The Catholic doctrine of justification by faith is really a works-based recognition that somehow the individual is going to do enough to get himself to heaven. Calvin did little more than tweak this position: Instead of justification by a combination of works and faith, we now have both justification and sanctification by not only works and faith, but also knowledge. We do, however, get a continual reminder that this is all by God's grace (provided, of course, that you're one of the lucky ones), but a close reading will show his words are not much different than the Jehovah Witness or Mormon position which puts Jesus death as only that which makes possible your salvation.
Conclusion
Agree or disagree with Calvin, these are a necessary read for anyone who desires an understanding of the development of Western thought, literature and theology. They are not only great theology; they represent excellent writing and development...
They are also highly pastoral and devotional. They are not like reading a modern systematic theology. Calvin understood doctrine to be more than theory, but something to mold our understanding of God, ourselves and the world in which we live. Carefully working through the Institutes is a journey worth taking!
My recommendation is that you purchase the book and read as much as you can; it has been interesting to me and will continue to provide much entertainment in my household, and I think it will for you also. But when you put it on your shelf, do not put it next to the Bible; put it next to Walter Martin, Jean Jacques Rousseau, or perhaps your New World Translation. This paper served as a book critique and detailed summary of John Calvin's book entitled The Institutes of the Christian Religion. This paper explored the doctrines and opinions of the greater reformer and offered a modern view of the works.
