37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Balanced detailed biography of a major Christian reformer, April 4, 2002
This review is from: A Life of John Calvin: A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture (Paperback)
When people think of the Reformation, two people often come to mind. The first is generally Martin Luther and the second is often John Calvin. Alister McGrath does a service both to historians and Christians; his balanced scholarship sets new standards for biographical writing. McGrath discusses Calvin's life, his academic experience, and his theology. McGrath also includes chapters on Calvin's turbulent relationship with the city of Geneva and properly shows that the man and the city had a significant influence on each other.
One of the best parts of this book is that McGrath puts Calvin in to proper historical context by discussing both France and the dominant intellectual trends therein and discussing the city with which Calvin would become forever associated with, Geneva. All throughout the work, McGrath will invite the reader to consider the problems encountered by the Calvin historian; where there is little documentation, McGrath is not afraid to tell the reader. Though McGrath has a clear perspective on who Calvin was and his contribution to history, he acknowledges the contributions of different historians and modifies his position when necessary. This book is not all intellectual and theological history; McGrath explains the social and political significance of heresy and discusses which classes of people tended to adopt Calvinism and why.
Some of the interesting observations that McGrath makes throughout the work:
- Calvin never opposed Copernicus' theory of heliocentrism; there is nothing to suggest that in, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion," (Calvin's main work of theology) or any of his other works. Indeed the first mention that Calvin was critical of Copernicus was in a 19th century biography of Calvin, written by the Anglican Dean od Canterbury, Frederick William Farrar (1831-1903)
- Calvin's relationship to Calvinism; one of the interesting problems in history is to examine the relation between leaders and the movements that they establish. If one looks at John Calvin's theology, one finds that the doctrine of predestination has quite a minor role. It was only later theologians working in what may be called the "Reformed" or the "Calvinist" tradition that put such an emphasis on the doctrine of predestination, election etc...
- Calvin's relationship to the emergence of modern capitalism; it has become a popular position among some historians to exaggerate the role of Calvin in the development of modern capitalism. McGrath notes that Calvin's real contribution was more so creating a religious outlook that removed restraints on capitalism (e.g. Calvin did not consider lending money at interest to be immoral) and his positive emphasis of the value of work, especially physical labour.
- There was analysis of the way Calvinism favored being involved in the world, rather than withdrawing. The only drawback to this approach is that sometimes the social practices of Calvinism would gradually lose their religious core and become secularized. One of the examples of this is how the doctrine of predestination is easily degraded into a vague notion of fate, destiny or in American history, "manifest destiny."
There were two chapters on Calvin's most important work of theology, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion." I am interested in knowing something of the history of theology but I am not dedicated enough to read through all of the Institutes. McGrath, of course, advises the reader to do this but nonetheless he provides a useful overview of the book.
The last few chapters discuss the movement known as Calvinism and its impact on work, the development of capitalism and several other issues. These last few chapters are of particular value because they remind you that theology has a major influence in real life.
I recommend this book for people that wish to understand the second generation of the Reformation following Martin Luther; Calvinism was an international movement of considerable importance and it continues to be relevant today. The book includes numerous black and white prints of Calvin, Francois I, a map of Paris and other relevant pictures. There is a glossary of terms and an index for easy reference.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and a bit idiosyncratic, December 16, 2003
This review is from: A Life of John Calvin: A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture (Paperback)
McGrath's 'biography' of Calvin is an illuminating read, although I am sad to say that I learned much more about such subjects as the 16th century, the effects of Calvinism, and the organization of the French University than I did about Calvin himself. This does not appear to have been McGrath's fault, however, since Calvin was a very private individual who held back his personality whenever possible so as to let the Word of God gain precedence in all he did.
This isn't to say that you don't learn about a number of events in Calvin's life - it's just that you don't learn much about the man himself. You also get to have more than a few myths dispelled for you. Some of these myths are simply the result of ignorance, but other appear to be deliberate attempts to smear his name in an effort to turn back Calvinism. Some myths are wholesale inventions and others are merely 'creative' interpreations of actual events. It is nice to know that Calvin's Geneva was not, contrary to popular opinion, a theocracy. In fact, he possessed little power in the city since the city council opposed him for most of his time there and constantly interfered in his running of the Reformed Church.
There is also an oddity in McGrath's writing. He sometimes calls the RCC the 'Roman Catholic Church' but also the 'catholic church'. This is a strange practice, as I've always seen it written 'Catholic Church' if referring to the RCC and 'catholic church' if one is referring to the universal church. Since McGrath does not appear to be a member of the RCC, it would be beyond odd for him to write this way if he doesn't consider the RCC coterminal with the universal church.
Be that as it may, the book is interesting and filled with facts about the late Renaissance and early Reformation that are worthwhile to possess and is, mostly, a quick read. McGrath also gives us a short summary of the Institutes. I found his explanation of the organization of the Institutes to be very valuable, as I am tempted to see works as being organized along systematic lines. Calvin, however, was heavily influenced by Renaissance humanism and organized the work along pedagogical lines, not systematic ones. A wealth of learning is went into this book and you will not find your time wasted if you read it.
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