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2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564

The Formation of John Calvin

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 2

Overview

Recall questions on Calvin's birth, legal training, conversion and the humanist and Lutheran influences on his thinking.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

When did Calvin experience his conversion to Protestantism, and how did he describe it?

Key term

What was the central emphasis of Calvin's theology regarding God's role in the world?

Key term

What other major written works did Calvin produce besides the Institutes?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Where and when was John Calvin born, and what career was he initially trained for?

    Model answer

    Calvin was born in Noyon, France in 1509 and was initially trained for a career in the Catholic Church before studying law at his father's insistence.

  2. 2

    When did Calvin experience his conversion to Protestantism, and how did he describe it?

    Model answer

    Calvin experienced a sudden conversion around 1533-1534, which he described as God subduing his heart to teachableness.

  3. 3

    How did Calvin's humanist education influence his theological work?

    Model answer

    His study of classical languages and texts shaped his approach to biblical interpretation and systematic theology, enabling rigorous textual analysis.

  4. 4

    Which of Luther's theological ideas particularly influenced Calvin, and how did Calvin respond to this influence?

    Model answer

    Calvin was influenced by Luther's writings on justification by faith alone, though he developed his own distinctive theological emphases.

  5. 5

    Define Calvin's doctrine of predestination.

    Model answer

    The doctrine held that God had eternally decreed the salvation of the elect and the damnation of the reprobate, with no human action able to alter this.

  6. 6

    How did Calvin's treatment of double predestination differ from Luther's approach?

    Model answer

    Calvin developed the doctrine of double predestination more systematically than Luther, making it a central feature of his theological system rather than a peripheral concern.

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