Benedict sent a message to the national synod of the Reformed Church of France, which thanked the Pontiff for this "gesture of consideration".

What is the reformed church?

The Reformed Church of France ( French: Église Réformée de France, ERF) was the main Protestant denomination in France with a Reformed orientation that could be traced back directly to John Calvin. In 2013, the Church merged with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in France to form the United Protestant Church of France.

What is the name of the Protestant Church in France?

In June 2012, it was announced that the Reformed Church of France and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of France would unite to form the United Protestant Church of France (Eglise Protestante unie de France or EPUF).

What was the name of the church that was formed in 1938?

The horrors of the First World War, combined with new departures in theology (in particular the thought of Karl Barth ), allowed for a partial restoration of a national grouping: the Reformed Church of France ( L’Église Réformée de France, ÉRF), established in 1938.

What was the Edict of Versailles?

In 1787, the Edict of Versailles, issued by Louis XVI of France, ended most legal discrimination against non-Roman Catholics – including Huguenots.

When did the Reformed Church of Alsace split?

In 1871 the Reformed congregations in German-annexed Alsace and the newly formed Bezirk Lothringen of Lorraine were separated from the Reformed Church in what remained of France.

What is reformed theology?

Answer. Broadly speaking, Reformed theology includes any system of belief that traces its roots back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century. Of course, the Reformers themselves traced their doctrine to Scripture, as indicated by their credo of “sola scriptura,” so Reformed theology is not a “new” belief system but one ...

Why is it called covenant theology?

It is sometimes called Covenant theology because of its emphases on the covenant God made with Adam and the new covenant which came through Jesus Christ ( Luke 22:20 ). Authority of Scripture.

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

Political Thought

Selected Works

Legacy

References

Further Reading

Archive Sources

External Links

The Origins

The Consistorial Churches in 1802

The Beginning of The French Reformed Church in 1938

• The ERF was founded in 1938 by Marc Boegner at a meeting where there were representatives of each tendency. He had previously worked over a period of years at bringing the orthodox and liberal members closer together. Those who were present at this meeting were : 1. The majority of the Churches who were members of the Union of evangelical Churches ...

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Theology

The French Reformed Church in 2012

The French United Protestant Church