John Calvin in Context
Published on 5. December 2019
Book
Hardback
246 pages
978-1-108-48240-0 (ISBN)
Description
John Calvin in Context offers a comprehensive overview of Calvin's world. Including essays from social, cultural, feminist, and intellectual historians, each specially commissioned for this volume, the book considers the various early modern contexts in which Calvin worked and wrote. It captures his concerns for Northern humanism, his deep involvement in the politics of Geneva, his relationships with contemporaries, and the polemic necessities of responding to developments in Rome and other Protestant sects, notably Lutheran and Anabaptist. The volume also explores Calvin's tasks as a pastor and doctor of the church, who was constantly explicating the text of scripture and applying it to the context of sixteenth-century Geneva, as well as the reception of his role in the Reformation and beyond. Demonstrating the complexity of the world in which Calvin lived, John Calvin in Context serves as an essential research tool for scholars and students of early modern Europe.
Reviews / Votes
'The clarity and economy of the essays will prove useful to instructors introducing students to Calvin and his world, and to more advanced students seeking a clear overview of an aspect of Calvin's thought and career.' J. Harrie, Choice 'The purpose of R. Ward Holder's splendid handbook ... is not to justify the ways of Calvin to men. And yet it may partly achieve that, since its mission is to explain him: to look at his myriad contexts, social, political, theological, and more.' Alec Ryrie, Church Times 'The volume is brought to a masterful conclusion by a forty-eighth chapter that surveys the fortunes of Calvinism in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries ... each chapter was excellent in its own right ... if one must choose only one, let it be Calvin in Context.' Kenneth J. Stewart, Calvin Theological Journal 'The expert guidance provided by authors on such a wide range of topics in this admirable collection also highlights possibilities for further research. All contributions to this volume are supported by short reading lists to assist in that endeavour.' Graeme Murdock, The Journal of Ecclesiastical History 'A bibliography - American as well as European - and a generous index nominum et rerum complete this valuable Calvin in Context that is far more than an introduction or a guide to Calvin's thought. It is a book about the proper historical, political, theological, even sociological contexts of Calvin's life and works.' Max Engammare, Church History and Religious CultureMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises; 2 Maps
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
896 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-108-48240-0 (9781108482400)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
R. Ward Holder
John Calvin in Context
E-Book
12/2019
Cambridge University Press
€83.99
Available for download
R. Ward Holder
John Calvin in Context
E-Book
11/2019
Cambridge University Press
€93.99
Available for download
Person
R. Ward Holder is Professor of Theology at Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire. He is the author of John Calvin and the Grounding of Interpretation: Calvin's First Commentaries (2005), and Crisis and Renewal: The Era of the Reformation (2009). He has edited Reformation Readings of Romans (2008), with Kathy Ehrensperger, A Companion to Paul in the Reformation (2009), and co-edited Emancipating Calvin: Culture and Confessional Identity in Francophone Reformed Communities (2017) with Karen Spierling and Erik de Boer. His current work focuses on Calvin's use of the theological tradition as a source for his own doctrinal formulations.
Content
Introduction. John Calvin in context R. Ward Holder; Part I. France and its Influence: 1. John Calvin's life G. Sujin Pak; 2. French Christianity in the early 1500s Raymond A. Mentzer; 3. The University of Paris during Calvin's life Greta Grace Kroeker; 4. French humanism Olivier Millet; 5. French religious politics Jonathan Reid; 6. The French wars of religion Diane Margolf; Part II. Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Geneva: 7. The Swiss Confederation in the age of John Calvin Bruce Gordon; 8. Strasbourg in the sixteenth century Steven Tyra; 9. Geneva and its protectors Charles Parker; 10. Daily life in Geneva Jill Fehleison; 11. Reforming the city-state: government in Geneva William Naphy; 12. Consistories and discipline Jeffrey Watt; 13. Reformed education and the Genevan Academy Karin Maag; 14. Worship, pastorale, and diaconate in early modern life Elsie A. McKee; Part III. Empire and Society: 15. The politics of the emperors Ute Lotz-Heumann; 16. Judaism in Europe during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance David Price; 17. Refugees Jesse Sponholz; 18. Calvin and women Elizabeth A. Lehfeldt; Part IV. The Religious Question: 19. Western ideals of religious reform Brad Gregory; 20. The Luther affair David M. Whitford; 21. Religious colloquies Ronald Rittgers; 22. The Council of Trent and the Augsburg Interirm Kathleen Comerford; 23. Biblical scholarship Jon Balserak; 24. The printed word Andrew Pettegree; 25. Polemic's purpose Amanda Eurich; 26. The style of theology: editions of the institutes Randall Zachman; 27. Baptism Karen E. Spierling; 28. The Eucharist Amy Nelson Burnett; 29. Predestination in early modern thought Charles Raith, III; 30. The challenge of heresy: Servetus and Stancaro Arnold Huijgen; 31. Idolatry Carlos M. N. Eire; 32. Trinitarian controversies Rebecca Giselbrecht; 33. Nicodemism and libertinism Kenneth Woo; Part V. Calvin's Influences: 34. Calvin and Luther Christopher Boyd Brown; 35. Calvin and Melanchthon Timothy Orr; 36. Calvin and the Swiss and South German evangelicals Peter Opitz; 37. Calvin's friends: Farel, Viret, and Beza Michael Bruening; 38. Calvin's critics: Bolsec and Castellio Kirk Essary; 39. Calvin's Lutheran critics Esther Chung-Kim; 40. Calvin's Catholic critics Ralph Keen; 41. Calvin and the Anabaptists Mirjam van Veen; Part VI. Calvin's Reception: Our Context: 42. International Calvinism Mack Holt; 43. Calvin legends: hagiography and demonology Jennifer Powell McNutt; 44. Calvin in the British Isles and the colonies Crawford Gribben; 45. Calvin in the Netherlands and the Dutch Atlantic world Christine Kooi; 46. Calvin in Asia Yudha Thianto; 47. Calvin's theoretical legacy in the seventeenth-nineteenth centuries Keith Stanglin; 48. Calvin's fortunes in the twentieth century Bruce Gordon; Conclusion. Calvin and Calvinism R. Ward Holder.