John Calvin

John Calvin left his native France in fear of persecution because of his association with a circle of reform-minded intellectuals. He found refuge in Geneva in 1536, in the wake of the city’s revolt against the authority of Catholic Savoy. Calvin was employed by the city council to preach, but his relationship with the Genevan authorities broke down in 1538. Calvin moved to work in Strasbourg but returned to Geneva in 1541 and remained in the city until his death in 1564. On Calvin’s return, the council agreed to his plans for reforms to the structure of the Genevan church. They agreed to establish a consistory of clergy and lay elders who were charged to monitor religious orthodoxy and moral conduct in Geneva. Calvin became the dominant figure among the town’s clergy. His authority was based above all on his scholarship. Calvin’s abilities as a writer and speaker are clear from surviving sermons, polemic tracts, commentaries on the Bible, and most notably from the Institutes of the Christian Religion. His intellectual authority was matched by his relentless energy, single-minded determination, and excellent organizational abilities. Calvin had a certain personal charisma, at least for his friends and admirers. At the same time, he was dismissive of opponents and ready to oppose anyone who disagreed with his vision of church life. Calvin’s influence extended well beyond Geneva’s walls. To build Reformed religion beyond Geneva, he engaged with church leaders in southern German and Swiss towns and territories. Indeed, it would be a profound mistake to see Calvin alone as responsible for the dynamic spread of Calvinism or Reformed Protestantism across Europe (see the article Calvinism). Reformed religion developed as Calvin worked with other reformers to come to a consensus on key points of theology. Much of Calvin’s attention was devoted to efforts to achieve the conversion of his homeland. Toward the end of his life, an academy opened in Geneva to train ministers to be sent into France as civil war spread across the kingdom. Since his death, Calvin has held the attention of many, theologians and historians alike. They have analyzed Calvin’s published work, his sermons, and his correspondence to try to understand his impact on Reformation Europe.