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Institutes of the Christian Religion (Two Volumes in One) [Paperback]

John Calvin , Henry Beveridge
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)

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Book Description

2001
Here in a convenient one-volume edition is John Calvin's magnum opus. Written as an introduction to the Christian life, the Institutes remains the best articulation of Reformation principles and is a marvelous introduction to biblical Christianity.

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Institutes of the Christian Religion (Two Volumes in One) + Martin Luther : Selections From His Writings
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Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin

About the Author

John Calvin (1509-1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. In Geneva he rejected the authority of the Pope, established a new scheme of civic and church governance, and created a central hub from which Reformed theology was propagated. He is renowned for his teachings and writings. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 1310 pages
  • Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0802881661
  • ISBN-13: 978-0802881663
  • Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 2.2 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
84 of 85 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly produced for the Kindle August 18, 2009
Format:Kindle Edition
I bought this version of "Institutes" from Samizdat Express because it was only 99 cents, but it turned out to be a waste of 99 cents and a frustrating experience as well because this was not made for the Kindle which results in a poor and frustrating reading experience. (I admit I am starting to have a pet peeve against publishers who seemingly slap up thousands of works they have copied from the internet into the Kindle Store without putting any effort into formatting them correctly for the Kindle reader). Here are my complaints:
- The "active table of contents" really isn't. When you select "menu" on your Kindle, the "Table Of Contents" option is greyed out which prevents you from going back to the Table of Contents from wherever you are in the text. In a massive work like the "Institutes" with 4 books and dozens of chapters, this is a BIG deal.
- Calvin uses Greek text in "Institutes", but that is not displayed here. For some that may be important, but for others it may not be.
- Calvin has literally hundreds of footnotes in "Institutes" but they are not linked within the text. I.e. one can not click on a footnote within the text and go to that note. Other books do this which is one of the advantages of reading such a book on an e-reader (like the Kindle!)

So after that experience, I shelled out a few dollars more for the Signalman Publishing version and the version from Christian Classics. Both were professionally well done for the Kindle, thus I recommend one of those versions instead.

By the way, this is the Beveridge translation which, in my opinion, is much better than the Battles-McNeill translation since the language is truer to Calvin's original (and better reflects Calvin's hard hitting style, in my opinion).
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105 of 109 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars On the translations October 13, 2008
By pbrane
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
... Read more ›
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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This Translation is Often Overlooked September 17, 2005
Format:Paperback
Unfortunately this translation of Calvin's 'Institutes' is often overlooked due to the more popular translation from Battles. However, this is an excellent translation of Calvin's most famous work and given its age (first published in 1845), it is surprisingly modern - due in part to this very edition which has been 'tweaked' into a more modern verbiage.

This 'tweaking' in no way has diminished, however, the wonderful job Beverage did in translating this work. From what I have been told by several Latin scholars and theologians, and having studied Latin myself, Calvin's Latin is not a walk in the park. That being the case, once you read this translation, you can see why Beverage did such a great job.

The one feature I like best about this translation is the fact that it is well footnoted for the researcher and reader. Therefore, this translation is well documented for further research into Calvin's thought. This also helps to clear up difficulties of translation (remember Calvin's Latin is very tough). At certain points in Calvin's work, his thought via a solid translation gets confusing for scholars, this edition has footnotes detailing these difficulties, and that makes for a better read.

Now, about Calvin's 'Institutes' This work is Calvin's Opus and gives the reader the best information regarding Calvin's thoughts on the Church and Church Government, Calvin's hermeneutic, Calvin's theology of God, Calvin's epistemology, Calvin's Soteriology, the benefits of the grace of Christ, his views on the Papacy (of his day), the Roman Catholic Church, the current state of Christendom, and much more. The interesting thing about this work (the Institutes), it is not Calvin's definitive work on the theology of predestination.
... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good!
This version has excellent table of contents navigation. I would highly recommend this version to others. I am very pleased with this version.
Published 14 days ago by col31617
1.0 out of 5 stars Publisher Obviously Didn't Proofread
This review is for the $2.99 translation by Beveridge. I have read 300 locations in this book, and have found 6 spelling mistakes that would easily have been found, IF IT HAD BEEN... Read more
Published 1 month ago by chuck
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking
Very thought provoking. Its difficult to understand what a man believed when listening to what everyone says as opposed to just reading what he wrote. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Shawn
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Why choose this rating - The product is EXcellent
What did you dislike - Nothing
To whom would you recommend this product - Anyone interested
Published 2 months ago by Robert G. Buice
3.0 out of 5 stars Calvin has a lot of Roman Catholic influence.
Having gone through this book at length I can only conclude that most people who hold Calvin up as a "great reformer" haven't actually read his own works but have simply... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. L. De Paor
5.0 out of 5 stars CLASSIC!
Great book for anyone trying to delve deeper into the classic practical applications of the Christian life...I highly recommend it, it'll challenge your heart and mind.
Published 3 months ago by TP
5.0 out of 5 stars All should read this.
Regardless of whether one agrees with Calvin or not this should be a must read. Too many "Christians" are afraid of calvinism who do not even know what it is that he... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Frank Dipronio
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Purchased in ebook format for reseach, fast delivery, ease of access, and the options to cut and paste into word document; great price and format
Published 4 months ago by T. Chris Morrison
5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Christian Classic
A Christian classic. Every Christian should read this book. It should be a staple in every Church's library and every Christian's home.
Published 4 months ago by Norita J Sieffert
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Christian Should Read This
I've wanted to read the Institutes for a long time and when I finally got it for my Kindle I couldn't wait to get started. It was surprisingly easy to read and was quite edifying.
Published 4 months ago by John
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