John Calvin

Life

Calvin was born on July 10, 1509, in Noyon, in the Picardy region of northern France, the second son of Gérard Cauvin. His birth name was Jehan Cauvin. He initially studied theology. Later, at his father's urging, he studied law at Orléans, where he also gained training in humanist scholarship. In the early 1530s he left the Roman Catholic Church and embraced the Protestant faith. As the persecution of Protestants in France intensified, he fled to Basel, Switzerland, where in 1536 he published the first edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion.

That same year, while passing through Geneva, Calvin was urged by the local Reformer William Farel to stay, and he remained to take part in the city's reform. In 1538, however, he was expelled from Geneva. He then lived in Strasbourg until 1541, and during this period he married Idelette de Bure. In 1541 he returned to Geneva at the city's invitation and ministered there until his death on May 27, 1564.

Ministry and Achievements

• Institutes of the Christian Religion: Calvin dedicated the first edition of 1536 to King Francis I of France and revised the work several times, publishing the final edition in 1559. It is regarded as a systematic presentation of Reformation thought, including the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and predestination.
• Reform of the Church in Geneva: Calvin oversaw the Consistory, a body for church discipline—that is, for maintaining order in the church—in which ministers and elders together watched over the faith and conduct of church members. He also founded the Geneva Academy.
• Preaching and Writing: He left commentaries and sermons on many books of the Bible. He also worked to promote metrical psalm singing by the whole congregation.

Influence on the Korean Church

Korean Presbyterianism regards Calvin as its theological root. Many Presbyterian denominations identify themselves with Reformed theology and Calvinism. The session system, in which ministers and elders govern the church together, also derives from this tradition. In the Korean church, English-style renderings of his name, such as Kalbin, Jon Kalbin (John Calvin), and Yohan Kalbin, are widely used.

In 2009, the 500th anniversary of his birth, the Korea Presbyterian Theological Society, the Korea Calvin Society, and the Korean Reformed Theological Society jointly formed a commemoration committee and held commemorative events in June. On July 10, Calvin's birthday, a Korean edition of Calvin's Psalter was published.

Assessment

Calvin is regarded as a Reformer who established the framework of Protestant theology, and his thought profoundly influenced Protestantism in Europe and North America. He has also drawn criticism, however. In 1553 Michael Servetus, who rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, was executed in Geneva, and Calvin's involvement in the affair has led to charges that he lacked religious tolerance. Calvin's defenders point to the historical context, noting that the punishment of heretics was common in sixteenth-century Europe.

Views also diverge on doctrine. Denominations in the Wesleyan and Arminian traditions, such as the Methodist, Holiness, and Full Gospel churches, do not accept Calvin's understanding of predestination; they place greater emphasis on human response and free will. In Korea, during the 500th anniversary in 2009, some voices called for reflection and church renewal rather than commemorative events, and forums were held to examine problems in the offices of minister and elder.