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

~ (Author), Henry Beveridge (Translator) "SIRE,-When I first engaged in this work, nothing was farther from my thoughts than to write what should afterwards be presented to your Majesty..." (more)
Key Phrases: paternal favour, fictitious worship, incomprehensible counsel, Son of God, Jesus Christ, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin

Product Details

• Paperback: 1310 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802881661
• ISBN-13: 978-0802881663
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,354 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent translation with few shortcomings, December 18, 2000

By A Customer

This concise one-volume version of Calvin's "Institutes" is an indispensible reference that should be on the shelves of every student of theology or recent history. The translation is superlative and is as unambiguous in its gramatical choice as possible. This particular volume is excellent because it brings the "Institutes" into one compact volume.

I see only two problems with this version: a 2,000 page paperback book is going to have its binding creased eventually. It would have been nice to see a hardcover version of this. Secondly, this volume lacks a concise index and concordance. If you purchase this volume, I would recommend also purchasing a concordance to the "Institutes."

Overall an excellent version of a wonderful theological document.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Translation is Often Overlooked, September 17, 2005

By	T. B. Vick "Learn 2 Discern" (The Lone Star State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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. Calvin actually wrote several other works which deal only with that subject and present a far better assessment of his theology behind predestination (see Calvin's treatise titled "Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God," and Calvin's response to Pighius titled "The Bondage and Liberation of the Will.")

But, for the best overview of Calvin's thought on the Church and theology, the Institutes is the work to read. Beverage's translation is a great work. It is introduced by the reformed theologian John Murray, it has a general index in the back of the work, and reads very much in modern verbiage. I highly recommend this edition.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic theology - Classic literature , September 8, 2004

By	Douglas VanderMeulen (Fargo, ND) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion is a monumental work that stands among the greatest works of Christian theology and Western literature. It ranks with works such as St. Augustine's Confessions and City of God in value, insight and significance. The Institutes have molded the church's understanding of Christian doctrine for generations and has had untold influence in the development of Western thought in both the religious and civil arenas.

Calvin's Institutes represent his life work in teaching theology. They first appeared in 1536 and went through three significant revisions - each expanding and building upon the previous. This particular edition represents the final form and of which Calvin was very pleased.

Originally written to give basic understanding of Christian doctrine, they became one of the earliest systematic theologies of the Reformed tradition. Calvin's stated desire is to give the reader the necessary background to read and accurately handle the great doctrines and promises of the Bible.

Calvin sent a copy to the King Francis I to encourage him to stop persecuting the Christians who were embracing the gospel as taught by the Reformers. His basic argument was that if the king understood what these people believed he would stop killing them as heretics but rather see them as faithful adherents of historical Christianity. Calvin was no lover of novelty and throughout the Institutes copiously sights from the early church fathers and the long history of the Church's understanding of doctrine.

This one-volume work is broken down into four books that loosely follow the outline of the Apostle's Creed. Book 1 concerns knowledge of God. Book 2 is about Jesus Christ as redeemer. Book 3 is about the Holy Spirit's role in applying Christ's redeeming graces. Book 4 is about the church and practice.

This particular edition, translated by Beverage is not as good as the one by Battles and edited by McNeil. While the church is indebted to Beverage for his labor of love in getting many works by Calvin translated into English, his command of both French and Latin were not as strong as Battles. In fact, Beverage does not even deal with Calvin's Latin version of the Institutes. They were originally produced in both Latin and French and Battles' work demonstrates his competency in dealing with both languages. Also, Battles' mastery of Calvin's other writings is reflected in his voluminous footnotes, many of them very helpful to the reader for clarifying, further reading and cross-referencing. In addition, the indexes in the Battles' edition are invaluable not only for searching the Institutes for topics but for gleaming Calvin's understanding of the church fathers. If the cost of the Battles translation is prohibative, then you won't go wrong with this Beverage edition. But for difference between the two editions, the Battles work with worth every extra dollar you pay.

Agree or disagree with Calvin, these are a necessary read for anyone who desires an understanding of the development of Western thought, literature and theology. They are not only great theology; they represent excellent writing and development of an argument. They are also highly pastoral and devotional. They are not like reading a modern systematic theology. Calvin understood doctrine to be more than theory, but something to mold our understanding of God, ourselves and the world in which we live. Carefully working through the Institutes is a journey worth taking!

Soli Deo Gloria!