Picture of author.

John Calvin (1509–1564)

Author of Institutes of the Christian Religion

803+ Works 30,732 Members 127 Reviews 63 Favorited

About the Author

Born Jean Cauvin in Noyon, Picardy, France, John Calvin was only a boy when Martin Luther first raised his challenge concerning indulgences. Calvin was enrolled at the age of 14 at the University of Paris, where he received preliminary training in theology and became an elegant Latinist. However, show more following the dictates of his father, he left Paris at the age of 19 and went to study law, first at Orleans, then at Bourges, in both of which centers the ideas of Luther were already creating a stir. On his father's death, Calvin returned to Paris, began to study Greek, the language of the New Testament, and decided to devote his life to scholarship. In 1532 he published a commentary on Seneca's De Clementia, but the following year, after experiencing what was considered a sudden conversion, he was forced to flee Paris for his religious views. The next year was given to the study of Hebrew in Basel and to writing the first version of his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion, which he gave to the printer in 1535. The rest of his life-except for a forced exile of three years-he spent in Geneva, where he became chief pastor, without ever being ordained. When he died, the city was solidly on his side, having almost become what one critic called a "theocracy." By then the fourth and much-revised edition of his Institutes had been published in Latin and French, commentaries had appeared on almost the whole Bible, treatises had been written on the Lord's Supper, on the Anabaptists, and on secret Protestants under persecution in France. Thousands of refugees had come to Geneva, and the city-energized by religious fervor-had found room and work for them. Though Calvin was sometimes bitter in his denunciation of those who disagreed with him, intolerant of other points of view, and absolutely sure he was right on the matter of predestination, he was nonetheless one of the great expounders of the faith. From his work the Reformed tradition had its genesis, and from his genius continues to refresh itself. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Series

Works by John Calvin

A Reformation Debate (1966) 557 copies
Genesis (1965) 496 copies
Sermons on Ephesians (1973) 327 copies
John (1994) 267 copies
Theological Treatises (1867) 241 copies
Sermons From Job (1952) 217 copies
On God and Political Duty (1950) 216 copies
Sermons on Galatians (1995) 173 copies
Hebrews and I and II Peter (1960) 172 copies
Instruction in Faith (1537) (1537) 171 copies
Biblical Christianity (1982) 158 copies
Sermons on the Beatitudes (2006) 157 copies
The Secret Providence of God (1905) 156 copies
Sermons on Genesis1:11 (2009) 120 copies
Sermons on the Book of Micah (1802) 101 copies
Sermons On Titus (2015) 100 copies
Commentary on The Psalms (1773) 95 copies
Songs Of The Nativity (2008) 89 copies
Ezekiel I (1880) 84 copies
Daniel I (Chapters 1-6) (1853) 80 copies
Sermons on 1 Timothy (2018) 75 copies
Concerning scandals (1978) 75 copies
The Mystery of Godliness (1950) 74 copies
Faith Unfeigned (2010) 63 copies
The Christian Life (1984) 62 copies
Sermons on 2 Timothy (2018) 60 copies
Sermons on Psalm 119 (1996) 59 copies
A Treatise on Relics (2000) 43 copies
The Best of John Calvin (1981) 38 copies
Thine Is My Heart (1958) 29 copies
John (Volume 5) 29 copies
Calvin on Self-Denial (2013) 25 copies
Devotions and Prayers of John Calvin (1954) — Author — 21 copies
The Doctrine of Election (2022) 14 copies
Of Prayer (2007) 14 copies
Oeuvres (1905) 13 copies
Justification By Faith (2018) 12 copies
Calvin on the Mediator (2013) 7 copies
Oeuvres choisies (1995) 7 copies
Three French treatises (1970) 6 copies
Comentario Sobre Jonás (2007) 4 copies
Commentary on Ephesians (2004) 4 copies
JOÃO CALVINO (2017) 4 copies
Commentary on Exodus (2013) 4 copies
John Calvin's Tracts and Treatises 3 Volumes (1958) — Author — 3 copies
De handzame Calvijn (2004) 3 copies
Sulle reliquie (2010) 3 copies
Commentary on Leviticus (2013) 3 copies
Cartas De Joao Calvino (2000) 3 copies
Trois libelles anonymes (2006) 2 copies
Institutie 2 copies
Sermones sobre Efesios (2011) 2 copies
Calvino 2 copies
DANIEL 2 copies
Sermons 2 copies
Commentary on Jude (2012) 2 copies
Psychopannychia (2013) 2 copies
James (2019) 2 copies
De Christelijke Vrijheid (2013) 2 copies
Commentary on Deuteronomy (2013) 2 copies
Calvino: Una Antologia (1971) 1 copy
Providence 1 copy
Hosea 1 copy
Hiob 1 copy
John 12-21 1 copy
Letters of John Calvin — Author — 1 copy
Faith (2019) 1 copy

Associated Works

Prefaces and Prologues to Famous Books (1909) — Contributor — 521 copies
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas (2008) — Contributor, some editions — 442 copies
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter (2009) — Contributor, some editions — 332 copies
Calvin: Commentaries (Library of Christian Classics) (1958) — Author, some editions — 171 copies
A Calvin Treasury (1961) — Author, some editions — 80 copies
Puritanism and Liberty (1938) — Contributor — 54 copies
The Five Points of Calvinism (1969) — Author, some editions — 53 copies
What Calvin Says (1992) — Author, some editions — 43 copies
Letters of John Calvin V2 (2006) — Author, some editions — 6 copies

Tagged

Acts (125) Bible (147) Bible Commentary (148) Biblical Studies (100) Calvin (1,120) Calvinism (446) Christian (245) Christian living (203) Christianity (280) Church History (166) Commentaries (282) Commentary (1,269) Devotional (124) Doctrine (166) Ephesians (101) Genesis (133) Historical Theology (127) history (106) Jeremiah (121) John (115) John Calvin (523) Kindle (122) Logos (359) Luke (112) Matthew (111) New Testament (333) non-fiction (126) NT Commentary (104) Old Testament (424) OT Commentary (153) Psalms (150) reference (173) Reformation (433) Reformed (209) Reformed Theology (315) religion (249) Sermons (338) Systematic Theology (487) Theology (1,670) to-read (175)

Common Knowledge

Members

Discussions

Calvin's 500th in Reformed Theology (October 2012)
Reading the Institutes in Reformed Theology (December 2010)

Reviews

Outstanding little book. One of the most dense reads I've experienced in quite a while, yet still fully accessible to laymen. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to every single Christian I know and don't know.
 
Flagged
jfranzone | 5 other reviews | Feb 14, 2024 |
I find Calvin's Commentaries to be excellent for personal study and reflection, a valuable source for sermon preparation~ to have my mind stimulated, enhanced clarity to my studies, meditations and reflection.
It is the coming to both the wine press, where the juice is pressed from the ripened fruit of the vine, and to the cellar where we are refreshed by the fermented and matured libation with richness in color, layers of depth, the delicious savoring, and enjoyment that which will make the heart glad and the soul refreshed, nourished and healthy.… (more)
 
Flagged
rbcarver | 16 other reviews | Dec 13, 2023 |
I find Calvin's Commentaries to be excellent for personal study and reflection, a valuable source for sermon preparation~ to have my mind stimulated, enhanced clarity to my studies, meditations and reflection.
It is the coming to both the wine press, where the juice is pressed from the ripened fruit of the vine, and to the cellar where we are refreshed by the fermented and matured libation with richness in color, layers of depth, the delicious savoring, and enjoyment that which will make the heart glad and the soul refreshed, nourished and healthy.… (more)
 
Flagged
rbcarver | 16 other reviews | Dec 13, 2023 |
I find Calvin's Commentaries to be excellent for personal study and reflection, a valuable source for sermon preparation~ to have my mind stimulated, enhanced clarity to my studies, meditations and reflection.
It is the coming to both the wine press, where the juice is pressed from the ripened fruit of the vine, and to the cellar where we are refreshed by the fermented and matured libation with richness in color, layers of depth, the delicious savoring, and enjoyment that which will make the heart glad and the soul refreshed, nourished and healthy.… (more)
 
Flagged
rbcarver | 16 other reviews | Dec 13, 2023 |

Lists

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

T. H. L. Parker Translator
John Donne Author
Harro Höpfl Translator
Henry Cole Translator
Paul Stob Editor
Henry Beveridge Translator
John Allen Translator
John Murray Introduction
C.A. de Niet Translator
Alexander Sizoo Translator
B. B. Warfield Introduction
W. Van 'T Spijker Introduction
B. R. Wood Editor
Elsie Anne McKee Translator
D. Nauta Introduction
William Pringle Translator
J. I. Packer Introduction, Editor
Benjamin Wirt Farley editor and translator
Arthur Golding Translator
Kathy Childress Translator
Benjamin Wirt Farley translator and editor
Theodore Beza Contributor
T. F. Torrance Introduction, Notes
Arthur Golding Translator

Statistics

Works
803
Also by
17
Members
30,732
Popularity
#646
Rating
½ 4.4
Reviews
127
ISBNs
936
Languages
17
Favorited
63

Charts & Graphs