Reformer Influence On John Calvinism

The Protestant Reformation was a pivotal time of European history that occurred during the 16th century. The Protestant Reformation was comprised of people called “reformers” that challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to define Christian practice (“The Reformation”). The Protestant Reformation was revolutionary due to the fact that the reformers preached against everything the Catholic Church had been teaching. Some famous reformers are John Calvin and Martin Luther. However, Martin Luther-- to some--- is named the most successful and influential reformer of the 16th century. Martin Luther was tremendously effective and influential due to how resourceful he was, and his teachings spread across Europe swiftly.

Among the many reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin are arguably the most known. Martin Luther was not only a reformer but a professor of theology, composer, priest, and a monk. His belief that freedom from god's punishment could be purchased with money through indulgences. He strongly believed that this was wrong and against what God wanted. His ideas and beliefs eventually lead to this excommunication and condemnation as an outlaw buy the emperor. Luther's beliefs include

The Protestant Reformation began during the Renaissance time period, it was the attempt to reform the Roman Catholic church. It led to the creation of Protestant churches. This reformation began after multiple church leaders started demanding individuals to supply them with such large quantities of goods, food, and money that individuals did not have much left to provide to their own family. Several believed if they did not contribute and present the church with what they asked, they would be denied entrance to heaven once they passed away. People saw how the church thrived while those who contributed were ravenous and penniless. Martin Luther, a monk, noticed several inaccuracies between what the Roman Catholic Church practiced and the Bible as he studied the Bible. He decided to speak out by creating the 95 Theses, and nailing it on the entrance of a catholic church. Protestants who had similar view as Luther’s began Luther-ism. John Calvin, had very similar views as Luther and was even inspired by him to reform the Catholic Church as well. I most admire Martin Luther because of how he spoke up and protested against the Roman Catholic church when he knew it could put him in danger, but I am most similar to John Calvin because of how he believes in predestination and how faith is revealed by living a righteous life.

During the sixteenth century in Europe, a series of events occurred that aimed to reform the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, this came to be known as the Protestant Reformation. A monk named Martin Luther believed that believers should not have to follow what the pope says but interpret the bible for themselves. Luther then began by writing his Ninety-five theses and later on translated the bible into German so that anyone could read it. A French Scholar named John Calvin was inspired by Luther and joined this new reformation. Calvin studied ancient Greek and Roman text and applied it to the bible. Calvin's followers were called Calvinists and had very similar beliefs to Protestantism. Differences in religion created a reformation that divided a nation which endured persecution and spurred relocation. The tide of the reformation eventually reached France where Huguenots known as

John Calvin, a Genevan, modified Martin Luther’s ideas of the Reformation to create the faith of Calvinism, and later wrote the Latin tome Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536.

Martin Luther and Jean Calvin were the two of the most influential reformers during the Protestant Reformation. Luther began the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Chapel in 1517 in response to the corruption and abuses of the Catholic Church. In Switzerland, Calvin also had new ideas about religion, the main being predestination (the belief that people's fates (whether they go to Heaven or Hell) are predetermined when they are born). Their reforms and ideas definitely laid the foundation for capitalism, free government/democracy, religious tolerance, and individualism, but I do not believe that the reformers (people like Luther and Calvin) had the direct intention of doing these things.

The Reformation was a high religion stage that took place during Western Churches of the 16th century. Martin Luther King Jr. and also John Calvin was one of the greatest leaders of all time. The ability to have these two powerful men; at which Martin and Calvin both had brought forth an economic, political, and social effect. This had made the Reformation a founding of Protestantism. This made this one of the three major branches of Christianity.

These two theologians’ theories are easily differentiated, however there are also distinct similarities that can be noted as well. Wolfhart Pannenberg and John Calvin are two established theologians, and the salvation conceptions between the two can easily be compared and contrasted. John Calvin was a theologian of French origins, and also took pastor and reformer positions in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was the sole individual responsible for developing the concept of Calvinism, a large branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of certain Christian practice. Supporters of Calvinism believe that scripture should be very prominent, and that derivation of its theological formulations should be based solely on God’s word.

John Calvin, the founder of Calvinism, believed in absolute dominance of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal sentence. He wrote many commentaries on most books in the Bible and created a lot of controversy. Calvin helped reform the church in Geneva. His spent his final years promoting reformation throughout

The Lutheran Reformation is particularly associated with the German territories and the pervasive personal influence of one charismatic individual Martin Luther. Luther’s concern was the doctrine of justification, which formed his central point of his religious thoughts. The Lutheran Reformation was initially an academic movement, concerned primarily with reforming the teaching of theology at the University of Wittenberg (McGrath 2007). The Lutheran began in 1822 this happen after Luther’s return to Wittenberg from his enforced isolation in Wartburg. Luther was condemned for “false doctrine” by the Diet of Worms in 1512 (Noll 2000).

John Calvin was a lawyer, but he became dedicated to reforming the church. In the 1520s the people of Geneva revolted against their rulers and Calvin was invited to build a Reformed Church of Geneva. He rearranged the organization of the church governing system and the social organization of the church and the city. He organized based entirely on biblical principles. He imposed a strict moral code derived from the scriptures.

At an early age, John Calvin found his calling to God to the chagrin of his father, who wanted him to be a lawyer. This calling to God helped Calvin bring about changes to the church. Even though Calvin traveled to some isolated spots in Europe preaching his sermons, the changes occurred all throughout Europe and then into the Americas. All these changes began humbly in France in the early 1500's.

“Unless I am convinced by proofs from scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract anything I have written, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” Martin Luther stated these words in 1521 when he was asked whether he still believed what his works taught. The Protestant Reformation was a movement during the 16th century, which aimed to reform some beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The reformation was led by a German monk named Martin Luther and was further modified by John Calvin, a French theologian and Henry VIII, the king of England. The ideas bought forward by these individuals started the Protestant Reformation, which triggered wars, prosecutions and the Counter-Reformation.

The Reformation was a time of religious reform and development in Europe, which began with Martin Luther in 1517 and continued through the next hundred years into the seventeenth century. Various branches of Protestantism emerged during this time period, including Anabaptism, Anglicanism, and Calvinism, all of which differed in their views and influence upon Reformed Europe. Although Anabaptism, Anglicanism, and Calvinism all had an effect on Europe during the Reformation, Calvinism proved to be the most dynamic of these three movements because of its radical changes to the Christian doctrine which resulted the birth of the capitalist spirit, coupled with the development of a society which maintained a balance of church and state.

Martin Luther and John Calvin were both leaders in the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was a monk, or priest, in the Augustinian friars’ order and his ideals were that Catholicism were corrupting the New Testament beliefs and people were saved by faith alone not by buying their way into heaven. John Calvin studied law “but in 1533 he experienced a religious crisis, as a result of which he converted from Catholicism to Protestantism. Calvin believed that God had specifically selected him to reform the church” (McKay et al., 2015, pg. 448). “The cornerstone of Calvin’s theology was his belief in the absolute sovereignty and omnipotence of God and the total weakness of humanity” (McKay et al., 2015, pg. 448).