ASSIGNMENT:
a) Read this very short biography of
Calvin.
b) Then skim this Catholic article on his
life. Obviously, it's biased against Calvin in its interpretation of
the events of history, but surprisingly fair in its handling of the
facts.
c) Then skim this Protestant one.
(For more extended information on Calvin, go to Schaff's History of the
Christian Church, scroll to the bottom under Volume VIII, "Third
Book" and you'll find a tremendous amount by Schaff on Calvin.)
d) Read The Institutes, Book One, chapters 1-10, and 15. If you don't have the book, here is a good online
edition of the Institutes. But you *must* get the book.
STUDY QUESTIONS:
"Prefatory Address
to King Francis I of France"
- Look at the opening
and closing of this epistle: what is Calvin's attitude toward the King?
- What motivated Calvin
to write this?
- What are the charges
that have been levied against the reformed doctrines, and how does Calvin
answer each?
"Subject Matter of
the Present Work"
- What does Calvin
intend the real use of his Institutes to be?
- In the second to last
sentence, how does he say we will gain understanding of unclear passages? (This
is a wonderful expression of the greatest principle of protestant hermeneutics
(interpretation), called the "analogy of faith").
- In the last sentence,
how authoritative does he seem to think his work is?
Institutes, Book 1
- Chap.1 Why is there no
knowledge of God without knowledge of self? And why is there no knowledge of
self without knowledge of God?
- Chap. 2.2 What
two effects does Calvin say our knowledge of God should have in us? What is
pure and genuine religion?
- Chap. 3.2 How does
Calvin demonstrate that religion cannot have been invented by some to hold
simple folk in thrall? 3.3 What is it that separates man from the
beasts?
- Chap. 4.1 Why
is man without excuse even when his degeneration from the true knowledge of God
is due to ignorance and superstition rather than pure malice? 4.3
Why do men fashion God according to their whims?
- Chap. 5.1-6
What class of works of God does Calvin say gives us knowledge of Him in these
sections? 5.7,8 What works in these sections does Calvin point to as
giving knowledge of God? 5.9 What is the most perfect way of seeking God? 5.10
What is the purpose of the knowledge of God?
- Chap. 6. Why has God
given us Scripture? Why do we need it? 6.2 What is faith and right knowledge of
God born of?
- Chap. 7.2 What is the
relationship between the church and Scripture? 7.4 What is the highest
proof of Scripture? 7.5 What does it mean to say that Scripture is self-authenticated? What is the beginning of true doctrine?
- Chap. 8.1 What
foundation must be in place before other arguments and helps are useful? How
does this compare to Anselm's perspective on faith and reason? How does Calvin
compare the reading of the pagan classics to the reading of Scripture? What
other arguments and helps does he appeal to throughout chapter 8?
- Chap. 9 What is the
relationship between the Spirit and the Word?
- Chap. 10.2 How
is God shown to us in Scripture, if not as he is in himself? What three things
of God are most necessary for us to know? What is the goal of the knowledge of
God as set forth in Scripture and creation?
- Chap. 15.2 What
arguments does Calvin use to prove the immortality of the soul? Given what you
know of Platonic thought, where might Calvin seem to err in his view of the
body and soul? 15.3,4 What is the "image of God" in
man? 15.8 Does man have free will?
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