Theology of John Calvin

Course Code: BTT06

Resources for Constructing Theologies: Theology of John Calvin

BD III, Semester 1, 2 Credit Hours, College Paper

Course Objectives:

1. To acquaint the students with the main tenets of Calvin’s theological and social thoughts.
2. To help the student to understand Calvin’s theology in relation to his context and to make use of Calvin theology as resources to construct theology relevant for the contemporary socio-politico-economic and ecclesiological context.
3. To help the students to identify issues and concerns addressed by Calvin.
4. To recognize Calvin’s contributions towards the development of Christian theology as pastor and theologian.

Method:

The instructor will give lectures on all the topics in the class. At the end of each lecture, there should be a time for discussion for ten to fifteen minutes to enable the students to reflect upon their contextual significance. Some classes should be used as seminar in which students forming a group will present the paper on the topics assigned by the Instructor. The Instructor is expected to give reading assignment s to the students each week from the books listed in the Bibliography.

Course Requirements:

• Final Examination: 60%
• Internal Assessment: 40%

Course Outlines

Unit I: Introduction: Methodological considerations

• Historical context of Protestant Reformation.
• Geneva city and Reformation in the city.
• Life and Works of John Calvin.
• Formative factors/sources of his theological thought.
• Hermeneutical concerns.

Unit II: Theological Thoughts:

• Authority of the Scriptures.
• Knowledge of God.
• Sovereignty of God.
• Christology.
• Pneumatology.
• Doctrine of Trinity.
• Theological Anthropology.
• Soteriology.
• Ecclesiology.
• Ministry.
• Sacraments.
• Eschatology.

Unit III: Social thought

• Socio-cultural concerns.
• Economic issues.
• Political issues.
• Church and State relation.

Unit IV: Relevance of Calvin and his thought in contemporary Indian context.

Bibliography:

• Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapid WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989.
• Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by Lewis Battles. Edited by John T. McNeil, Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 1972.
• Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by John Allen. Philadelphia: Board of Christian Education, 1936.
• Calvin, John. Instruction of Faith. Translated by Paul Fuhrman. Philadelphia: The Westminster Confession.
• Calvin, John. Letters of John Calvin. Compiled and edited by Jules Bennett. Edinburgh: Thomas Constacle & Co., 1955.
• Calvin, John. Tracts and Treatises. Translated by Henry Beveridge. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1960.
• Armstrong, W.P. Calvin and the Reformation. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.
• Hainton, Roland H. The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century. Boston: Heacou Press, 1970.
• Battles, F.L. Analysis of the Institutes of the Christian Religion of John Calvin. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.
• Beiler, Andre. The Social Humanism of Calvin. Translated by Paul T. Fuhrman, Richmond va: John Knox Press, 1964.
• Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought. Geneva: W ARC, 2005.
• Bousma, William JoAn. Calvin: A Sixteenth Century Prophet. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Bratt, John H. The Heritage of John Calvin. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1973.
• Dowey, E.A. Knowledge of God in Calvin’s Theology. New York: Columbia University Press, 1952.
• Furcha, Edward J. (ed) In Honor of John Calvin, 1509-1564. Montreal: McGill University, 1987.
• Ganoczy, Alexander. The Young Calvin. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1987.
• George, Timothy. Theology of the Reformers. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1988; Leicester: Appolox, 1998.
• Gerrish, Brian A. (ed) Reformation Perenis: Essays on Calvin and the Reformation to the Twentieth Century. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975.
• Gonzales, Justo L. A History of Christian Thought: From the Protestant Reformation to the Twentieth Century. Vol 3. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971.
• Graham, Fred W. The Constructive Revolutionary: John Calvin and his Socio-economic Impact. Richmond, va: John Knox Press, 1971.
• Hillebrand, Hans Joachim. The Protestant Reformation. New York: Harper and Row, 1968.
• Holweda, David Earl. Exploring the Heritage of John Calvin. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1976.
• Hunter, A.M. The Teaching of John Calvin: A Modern Interpretation. London: James Clarke, 1950.
• Johnson, William Stacey. John Calvin: Reformer for the 21st Century. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2009.
• Leith, John H. An Introduction to the Reformed Tradition. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979.
• McGrath, Alister E. Life of John Calvin: A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture. Oxford: Blackwell, 1990.
• McKim, Donald K. Readings in Calvin’s Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984.
• McNeill, John Thomas. The History and Character of Calvinism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.
• Meeter, H. Henry. The Basic Ideas of Calvinism. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1975.
• Milner, Benjamin Charles Jr. Calvin’s Doctrine of the Church. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970.
• Murray, John. Calvin on Scripture and Divine Sovereignty. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978.
• Niesel, Wilhelm. The Theology of John Calvin. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1962.
• Owen, Chadwick. The Reformation. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1970.
• Parker, T.H.L. John Calvin. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1975.
• Partee, Charles. Calvin and Classical Philosophy. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1977.
• Quinstop, Heinrich. Calvin’s Doctrine of the Last Supper. London: Lutterworth Press, 1955.
• Reardon, Bernard M.G. Religious Thought in the Reformation. London: Longman, 1981.
• Reid, William Stanford (ed). John Calvin: His Influence in the Western World. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.
• Reist, Benjamin. A Reading of Calvin’s Institutes. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1991.
• Reymond, Robert L. John Calvin: His Life and Influence. London: Christian Focus, 2008.
• Richard, Lucien Joseph. The Spirituality of John Calvin. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1974.
• Rosiamliana Tochhawng. A Study of the Ten Articles of the Presbyterian Church of India. Delhi: ISPCK, 2007.
• Tlanghmingthanga. Con ception of Life in the Indigenous Mizo Tradition and in the Writings of John Calvin: A Quest for a Relevant Theology of Life in the Mizo Context. (Unpublished D.Th Thesis, 2008).
• Torrence, T.F. Calvin’s Doctrine of Man. London: Lutterworth Press, 1989.
• Hermeneutics of John Calvin. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1989.
• Vanlalauva, B. Doctrine of God: An Appraisal of John Calvin’s Doctrine of God in Relation to the Indian Context. Delhi: ISPCK, 2007.
• John Calvin’s Ecclesiology and the Ecclesiology of the Presbyterian Church in Mizoram (Unpublished M.Th Thesis).
• Vanlalthlana. Doctrine of Grace: Augustine’s Doctrine of Grace and Human Free Will and Appraisal from a Mizo Perspective. Delhi: ISPCK, 2011.
• Wallace, R.S. Calvin’s Doctrine of the Word and Sacraments. Edinburgh: T&T Clarke, 1953.
• Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1959.
• Calvin, Geneva and the Reformation. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1988.
• Warfield, B.D. Calvin and Augustine. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1980.
• Welker, Michael et al. (ed) Calvin Today. Edinburgh: T & T Clarke, 2011.
• Wendel, François. Calvin: The Origin and Development of His Religious Thought. London: Collins Press, 1969.
• Wilis, E. Davies. Calvin’s Catholic Christology. Leiden: I.J. Brill, 1966.

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