but here is an offering i can show ya, it's a drawing i did for my church history class today.
this illustrates what i think John Calvin to be. it's based on his seal, the "heart in hand" seal with the phrase "Always Reforming" around it. plus Calvin took joy in his work and a tirelessness about it.. so much so that the highest praise he gave his wife was that "She was a good and humble wife and didn't interfere with my work."
A bad stereotype about Calvin is that he was some zealous, nasty, strict and brutish reformer. After studying him he was zealous, but a quiet, work-aholic who wrote and constantly revised his work. He was the bookish guy who wanted to make sure a structure was in place so that society wouldn't collapse around him. His concerns were all pastoral based, not theoretical.
3 comments:
"so much so that the highest praise he gave his wife was that "She was a good and humble wife and didn't interfere with my work."" (Luke)
And this ain't some brute...hmmm...wonder if his wife had more to say on this than us students?
I think Calvin was a cold dude and as much as he helped reform the church - he was limited in his appeal...he did watch someone burn at the stake (for good cause though - they wouldn't believe in the trinity). Take away this murder and I think we have a winner! Life doesn't work like that...this guy had a mean streak if he could do such a thing - likely for years it was there.
I would also like to know what you think Calvin offers to this current generation?
Calvin has one murder under his belt, in terms of religion, this is a success compared to the Reich Christians in the 1930s-40s, the Crusades, and the Catholic-Protestant war. not saying it's good inherently, but good comparatively which isn't good at all.
anywho... Calvin understood the majesty and BIGNESS of God. He understood the need for Grace and the condition of humanity, is that we revert to the path of least resistence in most savage and violent ways (which he himself stated about his involvement in the killing of a heretic). he also saw the need for structure that the masses need. his biggest fear is that all this reform going on in Geneva would create a power vacuum and chaos would insue. Calvin had an admiration for order and structure.
so there's lots to learn with Calvin.. i think i'll do a profile post on him later. as for being a brute.. nah, he was a cold, bookworm as well as an hypocondriac. he's an interesting dude with his pluses and minuses, in short, he's a paradox like the lot of us.
Maybe I should change my tune on Calvin - he's yesterdays parties - forgotten memories - the hangover.
Calvin is 1/2 the problem Christian theology is in absolute shambles and fear based in its momentum - and some of that I cannot overlook. Although you and I can read him and walk around his theology - churches are using this stuff to keep people in line 'goose stepping'.
Calvin's love of order and structure is cool - but overdone and a big problem now (in the 21st century). If someone wanted to live up to 'reform' ideals in the 21st century they couldn't - the churh is so stuck in this way of Calvinistic thinking so as to save the steeple even to the loss of the people. Calvin helped make the structure part of worship and downplayed the role of the individual (or at least he's used this way).
Calvin is for those who want tradition - at any cost.
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