Will the Real John Calvin Please Stand Up?

Swiss reformer John Calvin (1509–1564) remains a polarizing figure to this day. Philosopher-historian Will Durant (1885–1981) wrote, “We shall always find it hard to love the man who darkened the human soul with the most absurd and blasphemous conception of God in all the history of nonsense" (qtd. in “Age of Flame”). A writer from Time magazine believes that “the faith of ascetic, heretic-burning John Calvin was stern, hard and alien to a boisterous young country in a nature-taming age” (“Calvinist Comeback?”). Others appraise Calvin and his influence positively. “I have been a witness of him for sixteen years," said Calvin's successor, reformer Theodore Beza (1519–1605), "and I think that I am fully entitled to say that in this man there was exhibited to all an example of the life and death of the Christian, such as it will not be easy to depreciate, and it will be difficult to imitate” (qtd. in Bennett). Dr. Robert Godfrey, former President and Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary California, argues that “Calvin was one of the most important people in the history of western civilization” (“Calvin: Why He Still Matters”).

         

Unfortunately, the prevailing view of Calvin is that he was a “heretic-burning” tyrant who believed in a cold and cruel God. American pastor and theologian R.C. Sproul sums up the matter: "Of all the famous theologians of church history, the titans of knowledge upon whose shoulders we stand, none has been more maligned or vilified than John Calvin" (The Agony of Deceit). This is due to a fundamental misunderstanding of what Calvin was really like, of the times he lived in, and of his teachings. But an historical examination of his life and beliefs reveals that, rather than a tyrannical, “Protestant Pope” that hunted down heretics, Calvin was a man who cared deeply for the people of Geneva and showed mercy even to those who opposed him; and, instead of believing in a cruel, despotic God, Calvin worshiped a just and holy God who is also a loving, accommodating parent figure.

Scholars have recently been giving attention to a set of registers, which were previously neglected due to their bad handwriting, of the decisions of Geneva’s Consistory. The records reveal that Calvin was a responsible pastor attentive to the needs of his congregation. Former Professor Emeritus and Reformation historian Robert Kingdon explains that “our knowledge of the operations of the Consistory has been distorted considerably by the concentration of past historians on a few spectacular cases of people who protested vehemently and were punished severely. They give the impression that the Consistory was a kind of inquisitorial court. But protests were in fact the exception” (23). Many however are usually only aware of the exceptional cases, in particular the burning of the heretic Michael Servetus, and probably obtain this information from biased and inaccurate sources that depict Calvin in the worst possible light.

Sixteenth century communities emphasized the role of public shaming and forgiving in order to maintain social discipline. Thus, a remonstrance often concluded a hearing in Geneva, which was like an act of public forgiving that “signaled the formal integration of the accused back into the Christian community” (Kingdon 27). Calvin’s commentary on Galatians 6:1 reveals the approach he used for correcting believers:

We are here taught to correct the faults of brethren in a mild manner, and to consider no rebukes as partaking a religious and Christian character which do not breathe the spirit of meekness. To gain this object, [Paul] explains the design of pious reproofs, which is, to restore him who is fallen, to place him in his former condition. That design will never be accomplished by violence, or by a disposition to accuse, or by fierceness of manner or language; and consequently, we must display a gentle and meek spirit, if we intend to heal our brother.

It's hard to reconcile the man like this with the harsh, unloving Calvin that misleading sources portray. In his commentary on Philemon, Calvin writes:

By his example he [Paul] shows that pastors should endeavor to draw disciples gently rather than to drag them by force; . . . this has far greater power to obtain his wish than if he issued a command. . . . Hence pastors are reminded that the hearts of their people must be soothed with all possible gentleness, wherever this method is likely to be more advantageous, but yet so as to know that they who are treated so gently have nothing less exacted from them than what they ought to do. (On Philemon 1:8-14; see Robbins 26)

Additionally, according to the Consistory records, Calvin often administered the scoldings of accused individuals. The cases that the registers describe are primarily charges of sexual irregularity or of disrespect for authority, but the accused would often accept the scolding and be dismissed in peace; they would rarely need to return and incur harsher punishments (Kingdon 26). Calvin was a respected member of the community and masterful handler of Scripture who, rather than flaunt his authority, attempted to “display a gentle and meek spirit,” for he was committed to promoting order, peace, unity and the Reformation in Geneva. In certain cases, he was also asked to superintend the ceremonies of reconciliation that followed a remonstrance. The Consistory tried to reconcile people, especially before communion services, which were held four times a year in Geneva. Calvin’s writings and the registers of Geneva’s Consistory show that he was indeed a dedicated pastor who cared for the community and sought to reconcile and restore people back into good relationships.

Another popular misconception of Calvin is that he worshiped a God who was an arbitrary, ruthless tyrant. There is no shortage of derogatory opinions on this matter. In a letter to John Adams, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson expresses anything but approval of Calvin’s God: “I can never join Calvin in addressing his God. . . . His religion was daemonism. If ever man worshipped a false God, he did. The being described in his five points, is . . . a daemon of malignant spirit. It would be more pardonable to believe in no God at all, than to blaspheme him by the atrocious attributes of Calvin.” Jefferson complained that the God of Calvin and of the Reformed denominations, Presbyterians in particular, is a ruthless despot who arbitrarily condemns whoever he wants. However, the five points that Jefferson uses to misrepresent Calvin’s God, or TULIP, were formulated in 1619 by the Synod of Dort to counter the “Five articles of Remonstrance”—fifty-five years after Calvin’s death.

"Since this synod," Sproul explains, "it has become increasingly popular to view Reformed theology exclusively in light of these five points. Although these five points may be central to Reformed theology, they by no means exhaust this system of doctrine. There is much more to Reformed theology than the five points" (What is Reformed Theology?, 29-30). Calvinism emphasizes God and His sovereignty rather than these five derivative points. Citing Krauth, an influential Lutheran theologian, philosopher Gordon Clark explains that "it was Arminius, not some Calvinist, who selected the TULIP as the essence of Calvinism" because "Arminius was largely influenced by Lutheranism," and "Lutheran theology is more anthropocentric than theocentric" ("The Sovereignty of God"). The doctrines of TULIP— 

• Total Depravity: as a consequence of the Fall, men are wicked, rebellious sinners by nature, wholly affected by sin, and thus neither can nor desire to please God;  
• Unconditional Election: God has chosen whom he will save (the elect) based on his mercy alone, not on anything the elect have done or will do;  
• Limited Atonement: Christ vicariously and propitiously sacrificed himself on behalf of the elect only; 
• Irresistible Grace: God’s internal call of grace is wrought by his Spirit, which draws, convicts, and enables sinners to repent and believe the Gospel; and  
• Perseverance of the Saints: the elect cannot lose their salvation or be eternally condemned because they are sealed and preserved by God's Spirit unto eternal life (see Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism)

—are a man-centered oversimplification of what Calvin believed and taught. Calvin was a thorough systematic theologian who did not narrowly emphasize the TULIP doctrines over others. Unlike Luther, whose core convictions were justification by faith alone—“the article by which the church stands or falls”—and the bondage of the human will—"the essential issue . . . the hinge on which all turns . . . the vital spot" (319)—scholars don't agree on the central doctrines that Calvin stressed apart from the doctrine of justification, "the principal ground on which religion must be supported" (Institutes 3.11.1). Some claim he had about 20 core doctrines. But since people are usually only familiar with the five points, it's easy to see why there are so many disparaging caricatures of Calvin’s God. Calvin’s comments on Isaiah 49:15, however, paint a very different picture of the God he believed in:

By an appropriate comparison, [God] shews how strong is his anxiety about his people, comparing himself to a mother, whose love toward her offspring is so strong and ardent, as to leave far behind it a father’s love. Thus he did not satisfy himself with proposing the example of a father, (which on other occasions he very frequently employs,) but in order to express his very strong affection, he chose to liken himself to a mother, and calls them not merely “children,” but the fruit of the womb, towards which there is usually a warmer affection.

David Wright, former Professor Emeritus of Patristic and Reformation Christianity at New College, notes that, despite Calvin’s extensive use of "divine accommodation"—the belief that God lovingly and intimately accommodates His children in various ways—throughout all of his writings, it was not until the 1950s that scholars gave more attention to this teaching (6). Neglecting this important part of Calvin’s theology likely contributed to the idea that Calvin's God has little regard for people.

Much more could be said about the way some have rewritten history in order to make Calvin a heartless man who believed in a heartless God. Calvin gave his life to serve the people of Geneva, wholeheartedly committed himself to the Scriptures, and contributed tremendously to the Reformation, a movement that broke the shackles of the Roman Catholic church's tyranny and promoted the priesthood of all believers; for he believed in a God who, in addition to being an impartial, holy Judge, is a loving Father who cares about people, especially his elect, adopted sons and daughters. Once people recognize the real John Calvin, the world can appreciate the incredible impact left by one of the most significant contributors to western culture and to pure religion.

Revised June 2013

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Works Cited

• "Age of Flame." Time 70.14 (1957): 106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 March 2012.

• Bennett, Michael. “Some Quotes About John Calvin.” Sovereign Grace Preterism. NING, 2009. Web. 6 March 2012.

• Calvin, John. On Galatians 6:1-5. Commentary on Galatians and Ephesians. Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2012. Web. 6 March 2012.

• ----. On Isaiah 49:1-26. Commentary on Isaiah. Vol. 4. Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2012. Web. 6 March 2012.  
• ----. On Philemon 1:8-14. Commentary on Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Biblos.com, 2011. Web. 27 December 2012.

• "Calvinist Comeback?" Time 49.8 (1947): 80. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 March 2012.

• Clark, Gordon H. "The Sovereignty of God." The Trinity Foundation. Trinity Review, Nov./Dec. 1982. Web. 19 January 2013.

• Godfrey, Robert W. “Calvin: Why He Still Matters.” Westminster Seminary California. Westminster Seminary California, 2009. Web. 5 March 2012.

• Jefferson, Thomas. “Letter CLXX.—To John Adams, April 11, 1823.” Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson. Ed. T.J. Randolph. Project Gutenberg, 2012. Web. 6 March 2012.

• Kingdon, Robert. “A New View of Calvin in the Light of the Registers of the Geneva Consistory.” Eds. W.H. Neuser and B.G. Armstrong. Sixteenth Century Essays & Studies: Calvinus Sincerioris Religionis Vindex 36 (1997): 21-33. Print.

• Luther, Martin. The Bondage of the Will. Trans. J.I. Packer and O.R. Johnston. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1957. Print.

• Robbins, John W. Slavery and Christianity: Paul's Letter to Philemon. Unicoi: Trinity Foundation, 2007. Print.
• Sproul, R.C. What is Reformed Theology? Understanding the Basics. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997. Print. 

• Wright, David F. “Calvin’s Accommodating God.” Eds. W.H. Neuser and B.G. Armstrong. Sixteenth Century Essays & Studies: Calvinus Sincerioris Religionis Vindex 36 (1997): 3-19. Print.