Calvin, John. Calvin\'s \"Institutes\": A New Compend.

Calvin, John. Calvin's "Institutes": A New Compend. Introduction by Hugh Kerr. John Knox

Press, 1989

According to author and theologian Hugh Kerr, regarding the founder of Calvinism, "much of Calvin's system, as well as his polemics against Roman Catholicism have become outdated and irrelevant for modern thought. Systems as such are under general suspicion in almost every area of life" while pluralism is favored as the dominant way of conceptualizing the relationships between modern religions (Kerr 16). However, although some of Calvin's writings have been consigned to the dust heap of history, Calvin also has much to teach us, and many of his writings are still potentially inspiring and useful for modern readers. Calvin's most famous (some might say infamous) notion was the doctrine of predestination, or the notion that God has already 'elected' certain persons to be saved (Kerr 10). The Compend is intended to distill Calvin's writings and beliefs into manageable form for the modern reader, so he or she can judge Calvin on his own terms.

It would be mistaken to believe that Calvin had a sense of superiority regarding his belief schema because of his notion of 'election.' Calvin stressed the essentially hypocritical, fallen nature of all human souls, which could only be redeemed through God's grace. Calvin believed that the 'proof' of God's existence lay in the natural inclination of the human to see God in the world. Religion is not a product of folklore, even though some religions may be fraudulent, but the apprehension of God, Calvin believes, is a fundamental product of 'human nature' (Calvin 21). This instinct is smothered by wickedness, which causes us to forget God and our innate knowledge of his influence upon our lives. God's beneficence is evident everywhere in the universe: "wherever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory" (Calvin 24). Those who do not acknowledge this are turning from the wisdom that is engraved upon the human heart.

A great deal of the book actually seems relevant to the religious debates of today -- such as the protest of many people that they are 'spiritual' but not 'religious' or worship nature, rather than the reflection of God's hand in nature. Calvin adamantly speaks out against those who would equate 'nature' with God -- nature is not the same thing as God, rather God created nature. However, there is an orderly process to the world, and just as Calvin condemns secularists who attempt to distill divinity from the creation, it is just as critical to Calvin's philosophy that those who see fate as proceeding willy-nilly without the overriding hand of God, are in error. "How many of us there are who, when we lift our eyes up to heaven or cast them about through the various regions of the earth, recall our minds to a remembrance of the Creator, and do not rather, disregarding their author, sit in idle contemplation of his works?" (Calvin 25).

This quote reflects how, despite his 'doom and gloom' reputation, Calvin's belief in divine providence is not punitive against a specific group of 'sinners' so much as he sees a belief in the arbitrary nature of the universe as fundamentally offensive to God. God has a plan for the world in terms of how it is structured, and God also has a plan for our ultimate salvation. Many very intelligent people forget their dependence upon God and are led astray: no human-generated creation can compare to the glory of God. We are not led down the path through the "bright lights" of literature, philosophy, and other human-generated ideas, but through God alone (Calvin 26). This notion is clearly tied to Calvin's conception of man as a uniquely fallen being: as fallen persons who must be completed by God, no great works of humanity can be seen as substitutes or comparable to the divine's actions.

Far from an egocentric philosophy that stresses the perfection of the 'elect,' chosen persons, Calvin's theology is one which is heavily dependent upon God's grace and nothing that humans do in the world can compare to the influence of God upon securing salvation: it is not the works of the saved that matter, it is only God's sense of purpose and divine action that enables an inherently fallen soul to be redeemed. Were he alive today, Calvin would stress the arbitrary nature of how the environment can seem to predispose certain persons to behave for good or ill: God's influence is what determines to what external pressures to which we will be subject. It is God's will that we are able to see His influence in the world, based upon His guiding hands and it is His will that teaches us how to read scripture correctly.

Protestantism has often been called a 'portable' religion, and Calvin's emphasis on the importance of reading the actual words of Christ is no exception to this characterization: "no one can get even the slightest taste of the right and sound doctrine unless he be a pupil of scripture" (Calvin 29). This argument is very significant in Calvin's argument against Catholicism; because he stresses that every person must read the Bible for him or herself and not allow it to be mediated through an institution such as the Church or the perspective of others.