John Calvin

John Calvin (1509–1564) was a French theologian and pastor whose writings and ministry in Geneva helped shape Reformed Protestantism and the movement later called Calvinism.

Institutes of the Christian Religion: Calvin’s systematic exposition of Protestant theology, first published in 1536 and expanded throughout his life. This evolving work became the clearest and most influential statement of Calvin’s theology.
William Farel: A French Protestant reformer who helped establish the Reformation in Geneva. Farel persuaded Calvin to remain in Geneva and work alongside him in reforming the city.
Geneva: A Swiss city that became a major center of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. Calvin’s ministry there joined theological writing to civic and ecclesiastical reform.
Calvinism: A Protestant theological tradition derived substantially from Calvin’s writings and their later interpretation. The tradition’s name identifies the movement that grew from, but also extended beyond, Calvin’s own work.
Martin Luther: A German theologian whose challenge to indulgences helped launch the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s break with Roman authority preceded Calvin’s and helped establish the reforming context he inherited.
Theodore Beza: A French Reformed theologian who succeeded Calvin as a leading figure in Geneva. Beza carried Calvin’s theological and institutional legacy into the next generation.
Geneva Academy: A school founded in Geneva in 1559 to train Protestant ministers and scholars. The academy helped spread Reformed teaching by educating ministers for communities across Europe.
Synod of Dort: A Dutch Reformed assembly held from 1618 to 1619 that responded to disputes over predestination and grace. Its canons later became a prominent statement of doctrines associated with Calvinism.
Augustine of Hippo: A late-antique Christian theologian and bishop whose writings profoundly shaped Western Christianity. Calvin frequently drew on Augustine, especially in discussions of grace, sin, and salvation.
Michael Servetus: A Spanish theologian and physician executed in Geneva in 1553 for heresy. Servetus’s execution under Geneva’s authorities remains a stark case of religious coercion during Calvin’s leadership.

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