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John Calvin (July 10, 1509 - May 27, 1564) founded Calvinism, a form of Protestant Christianity, during the Protestant Reformation. He was born Jean Chauvin in Noyon, Picardie, France; French was his mother tongue. Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses, in 1517, when Calvin was 8.
Calvin's father, an attorney, sent him to the University of Paris to study humanities and law. By 1532, he was a Doctor of Law at Orléans. His first published work was an edition of the Roman philosopher Seneca De clementia, accompanied by a thorough commentary.
In 1536, he settled in Geneva, halted in the path of an intended journey to Basel by the personal persuasion of the reformer William Farel. He would live there for almost a half of his life until his death in 1564.
Writings by Calvin
Calvin also published many volumes of commentaries on the Bible. In fact, the only books of the Bible on which he did not write commentaries were 2 and 3 John and Revelation.
Calvinism
As much as his practice in Geneva, his publications spread his ideas of a correctly reformed church to many parts of Europe. Calvinism became the theological system of the majority in Scotland, the Netherlands, and parts of Germany and was influential in France, Hungary (especially in Transylvania) and Poland. Most settlers in the American Mid-Atlantic and New England were Calvinists as well, including the Puritans and Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (New York). South Africa was founded by mostly Dutch Calvinist settlers beginning in the 17th century, who became known as Boers or Afrikaners. Sierra Leone was largely colonised by Calvinist settlers from Nova Scotia. John Marrant had organised a congregation there under the auspices of the Huntingdon Connection. The settlers were largely Black Loyalists, African Americans who had fought for the British during the American War of Independence. Some of the largest Calvinist denominations were started to 19th and 20th century missionaries; especially large are those in Korea and Nigeria.
Usury and Capitalism
One school of thought about Calvinism long has been that it represented a revolt against the medieval condemnation of usury, and implicitly profit, helping to set the stage for the development of capitalism in northern Europe. Such a connection was advanced in influential works by R.H. Tawney and by Max Weber.
Calvin expressed himself on usury in a letter to a friend, Oekolampadius. In this letter, he criticized the use of certain passages of scripture invoked by people opposed to the charging of interest -- he re-interpreted some of these passages, and suggested that others of them had been rendered irrelevant by changed conditions.
He also dismissed the argument (based upon the writings of Aristotle) that it is wrong to charge interest for money because money itself is barren. He said that the walls and the roof of a house are barren, too, but it is permissible to charge someone for allowing him to use them. In the same way, money can be made fruitful.
He also said, though, that money should be lent to people in dire need without hope of interest.
Reformed Geneva
John Calvin had been travelling to Strasbourg during the time of the Ottoman wars and passed through the cantons of Switzerland. Whilst in Geneva William Farel asked Calvin to help him with the cause of the church. Calvin wrote of Farel's request "I felt as if God from heaven had laid his mighty hand upon me to stop me in my course". After eighteen months, Calvin and Farel's changes caused both to leave the city.
For three years Calvin worked in Strasbourg at a church of French Huguenots. Calvin was invited back some time later and reorganized the structure of Geneva along Biblical lines such as ministers, teachers, elders and deacons. In 1559 Calvin founded a school for training children as well as a hospital for the indigent.
Calvin's health began to fail when he suffered migraines, lung hemorrhages, gout and kidney stones. At times, he was carried to the pulpit. Calvin also had his detractors. He was threatened and abused. Calvin would spend his private moments on Lake Geneva and read scripture while drinking red wine. Towards the end Calvin said to his friends who were worried about his daily regimen of work, "What! Would you have the Lord find me idle when He comes?"
John Calvin died in Geneva on May 27, 1564. He was buried in the Cimetière des Rois under a tombstone (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pis&GRid=9979&PIgrid=9979&PIcrid=639472&PIpi=89752&pt=John+Calvin&) marked simply with the initials "J.C."
Trivia
Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, a comic character created by Bill Watterson, was named after John Calvin.
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