Calvinism

Calvinism is a Protestant theological tradition that emphasizes God's sovereignty, the authority of Scripture, and salvation by grace. Its teachings include unconditional election and developed through the Reformed churches.

Five points of Calvinism: A five-part summary of Calvinist teachings on salvation, commonly abbreviated TULIP. This mnemonic organizes Calvinism’s most discussed claims about salvation.
John Calvin: A French theologian and Protestant reformer whose writings shaped Reformed Christianity. His theological works gave the tradition its enduring name and major formulations.
Arminianism: A Protestant theological tradition that holds that divine grace enables human response and that election is conditional. Its disagreements with Calvinism shaped the Synod of Dort and later debates over election.
Presbyterianism: A Protestant church tradition governed by elected elders and historically shaped by Reformed theology. Presbyterian churches became one of Calvinism’s most prominent institutional expressions.
Unconditional election: The doctrine that God chooses those who will be saved without basing that choice on their foreseen merits or faith. It expresses Calvinism’s distinctive account of why some people are saved.
Institutes of the Christian Religion: John Calvin's systematic exposition of Protestant theology, first published in 1536 and repeatedly expanded. This work presents Calvin’s mature account of doctrine, worship, and Christian life.
Lutheranism: A Protestant tradition rooted in Martin Luther's teaching, emphasizing justification by faith and the authority of Scripture. It shares Reformation roots with Calvinism but differs on several doctrines and church practices.
Puritanism: A movement within English Protestantism that sought further reform of the Church of England. Many Puritans drew on Calvinist theology in shaping preaching, piety, and church reform.
Total depravity: The doctrine that sin affects every part of human nature and leaves people unable to turn to God unaided. It explains why Calvinism denies that people can initiate their own salvation.
Synod of Dort: A Dutch Reformed assembly held from 1618 to 1619 that rejected Arminian teachings and formulated canons on salvation. Its canons became a defining statement of the five points later associated with Calvinism.

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