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the founder of Calvinism, "much of Calvin's system, as well as his polemics against Roman Catholicism have become outdated and irrelevant for modern thought.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…...

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Calvin finds that His "royal unction" is not set out, then, by the standard representations of a man-king, but instead of one more holy. It is in his office as King, Calvin says, that man finds the ultimate pardon. "Thus, while we wander far as pilgrims from God, Christ interposes, that he may gradually bring us to full communion with God."

The completion of his analysis was not only connecting the man Christ with his works, but endowing them with the holy beliefs of the Christian faithful. He related the life of Christ to the life of the Christian, with baptism and resurrection serving as the joint fountainheads of the active faith. To Calvin, in life, a person is damned by the total depravity of man; death is the ultimate freedom from it, since the body can then no longer be physically tempted. Death through salvation is the final escape from…...

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Ephesians 1:15-23.

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Book II, Ch. V.

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Book II, Ch. XV. John T. McNeil, ed. The Westminster Press: Philadelphia, 1960. p. 1307.

However, although Machiavelli held firm in his belief that the Church should not have the same governing functions as the State, he provided the example of Pope Julius in demonstrating how, if a religious leader holds firm to his beliefs and manner of disciplining his clergy, he can establish a strong clergy and can yield influence and power over the State and civil society. In describing Pope Julius's leadership style, Machiavelli attested, "...he held two things firm: the one, the greatness of the Church, which he terrified them; and the other, not allowing them to have their own cardinals, who caused the disorders among them." Despite the strength in Pope Julius's leadership, Machiavelli still argued for the sole function of the State to govern civil society, mainly because Church is ridden with members that are in constant motivation to usurp each other's powers and position in the hierarchy, not to…...

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Works Cited

Machiavelli, N. E-text of "The Prince." Project Gutenberg E-book Collection.

More, T. E-text of "Utopia." Project Gutenberg E-book Collection.

Although sometimes attributed to Calvin, the Synod of Dort actually wrote the Five Points of Calvinism in 1619. In the article, "New outlook, Volume 104," Alfred Emanuel Smith wrote that the Synod of Dort created the five points of Calvinism "to controvert the Five points of Arminius, which formed the basis of the discussions through the six months of the sessions of that Synod" (p. 394).

The Five Points of Calvinism include:

1. Divine Predestination

2. The Redemption of Men through the Death of Christ

3. Total Depravity.

4. Redemption through Grace.

5. Perseverance of Saints. (Smith, p. 394)

The Five points of Arminiusm are as follows:

1. Personal, Gratuitous Election to Everlasting Life.

2. Particular Redemption

3. Depravity, Native and Total.

4. Effectual Calling, or Regeneration, by the Holy Spirit.

5. Certain Perseverance of Saints unto Eternal Life. (Smith, p. 394)

Some individuals consider Calvinism to reflect another name for biblical Christianity. Matthew McMahon concurred with many writers regarding the propensity of…...

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WORKS CITED

Brians, Paul. "John Calvin: Free Will and Predestination." Institutes of the Christian

Religion. Vol 2 Reading about the World. Washington: Washington State

University, 1998. . Web. 24 Jan. 2010.

Calvin, Jean. Institutes of the Christian religion, Volume 1. Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian

It is my opinion that Calvin was not a Protestant, but only a Reformer. 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,…...

Protestant eformation Calvin vs. Luther
John Calvin and Martin Luther while both proponents of reform in the Catholic church, held distinctly different views of religious doctrine that profoundly influenced the religious landscape during the 16th century and encouraged citizens to take charge of their spirituality and salvation. Both religious leaders helped shape and influence the eformation and formed the foundation for Episcopalian and Presbyterian beliefs today.

The Protestant eformation is often considered one of the most revolutionary events to occur within the 16th century. During this time citizens were forced with the decision between Catholicism and Protestantism. John Calvin and Martin Luther are two figureheads who helped spearhead the Protestant eformation. Despite there similar desire to reform the church and change the dominant doctrine of the time, Martin Luther and John Calvin were very different in their interpretations of religious doctrine. Martin Luther supported a less aggressive reformation based on 'faith-based practice',…...

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References:

"A Whirlwind Tour of the Protestant Reformation." 18, October 2005:

Gottfreid, Paul. "Martin Luther." World and I, 14(2): 18.

Hooker, Richard. "Reformation: John Calvin." 1996. World Civilizations. Available:

John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, is hailed as one of the fathers of Protestant church reform. His undying passion for his beliefs as well as a strong bond of friendship with several religious women, sustained him in his work until he died. His work comprises a number of sermons and religious writings that carry on his legacy to this day. There is some disagreement regarding the year of his birth, but critics believe this event to be somewhere in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The Dictionary of National iography for example places Knox's birth at round about 15141, while Miles Hodges places it at 15052.
According to the Dictionary, Knox was born at Cliffordgate in Haddington. An interesting fact is that he occasionally adopted his mother's maiden name, Sinclair, as an alias when he found himself obliged to hide from persecutors. His father, William Knox came from a…...

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Bibliography

Dawson, Jane E.A. 2004. 'Knox, John (c.1514 -- 1572)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press.

Hodges, Miles. 2001. John Knox. History: the Reformation

 http://www.newgenevacenter.org/biography/knox2.htm 

Grimm, Harold John. 1958. The reformation era, 1500-1650 New York: Macmillan

Calvinism and the Reformation
John Calvin (originally Jean Cauvin) was born July 10th, 1509, in the merchant city of Noyon, France, in a family of modest ancestry of watermen and artisans.

His father, Girard Cauvin, ran the course of a respectable bourgeoisie member who studied law and went all the way from a town clerk to the position of a procurator of the cathedral chapter. As a prediction to his son's further relationship with the Catholic Church, by the time he died he was excommunicated.

His older brother, a priest encountered similar troubles this department and was also excommunicated. Standing Firm on his position, he refused the sacraments on his death bed and was buried outside the churchyard.

John Calvin was the second son of Girard Cauvin and Jeanne LeFranc. For some, John Calvin's birthday was an unfortunate event, for others, a blessing. Throughout his career, he only appears to have sought to restore…...

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Bibliography

1. Hesselink, I. John (2004), Calvin's theology, in McKim, Donald K., The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

2. Parker, T.H.L. (1995), Calvin: An Introduction to His Thought, London: Geoffrey Chapman

3. Niesel, Wilhelm (1980), The Theology of Calvin, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House

4. Naphy, W, (1994), Calvin and the Consolidation of the Genevan Reformation, Westminster John Knox Press

That being said, there are certain pitfalls that must be avoided, in order to reduce the controversy created by teaching these concepts but more importantly to avoid any indoctrination, however, subtle into certain beliefs or belief systems. That is, educators should make absolutely no value judgments concerning religion in their teaching of religious history, and in courses specifically geared towards developing a scholarly understanding of religion efforts must be made to include theological beliefs and practices of non-Christian and non-Western religions. This can become somewhat touchy when religious history is part of a general course on Western history; however politically incorrect it may sound, the historical development of Buddhism, Hinduism, and even Judaism simply did not have the same impact on the development of Western culture that Christianity did. This does not make Christianity in any of its forms the "right" religion, and this must be made clear in public…...

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References

Gutek, G. (2004). Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education: A Biographical Introduction. New York: Prentice Hall.

Johnson, T. & Reed, R. (2007). Philosophical documents in education. New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Luther and Calvin as theologians. Specifically, it will compare and contrast Martin Luther and John Calvin as theologians, while making a strong and convincing opinion on both men. John Calvin and Martin Luther were both great thinkers, and the foundation of the Reformation that shook Europe in the 1500s. hile they both had different theologies, there were some remarkable similarities, and both men certainly changed the face of religion by speaking out openly regarding their beliefs.
Luther and Calvin

Martin Luther is probably the most significant and renowned Protestant religious leader in the world. Luther was born in Eisleben, Saxony in 1483, and spent his undergraduate years studying for a law career, and then he switched focus to the priesthood. However, Luther found himself disagreeing with many of the Catholic Church's philosophies, and in 1517, Luther posted his famous "95 theses" on the door of a castle church in Saxony, and…...

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Works Cited

Dillenberger, John, ed. Martin Luther, Selections from His Writings. 1st ed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1961.

Harkness, Georgia. John Calvin The Man and His Ethics. New York: H. Holt and Company, 1931.

Luther, Martin." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2000.

Mcneill, John T. "Calvin as an Ecumenical Churchman." Church History 57.Suppl. (1988): 43-55.

All human beings are, however, impure and imperfect, which does not make it very difficult to rise above the rest in terms of self-perceived perfection. In comparison to God, however, this changes. The human being who is never dissatisfied with him- or herself, however, never becomes aware that there is a contrast to be made with God.
This is what Calvin appears to mean by piety. People with true knowledge of themselves as imperfect and unholy in comparison with God are those who are most pious. They are aware that there are imperfections to be addressed and aspire to do so by contemplating the nature of Gold. Instead, impious and hypocritical human beings are never aware that there is much wrong with them. They create a type of cycle by only contemplating other human beings to compare with themselves. By doing this, they become aware only of their excellence and…...

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Sources

Calvin, J. Institutes of the Christian Religion. The Mountain Retreat. Retrieved from:  http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/classics/calvin/institutes7-1.html 

Edwards, J.A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections. The Covenant of Grace. Retrieved from:  http://www.covenantofgrace.com/religious_affections.htm 

Edwards, J. Sinners in the hands of an Angry God. Retrieved from:  http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/je-sinners.htm 

Edwards, J. God Glorified in Man's Dependence. What Saith the Scripture? Retrieved from:  http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/Edwards.God.Glorified.html

John Winthrop
What is America's role in the world? Considering that America was in many ways founded experimentally, it is only natural to imagine that outside observers are constantly looking to America as an example or a source of guidance. In particular, America's early status as an experiment in religious tolerance has led to the popularity of the phrase and image of "the city on a hill." Derived from Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount -- where Christ tells his followers "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matt. 5:14) -- the notion of America as both a model and a source of immense scrutiny is popular even to this day. In this paper I would like to examine three ways in which the notion of America as a "city on a hill" was persuasive in the period of America's…...

Religion
Christianity started as a literary faith, one firmly rooted in Scripture. Scriptural adherence grew out of the Jewish appreciation for sacred text. Therefore, it is no wonder that Christianity evolved as a literary and literate faith. The evolution of Christianity from the fall of the Temple in 70 CE to the 21st century is one punctuated and formed by writing and historical documents. Christian historiography reveals both the development of Christian religious thought including cosmology, theology, and metaphysics. Ethics and philosophy are also covered in the Christian canon. However, Christian historiography also goes beyond sacred wisdom. Christian texts have laid out methods by which Christianity -- and the Catholic Church in particular -- can and should function in the world as a political institution. Both spiritual and the political debates have led to conflicts in Christian identity development. Conflicting views of theological matters such as the nature of Christ's divinity…...

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Works Cited

Augustine. City of God. Retrieved online:  http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=AugCity.xml&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=2&division=div2 

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Retrieved online:  http://www.reformed.org/master/index.html?mainframe=/books/institutes/ 

The Chronicle of St. Denis, I.18-19, 23. Retrieved online:  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/496clovis.asp 

Gregory VII. Dictatus Papae, 1090. Retrieved online:  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/g7-dictpap.asp

Calvin also taught that another way God begins to deal with a person to make him/her restless is knowledge.

Under the influence of the Spirit of God, a person is borne upward; traveling upward toward the knowledge of God. Conscience, as far as human understanding reaches, is a source which constitutes the unconditional starting point for the beginning of knowledge of God; for the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For Calvin, "revelation is not immediately revelation of Jesus Christ. But revelation of the harsh judgment of God, although this is certainly finally oriented to Christ."

Basically, Calvin did not have any revelation problem as the center of his theology. He began with the reality that a person is alienated from God, but that God seeks the individual out and entices him/her to a way in which community with God may be discovered again. Calvin argued sin has damaged human reason; that not only do…...

This meant that individuals were 'elected' for salvation by God, and this view of human salvation is called either the 'doctrine of the elect' or the doctrine of living saints' (www.wsu.edu/~dee/REFORM/CALVIN.HTM)."
John the Baptist was a prophet who "preached a message of repentance to the people of Jerusalem. He converted many, and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. He baptized Christ, after which he stepped away and told his disciples to follow Jesus (www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj02.htm)."

Islam

Three terms in Islam that should be explored are Quraysh, Hijra, and Saum. Quraysh is "the ancient Bedouin tribe near Mecca to which Muhammad belonged. At one time camel drivers and caravan guides, they became, after acquiring custody of the Kaaba, one of the most powerful tribes in central Arabia and the chief family of Mecca. They were at first bitter opponents of Muhammad but became his devoted followers when Muhammad retained the Kaaba, a…...

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Works Cited

Hijra. (accessed 25 May 2005). www.strath.ac.uk/Departments/SocialStudies/RE/Database/Glossaries).

John Calvin. (accessed 25 May 2005). www.wsu.edu/~dee/REFORM/CALVIN.HTM).

John the Baptist. (accessed 25 May 2005). www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj02.htm).

Samuel Holdheim. (accessed 25 May 2005). www.knowallabout.com).