John Calvin

This CD contains 5 books by John Calvin, including his monumental Institutes and his commentaries on the Bible.

Intended for use with PCs (Windows or Linux) and recent Macs (OS X), these books are organized for easy access. Individual books are in plain text format. You can open these books by clicking on the titles in this index page with your Web browser or a recent Windows-based word processor. In addition, the huge Calvin Commentaries files is also provided in Word (.doc) format, with internal links.

According to Wikipedia: "John Calvin (10 July 1509 Noyon – 27 May 1564) was an influential French theologian during the Protestant Reformation who expounded a system of reformed Christian theology later referred to as Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he experienced a sudden conversion and broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1520s. After a violent uprising against Protestants in France, he was forced to flee to Basel, Switzerland, where in 1536 he published the first edition of his seminal work, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Calvin was invited by William Farel to help reform the church in Geneva. However, the city council resisted implementing Calvin and Farel's ideas and consequently they were expelled. At the invitation of Martin Bucer, Calvin proceeded to Strasbourg, where he became the minister of a church of French refugees. There he met and married his wife, Idelette de Bure. Calvin continued to support the reform movement in Geneva and he was eventually invited back to lead its church. Upon his return, he introduced new forms of church government and liturgy. Several powerful families in the city opposed his reforms and tried to curb his authority. During this period, Michael Servetus, a Spaniard known for his heretical views, arrived in Geneva. He was denounced by Calvin and executed by the city council. Following new elections to the council, Calvin’s authority over the church was unquestioned. Calvin spent his final years promoting the Reformation both within Geneva and throughout Europe. He exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers and he counted several, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger, among his friends. The Augustinian tradition was a pivotal influence on his thought, leading him to expound the doctrine of predestination. In addition to the Institutes, he wrote commentaries on books of the Bible as well as treatises and confessional documents. His writing and preaching provided the seeds for the branch of theology that bears his name. Reformed churches that consider Calvin as their founder have been established throughout the world."

Table of Contents

• Commentaries, edited/translated by Joseph Haroutunian and Cyrus McCormick
• in Word (.doc) format, with internal links
• as a plain text file
• Commentaries on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony (AKA "Harmony of the Law"), translated by Charles Bingham
• volume 1
• volume 2
• volume 3
• volume 4
• Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated by Henry Beveridge   According to Wikipedia: " In March 1536, Calvin published the first edition of his Institutio Christianae Religionis or Institutes of the Christian Religion. The work was an apologia or defense of his faith and a statement of the doctrinal position of the reformers. He also intended it to serve as an elementary instruction book for anyone interested in the Christian religion. The book was the first expression of his theology and Calvin would later update and expand it, publishing new editions throughout his life.... In the preface to the final edition of his magnum opus, the Institutes, Calvin wrote that he intended the book to be used as a summary of his views on Christian theology and that it should be read in conjunction with his Biblical commentaries. In order to obtain a complete picture of Calvin's theology, one needs to examine his commentaries as well as his sermons and treatises, but it is the Institutes that gives the most concise expression of his thought."
• Of Prayer (excerpt from Institutes)
• On the Christian Life (excerpt from Institutes)