John+Calvin



John Calvin was a Frenchman responsible for the founding of the Calvinist movement. In 1533, he experienced a conversion, against the Catholic ways. He took Geneva, Switzerland by storm in 1536. There are several tenets to the practice of Calvinism. The first is predestination. Everything was decided at the beginning of time, including who will be saved. Man is naturally evil. However, the "elect" represents the group of people who will be saved. Also, John Calvin believed in irresistible grace, or the grace of god. This dictates that there is nothing in human power to change God's mind, particularly about the elect. Calvin advocated a theocracy, unlike Martin Luther. Due to the lack of motivating factor, John Calvin counted on the fact that we don't know. He proposed a system of external signs that hint as to who the identity of the elect. These signs include pious behavior, success, and hard work. After John Calvin's death, Geneva kicked the Calvinists out. The refugees formed a Presbyterian Church in Scotland.

Created by Becca Ellison December 8, 2008 Edited by Hampton Webb on December 11, 2008 Back to Unit 5 & 6 terms