Great Books III Study Questions for Assignment 27

Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

Book Three, Faith, Justification, and Prayer Reading assignment: Book Three Chapter. 2 (Faith): sections 1, 6-7, 14-15, 29-32, 33-37, 40; Chapter 11 (Justification): sections 1-4, 13-20; Chapter 12: sections 1-8 (Justification); Chapter 13 (Justification): sections 1-5; Chapter 14 (Justification): sections 1-4; Chapter 20 (Prayer): sections 1-20)

STUDY QUESTIONS: Chap. 2.1 Why is it not enough to say that God is the object of faith? Chap. 2.7 (end) What is the "right definition of faith"? Chap. 2.29 What is the "proper goal of faith"? Chap. 11.2 What is justification by faith? Chap. 11.14 What error is Calvin guarding against in this section? Chap. 13.2 Why does self-righteousness in salvation rob God of honor? Chap 14.3 Why was true righteousness not in the "virtuous" pagans? Is this view consistent or not with Dante's? Throughout Calvin's discussion of faith and of justification by faith, what is his central focus? Chap. 20.3 For whose sake did the Lord ordain prayer? What are the six reasons for prayer which Calvin gives here? Chap. 20.4-5 What is Calvin's first rule of "framing prayer duly and properly"? What is included in this rule? Chap 20.6-7 What is the second rule, and what does it include? Chap 20.8-10 What is the third rule? section 9--What is the key, with which "believers open for themselves the door to prayer"? Chap. 20.11-14 What is the fourth rule? section 11--What does Calvin mean by "assurance"? Chap 20.16 At the end of this discussion of the fact that no one prays rightly, why does Calvin say he "recounts these matters"? Chap. 20.17-18 Why do we pray in Christ's name? Chap. 20.19 What is the reason for which we should especially beware of ungratefulness? Throughout Calvin's discussion of prayer, what themes dominate?

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