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Calvinism: Spiritual Fusion - Article 5 of 11 |
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This summer the Protestant world celebrates the quincentennial birth of John Calvin, one of the 16th century reformers of Catholicism. We continue with our eleven part weekly series titled, The Subtle Dangers of Spiritual Fusion, to examine more closely the life, theology, and legacy of this man who has greatly impacted the complexion of Christianity these last five hundred years. Brenda a former follower of Calvin for fourteen years shares her insights and research after departing from his teachings. Picking up from last week's discussion about his early life, we now move into events which impacted his shift from devotion to Catholicism to embracing the Reformation movement.
In addition to the information in the weekly eblasts click here for additional diagrams, timelines and charts.
John Calvin Joins The Movement
John Calvin's master's degree from the University of Paris was for the purpose of preparing him for the Roman Catholic Priesthood, the vocation his brother Charles served in. However in 1528, John Calvin's plans were abruptly halted. At the behest of his father, John Calvin enrolled at the University of Orleans in France to study law. This unexpected career change, foisted on Calvin, is commonly explained away as fatherly concern that his son engage in a career more lucrative than the priesthood. Conveniently overlooked is the excommunication of his father from Roman Catholicism that year. Gerard Calvin had previously enjoyed a good reputation in Noyon until he became involved in financial embarrassment and was excommunicated on suspicion of heresy in 1528. It is curious that in this same year, his eldest son Charles the priest, John Calvin's brother, was excommunicated for the charge of heresy as well.
One can only imagine how this sudden career change impacted the youthful John Calvin. How did the defiling of his family name affect Calvin, whose hopes of salvation and service to God rested completely in his allegiance to the Roman Church? He had been preparing to give his entire life to Catholic devotion. If Calvin had become a Roman Catholic priest, he would have vowed celibacy and poverty. Now unexpectedly, his family was out of favor with the Catholic church. How would his personal reputation hold up within Romanism with his family name now tarnished? How would this affect his future? It is impossible to underestimate the significance of this potentially devastating and pivotal event in Calvin's life.
Calvin's new course of studies in Law, while beginning at the University of Orleans, continued later at Bourges, France. Studying under the best law educators of his day, Calvin revealed himself to be a qualified lecturer, rather than a mere pupil, spreading his reputation throughout the region. He finished law school the same year his father died in 1531. Calvin, now liberated from his father's expectations, returned to the University of Paris to continue exploring the humanism underpinning the reformation, which was burgeoning within Catholicism. Often referred to as a humanist, he studied Greek and Roman classics and the Hebrew language when he returned to the College of Montague. Enticed by the winds of the Catholic reformation, and enjoying notoriety for his intellectual prowess, and having little possibility of entering the priesthood, John Calvin converted to the reformation of Romanism.
The 16th century reformation movement within European Catholicism is generally marked by the protest of Germany's Martin Luther (Teaching Tool, pg. 61), a Catholic priest, professor and Augustinian monk. Luther famously nailed his 95 theses in 1517 to Wittenberg's All Saints Church, more commonly known as the Schlosskirche (Castle Church). These 95 points of objection protested against the Pope's authority to sell indulgences for purgatory (explained below). Luther, founder of the oldest branch of Protestantism, the Lutheran church, is often called the "Father of the Reformation." Calvin's courage to join the reformation of Romanism was influenced by Luther's bold protest against Papal authority for which Luther escaped burning at the stake. While Luther was 33 years old at the time of his protest, John Calvin was only a young boy of 8 who joined the Catholic reformation movement much later in his early twenties.
Indulgence is the Catholic term for remitting punishment of sins by special decree. In 1517, indulgences were offered for purchase to remit punishment in purgatory. Sales were no doubt strong. Johann Tetzel, the friar commissioned by Pope Leo X to sell these indulgences, greatly annoyed Luther. Tetzel's famous slogan was, "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, another soul from purgatory springs." The money raised from the sale of these indulgences funded the building of St. Peter's basilica in Rome.
Purgatory, believed by Romanists to be the temporary place of punishment for penitent Catholics after they die, is where residual sins are said to be finally purged. Sadly, belief in purgatory ignores two very important biblical teachings.
• First, sins cannot be purged by sinful man but only by the sinless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
• Second, belief in purgatory reveals lack of trust in Jesus’ death on the cross which paid for all sins of mankind ever committed.
In his 95 Theses, Luther did not question the doctrine of purgatory, but primarily rejected the authority of the Pope to remit punishment in purgatory through the purchase of indulgences. Luther objected to Papal authority remitting time in purgatory rather than objecting to the teaching of purgatory.
As Luther's protest stirred Europe, Pope Leo X merely dismissed him as a drunken German who would eventually come to his senses. However, when Luther continued to attract attention in Wittenberg, the Pope issued a decree against Luther calling for him to recant to which Luther responded by publicly burning the decree. He was eventually tried, convicted and excommunicated for the charge of heresy in 1521. Even though Luther's sentence as a notorious heretic permitted anyone to execute him without legal consequence, he 'secretly' returned to Wittenberg after a mere 13 months in hiding, where he continued to teach, write and influence much of the Catholic reformation.
Luther is credited with having written the Augsburg Confession of faith, a small and large Catechism, and sadly the anti-Semitic pamphlet, "On the Jews and Their Lies" which was used by Hitler's regime in Nazi Germany as justification for the Holocaust .
Next week: The Subtle Dangers of Spiritual Fusion examines John Calvin's Conversion
To learn more about anti-Semitism and the Roman Catholic Vatican's intentions view Israel, Islam and Armageddon.
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