A Life Of John Calvin, A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture.

By Alister E. McGrath. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1990. 332 pp. $46.95. Paperback.

John Calvin is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented men in history. In some religious groups, it is almost a past-time and an article of faith to malign the theologian of Geneva. Calvin has been accused of drowning Anabaptists in their baptismal waters, decapitating a child for disobeying parents, having Servetus burned for heresy, being a dictator in Geneva, and inventing the doctrine of predestination. None of this, McGrath seeks to demonstrate, is true. McGrath dispels a multitude of false information regarding Calvin and endeavors to uncover the real Calvin in his actual setting. This book is a service to the church in this way. 

It is often said of those who essentially agree with Calvin’s theology that they are “following a man” and consequently they are given the expletive, “Calvinist.” McGrath presents Calvin as abhorring personality cults. Calvin, McGrath points out, requested that he be buried in a common grave and that no monuments be erected. Little is know of his childhood or of his education. Calvin was notoriously private and what little he did write regarding himself left many questions. McGrath posits that even the term Calvinist was surprising to Calvin. In fact, this designation was given to Reformed believers by many Lutherans in an effort to slow down the spread of the Reformed Faith in Germany. McGrath rightly points out that Calvin was not the first to believe such doctrines. The Hussites and the Huguenots were pre-Calvin. Calvin was heir, McGrath writes, to this teaching. Calvin was able to arrange it well and utilize avenues at his disposal to propel the Reformed Faith into an international movement. 

McGrath’s use of Genevan records is compelling. Much of the inaccurate information about Calvin and his role in Geneva has been cleared due to McGrath’s collating the activities of the City Council. McGrath’s fairness is commendable. It is clear that he holds Calvin in high regard and yet he points out that Calvin was probably not ordained by a religious organization but by the city council. He notes that Calvin was a simple civil servant and was often outranked by the council. He further discusses the weakness of Calvinism to degrade into the secular. On the other hand, McGrath makes a special effort to show Calvin’s many contributions. He especially endeavors to dispel the accusation that Calvinism is devoid of Culture and deplores art. 

McGrath’s constant comparison of Calvin and his accomplishments with those of Karl Marx is unsettling. To point out one or more similarities is insightful but a constant comparison would not be a compliment to Calvin and to potentially imply a real similarity between the two that does not exist. The purpose behind so many comparisons was left ambiguous in the book.

Another misconception that McGrath corrects is that “Calvinism” does not mix with a missionary zeal. This is clearly not the case. For example, as soon as Calvin was able to launch a missionary endeavor to France he did so. In fact, the Reformed Faith proved quite capable of international influence contrary to other expressions of Evangelical faith that were more or less local in influence. Calvin’s theology has shown adaptability to differing cultures. It is remarkably versatile and resilient under hardship. It also offered a viable option for socio-economic and governmental concerns for city-states that wanted to embrace the Reformation. The Radical Reformers offered little more than anarchy to those who wanted to leave the fold of Rome. The pattern that was being made at Geneva was showing the way for others and Calvin was giving them the religious expression to guide them. 

McGrath’s A Life of John Calvin should be read by every student of Western Civilization and every Christian Minister. John Calvin continues to be a fruitful study to all who love to sit at the feet of the truly great, though, as McGrath notes, Calvin never considered himself to be great but only a humble scholar.        

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott 

The Unquenchable Flame, Discovering The Heart Of The Reformation, Michael Reeves

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.

   The Unquenchable Flame is a thrilling 198-page account of one of the most pivotal events in the history of man, the Protestant Reformation. Author and theologian Michael Reeves is a master storyteller. Even if you are not very familiar with the specifics of the Reformation or the key people involved, you will be able to follow Reeves as he unfolds one amazing event after another. Who needs a novel when history is this exciting!

   In this account, Reeves has intentionally made the material accessible to the popular audience. You will learn about Martin Luther, the medieval, German, Roman Catholic monk who through studying the Bible came to believe that a person is justified before God by faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You will learn about how this discovery set in motion a movement of God the world had not witnessed since the early church. You will also learn how important these truths are for today. 

   Not only does this short book give the fascinating tale of days gone by, but it also carries a critical message for today. Dare we boast about the state of churches today? It would not be wise. Much understanding about how to restore churches to faithfulness to God's Word can be found in how these men lead the churches of their day. Of these men Reeves writes, "...The Reformers were not after progress but regress: they were never mesmerized by novelty as we are, nor impatient of what was old, just because it was old; instead, their intent was to unearth original, old Christianity, a Christianity that had not been buried under centuries of human tradition." 

   Churches should purchase this book by the case! Churches should draw strength from those faithful to the Word in days long past. These men met the challenges to the gospel in their day with a thoroughly biblical response. From their example and teaching churches might well do the same. Currently, B&H Academic is giving a free copy of this book to everyone who signs up to receive their blog! Take advantage of this generous offer. You may also purchase the paperback from their site as well at the link provided above. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

Culture Counts, Faith, and Feeling in a World Besieged, Roger Scruton

    "Roger Scruton has written an aggressive, provocative, and persuasive counterattack against the nihilism of modern intellectuals who would repudiate the high culture of America and the West," writes Robert H. Bork.

    What is culture? There is abundant discussion these days about "respecting the culture of others." This mantra is especially used in Western nations today thanks to the multicultural movement. This is often quoted as if the West does not already have a brilliant and vibrant culture. Sadly, a large portion of this discussion is quite shallow and politically motivated. Scruton brings simplicity and clarity to understanding the nature and role of culture and why Western Culture, specifically, is worth every effort to learn and treasure. 

    Roger Scruton has written some forty books challenging the corrosive philosophy of Liberalism. Scruton in winsome and simple ways demonstrates the richness and value of learning and transmitting the essential components of Western Culture. In chapter one he answers the difficult question of what exactly is culture. Scruton writes, "...It is very hard to set spatial or temporal boundaries on Western civilization. It grew from the fusion of Christianity with the law and government of Rome, became conscious of itself in the high Middle Ages, passed through a period of skepticism and Enlightenment, and was simultaneously spread around the globe by trading and colonial interests of its more adventurous members. And throughout its most flourishing periods, Western civilization has produced a culture that happily absorbs and adapts the cultures of other places, other faiths, and other times. Its basic fund of stories, its moral precepts, and religious imagery come from the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament. On those Judeo-Christian roots, however, has been grafted a tree of many branches, bearing many kinds of fruit."

   Scruton's excellent discussion of the role of Leisure, Cult, and Culture in chapter two is nothing short of brilliant. It is both simple and transformational. Honestly, many a church, denomination and preacher might be encouraged and helped by this lucid discussion of a topic we tend to either get wrong or ignore. Each little chapter is filled with a banquet of thought. Topics such as "Knowledge and Feeling," "The Uses of Criticism," "Teaching Culture," "Culture Wars," and "Rays of Hope" are surprisingly thorough and reachable by all. Culture Counts is a small book that will hopefully be accessible to a wide audience. It is my hope that Roger Scruton's writings and speeches will find their way into your diet of excellent literature. 

Post tenebras lux,
Scott