by Lewis Loflin
The influence of John Calvin (1509 - 1564) and his form of Protestantism, known as Calvinism, extends into modern times. Calvinism emphasized thrift, industry, and hard work as moral virtues and viewed material success as a sign of God's grace. These ideas contributed to a climate favorable to commerce and the development of modern capitalism.
Calvin shared Luther's criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church and agreed with key ideas such as justification by faith alone rather than works, rooted in Augustinian theology. Calvin also adhered to Sola Scriptura, the principle that Christian teachings should be based on Scripture alone, encompassing both Old and New Testaments.
Calvin, alongside the advent of the printing press, encouraged widespread literacy. Protestantism, including Calvinism, introduced new theological perspectives that challenged both Catholic and Protestant authorities.
The Lutheran and Anglican Churches became national institutions closely aligned with the governments of German states and England, respectively. Lutheranism predominated in Germany and Scandinavia with limited spread elsewhere, while Calvinism had minimal impact in those regions. Calvinism took hold primarily in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Geneva served as a central hub for Calvinism, often likened to a "Rome" for the movement, where reformers trained and then spread the faith across Europe. Calvin established a theocracy in Geneva, integrating religious leadership into governance. One notable figure influenced by Calvin was the Scotsman John Knox (1514-1572).
Scotland during this period retained a strong Catholic presence, including a Catholic queen, Mary, Queen of Scots. Knox’s conflicts with Protestant Elizabeth I of England, partly due to his opposition to female rulers expressed in his 1558 work Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, led to his banishment from England. He then returned to Scotland.
Knox found support in Scotland amid rising anti-French and anti-Catholic sentiment, establishing Presbyterianism there. Meanwhile, tensions emerged in England between Calvinists, known as Puritans, and the Church of England and the monarchy.
A historical observation notes: Calvinists refused to recognize the subordination of church to state, or the right of any government—king, parliament, or civic magistracy—to lay down laws for religion. On the contrary, they insisted that true Christians, the elect or godly, should Christianize the state. They wished to remake society itself into the image of a religious community. This perspective within English Protestantism later influenced developments in America, where Calvinists formed the Congregational Churches of New England, the Presbyterians, and some Dutch Reformed groups.
Elements of Calvinist democratic thought appeared in America, though often without the accompanying theology. To unite the 13 Colonies against the English Crown, religious conflicts were set aside. At that time, Episcopalian (Anglican) and Calvinist churches were predominant, while Baptists and Methodists, though small, grew significantly later on the American frontier.
The "Wall of Separation" concept in Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association aimed to ensure religious freedom, not to exclude religion from public life. Calvin’s ideas contributed to democratic principles, though his Geneva model was a theocracy, which some Calvinists opposed. America adopted a democracy focused on rejecting centralized authority, including kings and religious rulers.
From Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000:
By the early 17th century, Calvinism had been adopted by Protestant groups in many lands. The Synod of Dort (1618-19) in Holland fixed this form of belief as Dutch orthodoxy. French Calvinists founded the Huguenot movement, which was suppressed by the Roman Catholic church. In England, Puritanism developed and briefly achieved ascendancy during the period when the monarchy was suspended under Oliver Cromwell. The Westminster Confession (1646) represents the systematic expression of Puritan theology.
It was adopted by the Church of Scotland in 1648 and has become the basic creed of Presbyterian groups in Britain and throughout the world. Many English Puritans, dissatisfied with the policies of the Church of England, immigrated to America during the colonial period. Settling in New England, they contributed greatly to shaping the religious character of the United States, especially through the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and other leaders during the Great Awakening.
The ongoing debate between secular perspectives and religious groups in America reflects tensions that can be traced to Calvin’s influence. The American Revolution drew on Calvinist ideas of governance while also reacting against aspects of his system.
Calvin’s legacy offers insight into shifts within Christianity over recent centuries. While many modern fundamentalists reject Calvinist theology, some appear to favor a societal structure reminiscent of his theocratic model, emphasizing a concept of the "elect" guiding society—a possibility open to interpretation. Most Evangelicals and Charismatics align with Arminian theology instead. Calvin produced extensive Biblical commentaries, drawing heavily from St. Augustine. A modern offshoot, Christian Reconstructionism, emerged among some Evangelicals, claiming roots in Reformed traditions. Calvin focused on intellectual theology rather than end-times speculation.
American democracy broadened access to religious interpretation through Sola Scriptura, reducing centralized church authority. This led to diverse beliefs, including Deism and Unitarianism, which gained traction among some upper classes, while others sought a more personal connection to faith.
Calvinist theology is expressed through the acronym TULIP:
These doctrines echo the theology of St. Augustine, a 4th-century Catholic thinker influential to both Luther and Calvin. In Calvin’s framework, Christ’s role in salvation is central, though God’s sovereign will takes precedence over human effort, raising questions about the role of moral conduct.
A historical note states: "His most important work involved the organization of church governance and the social organization of the church and the city... to model social organization entirely on biblical principles... the incorporation of the church into city government... so that clergy would be involved in municipal decisions, particularly in disciplining the populace... he himself developed a catechism designed to impose doctrine on all the members of the church."
This reflects Augustine’s City of God: Christians could not reject their city entirely, but must bend it to fit a Christian pattern. The city... must be based upon Christian principles. (His) Warfare, economic activity, education, and the rearing of children should all be conducted in a Christian spirit.
Although the City of Man was ever evil, imperfect, and of no consequence in comparison to the City of God, it was not about to disappear and be replaced by the Kingdom of God on earth... the state must employ repression and punishment to restrain people, who were inherently sinful, from destroying each other and the few good men and women that God had elected to save from hell...
Jacob Arminius, a contemporary critic, argued humans retain the ability to choose good or evil, rejecting predestination. His Arminianism became a milder alternative to Calvinism and influenced American Protestantism.
Many American Protestant fundamentalists follow Arminianism or its variants. As noted by a visitor to this webpage, figures like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell align with Arminian theology, and many fundamentalists are unfamiliar with Calvin. They often accept Augustine’s Original Sin, Luther’s "faith alone," and elements of Calvin’s governance model.
A notable event linked to Calvin was the execution of Michael Servetus for heresy, overseen by Calvin in Geneva.
Servetus’ ideas influenced later groups like the Socinians, who impacted Unitarians, Deists, and John Locke. These movements rejected the Trinity and Augustine’s Original Sin, emphasizing human will and choice in salvation. Calvin’s governance concepts, reshaped by Locke and the Enlightenment, contributed to the U.S. Bill of Rights and Constitution.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own.
