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Calvinism: Spiritual Fusion - Article 4 of 11 |
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We continue our series The Subtle Dangers of Spiritual Fusion
with Brenda, a former follower of the teachings of John Calvin for 14
years. In addition to the information in the weekly eblasts click here
for additional diagrams, timelines and charts.
John Calvin's Early Years
John Calvin, originally named Jean Cauvin, was born to devout Roman Catholic parents in the year 1509 in Noyon, France. As good Catholic parents, they baptized their son, Jean, in infancy. Gerard Cauvin, Jean’s father was a harsh man who occupied several prominent positions in Noyon; government registrar, solicitor in the ecclesiastical court, fiscal agent of the count, secretary of the bishopric, and attorney of the cathedral chapter for the local Roman Catholic Bishop. His service for both the cathedral and the city put him in association with Noyon's best families, providing his son John with privileged schooling opportunities. Early on, John Calvin revealed himself to be an intellectually sharp, stern, private and dutiful boy who turned down the amusements of youth and devoted himself to Catholicism.
As was not unusual in that day, the young John Calvin (Teaching Tool, pg. 66) was put on the payroll of the local cathedral as a cleric. It was customary for certain children to be given this opportunity while a priest performed their work.1 This honor was bestowed on John Calvin in 1521 near his twelfth birthday. The Bishop of Noyon, on the eve of Corpus Christi (a Roman Catholic feast day), conferred on John Calvin, membership into the clergy by solemnly cutting off his hair. This ceremony, called the tonsure, signified devotion to Catholicism and qualified Calvin for entering into Catholic holy orders, as well as holding a benefice from the Cathedral in Noyon. 2 The tonsure is an ancient pagan practice, observed in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Celtics, of shaving a circle of baldness on the crown of the skull which is expressly forbidden by God, 'They shall not make any baldness on their heads' (Leviticus 21:5). John Calvin remained on the Bishop's payroll until May of 1534.
John Calvin's benefice supplied funds for his education. At the age of 14, an outbreak of plague in Noyon necessitated the departure of the Hangest family, the nobles with whom he was studying, for Paris. Once in Paris, John entered the University of Paris in the College of Montague to prepare for the Catholic priesthood. The College of Montague, under the direction of the well known strict ascetic, Jan Standonck, became a bastion of reforming fervor for France. Asceticism is the practice of abstaining from worldly pleasures, bodily necessities and enjoyments for the sake of religious devotion. This hub of philosophic thought at the College of Montague trained not only John Calvin, but other important figures of the Catholic Reformation in that day. It is interesting to note that the famous Catholic humanist, Desiderius Erasmus, studied at the College of Montague in 1495, as did Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Catholic monastic and Counter Reformation order, the Jesuits, in 1536.
At the College of Montague, John Calvin was first introduced to Catholic humanism. The smoldering unrest of the 15th century Renaissance laid the groundwork for blending ancient pagan humanist philosophy with the virtues of Roman Catholicism. Humanism, which emulated the intellectual achievements of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures, challenged Catholicism's strict orthodoxy. Hence the study of Greek and Roman cultures, the study of then contemporary humanism and the rumblings of revolt against Catholicism were the milieu in which John Calvin received his educational training.
Next Week The Subtle Dangers of Spiritual Fusion will explain when John Calvin joined the Reform Movement
To learn more about The Roman Catholic church and the Last Days view A Woman Rides the Beast DVD
References:
[1] The Other Side of Calvinism, Lawrence Vance, Vance Publication, 1999, pg. 77
[2] History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, http://www.lgmarshall.org/Daubigne/daubigne_refhistory12_15.html
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