Customer Reviews

Institutes of the Christian Religion

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John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion is a classic. And the two most frequently suggested English translations seem to be the older Henry Beveridge translation and the newer John McNeill and Ford Lewis Battles translation. But it's hard for a layperson like me to know which English translation is "best." So for what it's worth, if anything, I thought the following quotations from Christian scholars might be helpful to some people:

1. Here's what Reformed Christian scholar and theological philosopher Paul Helm (who himself has studied and contributed several works on John Calvin) says:

"Incidentally, if you have the need of a translation of the Institutes, then the reissue of the Beveridge translation (newly published by Hendrickson) may be just the thing. It has new indexes, and has been 'gently edited', which means, I hope, only the removal of typos and other detritus. (I have not yet had the chance to check). Beveridge is superior to Battles in sticking closer to the original Latin, and having less intrusive editorial paraphernalia."

2. Here's another Calvin scholar, Richard A. Muller, on the two translations (from the preface of The Unaccommodated Calvin):

"I have also consulted the older translations of the Institutes, namely those of Norton, Allen and Beveridge, in view of both the accuracy of those translation and the relationship in which they stand to the older or 'precritical' text tradition of Calvin's original. Both in its apparatus and in its editorial approach to the text, the McNeill-Battles translation suffers from the mentality of the text-critic who hides the original ambience of the text even as he attempts to reveal all its secrets to the modern reader."

3. The following is from J.I. Packer in the foreword to A Theological Guide to Calvin's Institutes:

"No English translation fully matches Calvin's Latin; that of the Elizabethan, Thomas Norton, perhaps gets closest; Beveridge gives us Calvin's feistiness but not always his precision; Battles gives us the precision but not always the punchiness, and fleetness of foot; Allen is smooth and clear, but low-key."

4. Finally, the following is from David Calhoun:

"Let me just say a few words about English translations. The first was Thomas Norton back in the sixteenth century. Calvin was very fortunate with his first English translator. Norton did an exceptionally good job. Very soon after the completion of the Institutes in 1559, which was written in Latin, it was translated by Calvin into French and then quite soon into English. John Allen was the second translator. John Allen and Henry Beveridge were both nineteenth-century translators. The Beveridge translation is still in print. It was until fairly recently anyway. Those are not bad but not very good either. Ford Lewis Battles' 1960 translation is the one that we are using. Even though it has been criticized some, it is by far the most superior translation that we have at present."

Once again, I hope this might be helpful to some people.

The recent reissue of Beveridge's 19th century translation of Calvin's Institutes is a very nice complement to the more comprehensive scholarly edition by McNeil (translated by Battles). If you are trying to decide between the Battles and the Beveridge translation here are a few things to consider.

1. The Battles has extensive editing, which includes a thorough cross-referencing of the pertinent quotations that Calvin refers to, as well as the pertinent Biblical texts and intertextual references. McNeil is a quality editor, but as with any editing, the view of the editor is never without a measure of bias. If you are looking to get a fresh interpretation of Calvin, you try reading the Beveridge first, or skip over the footnotes in the Battles.

2. The Beveridge provides alternative readings based upon the French edition of the Institutes. I've found this aspect to be quite interesting. Calvin's style in French tends to be a bit more expansive and colorful than his Latin.

3. The Beveridge has the benefit of being a one-volume hardback, as opposed to the two-volume hardback of the Battles. The one-volume has a bit more heft to carry around, but you always have the complete work with you if you are out and about.

4. The subject headings are different in the two editions. The Beveridge provides a full sentence overview outline at the beginning of each chapter division, whereas the Battles provides subheadings for each minor section. There are pros and cons to each approach, of course.

Whatever edition you decide to get, you will not be disappointed. Calvin's Institutes is a masterpiece of Western literature, and one of the most important works of the Christian Church of all time.

I don't own this edition. I have the Library of Christian Classics (2 Volume Set) edition of the Institutes. At St. John's College, however, I've encountered many of my fellow students who have purchased this edition because of its price and quality at first glance. I admit that the price is amazing for such a large volume, but the editing is poor. The first printing of this edition has a glaring typo on the binding: the INSTITIUTES of the Christian Religion. Yikes. There are also several grammatical flaws in the translation. If you just want to cheaply plow through Calvin, you're fine with this. But if you appreciate fine quality books, go for the Library of Christian Classics one (twice as expensive), or get the paperback edition.

John Calvin died at the age of 54 and what a legacy he left behind- the whole commentary on the Bible, many theological disputations, confessions and catechisms. He was perhaps the finest expositor of the Bible who ever lived and The Institutes are a deep analysis of the Christian life. For those who tire of the fluff found in most contemporary Christian bookstores- I would invite you to buy this edition and read the chapters on election and providence for starters. His chapters on prayer are also remarkable and practical.

"He is moderately difficult but unsurpassable," were the words of the late, Dr. Edwin H. Palmer, of the NIV Bible fame.

Calvin wrote The Institutes for those who wanted to better understand the richness of the Bible and how to live it. It is no dry theological treatise. In a sense it is his own spiritual journey on paper. It is a manual for Christian living. He was a genius and careful scholar. I am glad he was a friend and not a foe. His logic and skills made him a terror to his enemies (wrote Dr. Loraine Boettner).

This book is solidly bound, has nice sized type and is affordable. The language has been updated slightly and it is well worth the price. The Battles's translation is THE set to buy but this book is such a fine price- it is worth getting to start off with.

It is also far and away the finest defense and explanation of the Reformation ever to have been penned and has a warm devotional feel woven all the way through it. Calvin knew the Bible as few ever have and it is a profound book worth serious study.

John Calvin is easily the greatest christian mind who has ever lived on the face of the earth. Firstly, his ability to exegete Holy Scripture is unparalled and his ability to systematize all the important doctrines is staggering, all the more so seeing as how he lived during an age with no computers and the even worse, ball point pens.

If you want the most literal translation which is available for purchase get the Beveridge volume (the most literal translation of the original latin is the Norton version, which you cannot purchase except on logos bible software). I've begun to read some of Calvin in the original, and I can testify that this translation is a lot closer to the original than Battle's (although Battle does get commendation for a translation that is easier to read for the modern reader). But if beauty and literalness (if that's a word) is what you desire, get this Beveridge edition, you will not regret it. (Plus, it's in a one packed volume, which makes is easier to carry than the Battle's two).

I'll let others weigh in on the (sometimes) controversial content of The Institutes, but this review is more about the quality of the book itself.

I am very impressed with the quality of the cover, spine, typeface, and size of this book, especially for the price. This book is almost textbook quality.

My only gripes are with the paper used for the pages and with the translation. The paper is fair quality, and seems to take a highlighter well without bleeding, but I still wish the pages were more textbook-y to match the quality of the cover and spine. The translation is a mid-19th century translation that has been hailed as accurate, but is now a bit stiff and stilted. I fully understand the price would be at least 3x if a translation was used that is not in the public domain, but it is still a negative.

This price vs quality cannot be beat for the full version of the Institutes. The quality of the paper is the only reason I went 4 stars instead of 5. This is a good buy!

After reviewing several Kindle editions of John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion," this is my favorite. It uses Direct Verse Jump, which means all cited Bible verses are linked to the King James Bible (included in the download). It includes prefaces to different editions, Calvin's "One Hundred Aphorisms," notes, and indexes. The translation was by Henry Beveridge (1845).

I had a very negative view of Calvin before actually reading him. I saw him as cold, forbidding, nasty, etc. Now that I have read him, I know that he was brilliant, devout, easier to read than I imagined, and has more to say in one page than most writers have to say in entire volumes. As a commentator on the scriptures, he is unsurpassed in his integrity. He doesn't ignore any problem, has no agenda except to get at the truth of a passage, and gives attention to all serious objections. Reading him, you quickly sense that here is a theologian who will not lead you where he wants you to go, but will lead you to where the scriptures say to go. The sum of his theology is a magnificent view of life and existence that is majestic and is a perfect summary of the Bible.
Calvin isn't cold; he's actually passionately devout.
He isn't forbidding; he's far easier to read than you might think. Anyone with average intelligence can make their way through this book (and it will be worth it to do so).
He isn't nasty; he was a very holy man and his love for God and the church comes through on every page of this book.
I love Luther and used to think that he was the greatest theologian. I enjoy his explosive personality, wit, and sarcasm. Reading him is like reading a brilliant friend who can always be counted on to say something memorable, insightful, and profound. But I now think that Calvin was greater than Luther. While Calvin lacked Luther's very vigorous personality, Calvin's cool head and even temperament produced an intellectual tour de force with this book. Nothing written in the last three hundred years can come close to this book. Really, if you only read this one book of theology, you would need no other. It says it all.

When it comes to Kindle books, OSNOVA is without a doubt one of the best producers of high quality Kindle books. Their version of Henry Beveridge's classic translation of John Calvin's Institutes carries on their well earned reputation. As always, the content is formatted beautifully and the navigation is top notch with a wonderful Table of Contents, full indexing, and the ability to jump between chapters with a single click on the 5-way controller. But what's even better is that this version has the entire KJV (complete with the apocrypha!) linked with Calvin's text, allowing you to look directly at the verses in context with a single click. But besides this, you can also at any time, jump to any section of the Institutes or any given Bible chapter and verse by using the special coding scheme. For example, if you wanted to jump to Book Three, Chapter 2, section 33, you'd simply start typing 3.2.22, hit return, verify the section, and you're there. You can do a similar trick for any given chapter and verse of the Bible. All in all, it's easily the best version of the Institutes available for the Kindle, and if you're cheap, it can double as your KJV Kindle Bible.

BTW: If you have trouble getting through this massive classic, Google for "A year through John Calvin's Institutes" for an excellent 1 year reading plan.

John Calvin's Institutes are very easy to understand. This enormous systematic theology of course hits on a wide variety of issues.