Today marks the 500th birthday of John Calvin, one of the most influential theologians in the history of the Church. Whether you agree with his theological conclusions or not, there is no denying his influence.
It is frustrating how many people claim to vehemently disagree with Calvin who have never read a single word of his writings in context. Of all the classical commentaries I have read, his are, by far, the most exegetically and spiritually profitable. His Institutes is still one of the finest systematic theologies ever written.
While none of his works are inspired or infallible, they do serve the purpose of all good biblical writing—they spur theological thinking and discourse. When commenting on the Great Books series that he edited, Mortimer J. Adler referred to the “great conversation” spurred by those works, including Calvin’s Institutes. There is no mistaking that Calvin’s works have spurred a great theological conversation for nearly half a millennia. May the conversation continue, and may God continue to be glorified in it. Happy birthday, John Calvin.
It is frustrating how many people claim to vehemently disagree with Calvin who have never read a single word of his writings in context. Of all the classical commentaries I have read, his are, by far, the most exegetically and spiritually profitable. His Institutes is still one of the finest systematic theologies ever written.
While none of his works are inspired or infallible, they do serve the purpose of all good biblical writing—they spur theological thinking and discourse. When commenting on the Great Books series that he edited, Mortimer J. Adler referred to the “great conversation” spurred by those works, including Calvin’s Institutes. There is no mistaking that Calvin’s works have spurred a great theological conversation for nearly half a millennia. May the conversation continue, and may God continue to be glorified in it. Happy birthday, John Calvin.
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