Calvin's Institutes

John Calvin - you either love him or you hate him right?

I mean 'Calvinism' is either synonymous with the orthodox faith or the most serious danger to that faith. Depends on your theological stable.

To call someone a Calvinist could either be an insult or a acclamation. In some ways the word Calvinist divides Christians like none other.

Here's the irony. We've never read any of Calvin's writings. If you know anything about Calvinism it's probably associated to the acronym TULIP which stands for:

• Total depravity
• Unconditional election
• Limited atonement
• Irresistible grace
• Perseverance of the saints

While people argue about the usefulness of these phrases, what is never in doubt is that John Calvin did not invent the acronym. Firstly, he wrote in Latin and French and acronyms don't translate (tulipa or tulipe). Much more importantly, these phrases were actually coined in the 1800's by people trying to DISCREDIT the teaching they affirm. (http://proofofgrace.com/who-invented-the-tulip/)

John Calvin may or may not stand by this acronym - but I'm sure he wouldn't want to be known by it! 

Calvin preached through most of the books of the Bible - we have 22 commentaries to prove it. His best known writing is a book called 'Institutes of the Christian Religion'. And his goal with this book, at least initially, was to provide an introduction to his commentaries.  In 'Institutes' you get John Calvin defining his faith for the authorities and for the preachers he was training.

I wonder: what would Calvin define as Calvinism?  What can we learn from a man who so painfully divides the 21st Century church?  Can we save the man from his reputation?

I'm reading & tweeting my way through the 4 books and 80 chapters of Institutes this summer - trying to answer some of these questions.

I'm hoping it won't lead to more disunity - and I think Calvin would hope so too:

"For the Lord esteems the communion of his church so highly that he counts as a traitor and apostate from Christianity anyone who arrogantly leaves any Christian society, provided it cherishes the true ministry of Word and sacraments." Inst. IV.1.10