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Influential Ideas For Protestant Theology

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John Calvin was the son of bourgeois parents in Picardy, France (Brophy, 431). First, he studied at the University of Paris to obtain a Master of the Arts degree, and then he went on to study law at Orléans, where he received a doctorate of law (Brophy, 431). When he converted to Protestantism he was forced to flee Paris and eventually ended up in Geneva, Switzerland, where he wrote his Draft of Ecclesiastical Ordinances, along with many other significant writings (Brophy, 432). This document is a primary source because John Calvin wrote it in 1541 in Geneva (Brophy, 432). Calvin wrote this draft in order to educate people about the reforms he desired to see in the church throughout England (Brophy, 432). His writings were one of the most influential ideas for Protestant theology (Cole, 318). When Calvin converted to Protestantism, he wanted to create reforms within the church so that there was proper structure for both the church and government (Cole, 319). The best way for him to get the reforms he wanted was to write them down, which he did in the Draft of Ecclesiastical Ordinances. Calvin’s Draft of Ecclesiastical Ordinances is about the structure of the church and government he wished to see (Brophy, 434). Unlike our government today, Calvin did not see a need for separation of church and state. Calvin’s ideal government was one that was tied directly to the church, and the church officials would also be the government officials. The draft includes the duties,

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