Calvin and Experience

Charles Partee

doi:10.1017/S0036930600033317

Calvin and Experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 February 2009

Charles Partee

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The caricature of John Calvin as an iron theo-logician, sans cæur et sans entrailles, is endlessly repeated. According to Will Durant, Calvin's ‘genius lay not in conceiving new ideas but in developing the thought of his predecessors to ruinously logical conclusions’. Calvin's Institutes therefore are ‘the most eloquent, fervent, lucid, logical, influential, and terrible work in all the literature of religious revolution’. Calvin did not have the tolerance of those who can conceive the possibility that they might be wrong because ‘Calvin, with lethal precosity, had been certain almost from his twentieth year’ Likewise Stefan Zweig saw in Calvin an inexorable logic, a mathematically precise nature, a monomania, and a terrific and sinister self-assurance. H. Jackson Forstmann writes that ‘one of the most impressive facts about Calvin's writings is the absolute certainty reflected by the author at every point’. Again, ‘the most striking impression which comes with reading the work of Calvin is the unfailing certainty which pervades the whole corpus”. Forstmann also quotes Doumergue to the effect that Calvin ‘was tormented by an incomparable need for certainty’. However, Doumergue was talking about something more than logical certainty. Calvin was indeed ‘logical, going to the bottom of questions, practical, completely preoccupied with piety, tormented by an incomparable need of certainty; unifying in rare mixture the reasons and sentiments; preceding Pascal, by invoking the reasons that reason does not know, and preceding also the modern theologians of Christian experience.’

Type: Research Article
Information: Scottish Journal of Theology , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , May 1973 , pp. 169 - 181

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0036930600033317 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1973

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References

^{page 169 note 1} Durant, Will, The Reformation (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957), pp. 465, 460, 485.Google Scholar

^{page 169 note 2} Zweig, Stefan, The Right to Heresy (E.T. of Castellio gegen Calvin), trans, by Eden, and Paul, Cedar (New York: Viking, 1936), pp. 22, 27, 34, 35.Google Scholar For a review and corrective of evaluations of this type compare Stauffer, Richard, The Humanness of John Calvin, trans, by Shriver, George H. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971).Google Scholar

^{page 169 note 3} Forstmann, H. Jackson, Word and Spirit (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1962), pp. 38–9, 124f, 9.Google Scholar

^{page 169 note 4} Doumergue, Émile, Jean Calvin, les hommes et les choses de son temps, IV (Lausanne: Bridel, 1910), 60.Google Scholar

^{page 170 note 1} Heim, Karl, Das Gewissheitsproblem in der systematischen Theologie bis zu Schleiermacher (Leipzig: Hinrichs'schen, 1911), pp. 272ff.Google Scholar

^{page 170 note 2} Dedication of Romans, CO 10,405. (Calvini Opera of the Corpus Reformatorum).

^{page 170 note 3} ‘Reply to Sadolet’, Calvin: Theological Treatises, trans, by Reid, J. K. S. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954), pp. 244–5 (CO 5, 405–6).Google Scholar

^{page 170 note 4} Inst. II.2.11 (OS III, 253, 29–36). The Institutes is cited in the Library of Christian Classics edition (LCC) with additional reference to the Calvini Opera Selecta (OS).

^{page 170 note 5} Beza, Theodore, ‘The Life of John Calvin’, Tracts Relating to the Reformation, trans, by Beveridge, Henry, I (Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1844), p. xlvii (CO 21, 136).Google Scholar

^{page 171 note 1} Prefatory Address to King Francis, LCC, p. 9 (OS III, 9, 6–8).

^{page 171 note 2} Beza,‘Life”, I, 1 (CO 21, 139).

^{page 171 note 3} Schmidt, Albert-Marie, John Calvin and the Caluinistic Tradition, trans, by Wallace, Ronald S. (New York: Harper, 1960), p. 115.Google Scholar

^{page 171 note 4} Cf. Walther, v. Loewenich, , Luthers Theologia Cruets (Munich: Chr. Kaiser, 1954)Google Scholar; Prenter, Regin, Spiritus Creator (Munich: Kaiser, 1954)Google Scholar; Müller, Hans Michael, Erfahrung und Glaube bei Luther (Leipzig: Hinrichs'schen, 1929)Google Scholar; and Seeberg, Reinhold, Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte, IV. 1 (5th ed.; Basel: Benno Schwabe, 1933).Google Scholar

^{page 172 note 1} cf. Büsser, Fritz, Calvins Urteil über sich selbst (Zürich: Zwingli Verlag, 1950).Google Scholar

^{page 172 note 2} Inst., I.1.1 (OS III, 31, 6–8).

^{page 172 note 3} CO 14, 364.

^{page 172 note 4} Com. Eph. 1.13 (CO 51,153);Inst. III. 2. 7 (OS IV, 16,33); Com. John. 16.16 (CO 47, 365).

^{page 172 note 5} Com. Mark, 9.24 (CO 45, 495).

^{page 173 note 1} Inst. III.2.18 (OS IV, 29, 7–12).

^{page 173 note 2} Com. Ps. 22.2 (CO 31, 220). Cf. Dowey, E. A. Jr, The Knowledge of God in Calvin's Theology (2nd ed.; New York: Columbia, 1965), pp. 192–7.Google Scholar

^{page 173 note 3} Wendel, François, Calvin, the Origins and Development of his Religious Thought, trans, by Mairet, Phillip (New York: Harper and Row, 1963), pp. 358–9.Google Scholar

^{page 173 note 4} Com. Matt. 27.43 (CO 45, 771).

^{page 173 note 5} Lüttge, Willy, Die Rechtfertigungslehre Calvins (Berlin: Reuther und Reichard, 1909), pp. 78ff.Google Scholar

^{page 173 note 6} Doumergue, , Jean Calvin, IV, 278.Google Scholar

^{page 173 note 7} Doumergue, , Le Caractére de Calvin (2nd ed.; Neuilly: La Cause, 1931), pp. 76–81.Google Scholar

^{page 173 note 8} Doumergue, , Jean Calvin, IV, 297.Google Scholar

^{page 174 note 1} Bauke, Hermann, Die Problem der Theologie Calvins (Leipzig: Hinrichs'schen, 1922), pp. 27, 16–19.Google Scholar

^{page 174 note 2} Com. John 20.29 (CO 47, 445).

^{page 174 note 3} Inst. I.10.2 (OS III, 86, 29–30).

^{page 174 note 4} Inst. I 11.8 (OS III, 97, 20–3).

^{page 174 note 5} Inst. III.2.15 (OS IV, 26, 19–20).

^{page 174 note 6} Com. John 6.37 (CO 47, 146).

^{page 174 note 7} Com. Zech. 4.9 (CO 44, 188–9).

^{page 175 note 1} Com. Luke 10.17 (CO 45, 315).

^{page 175 note 2} Com. Joel 3.17 (CO 42, 596).

^{page 175 note 3} Com. Isa. 14.1 (CO 36, 273).

^{page 175 note 4} Com. Zech. 2.9 (CO 44, 162).

^{page 175 note 5} Com. Isa. 28.29 (CO 36, 483).

^{page 175 note 6} Com. Ps. 119.73 (CO 32, 246); Inst. II.2.12 (OS III, 255, 18–9); II.2.17 (OS III, 259, 30–1).

^{page 176 note 1} Inst. I.11.7 (OS III, 95, 24).

^{page 176 note 2} Inst. III.6.3 (OS IV, 148, 14–6).

^{page 176 note 3} Inst. III.20.1 (OS IV, 297, 6–7).

^{page 176 note 4} Inst. III.7.1 (OS IV, 151: 38–9–152: 1–5).

^{page 176 note 5} Inst. I.5.12 (OS III, 56, 20–2).

^{page 176 note 6} Torrance, T. F., Calvin's Doctrine of Man (London: Lutterworth, 1949), p. 116.Google Scholar

^{page 176 note 7} Com. Rom. 1.22 (CO 49, 25).

^{page 176 note 8} Inst. II.2.18 (OS III, 261, 13–5).

^{page 177 note 1} Inst. II.2.13 (OS III, 256, 23–31).

^{page 177 note 2} Inst. II.2.15 (OS III, 258, 10–14).

^{page 177 note 3} Bauke, , Die Probleme, p. 43.Google Scholar

^{page 178 note 1} Calvin: Theological Treatises, p. 105 (CO 6, 46).

^{page 178 note 2} Doumergue, , Jean Calvin, IV, 437.Google Scholar

^{page 178 note 3} Obendiek, H., ‘Die Erfahrung in ihrem Verhältnis zum Worte Gottes bei Calvin’, Aus Theologie und Geschichte der Reformierten Kirche: Karl Müller, Festgabe für E. F. (Neukirchen: Buchhandlung des Erziehungsvereins Neukirchen, 1933), p. 189.Google Scholar

^{page 178 note 4} Cadix, Marcel, ‘Le Calvinisme et l'expérience religieuse’, Études sur Calvin et le calvinisme (Paris: Exposition à la Bibliothèque Nationale à l'occasion du IVe Centenaire de L'Institution chrétienne), pp. 173–87.Google Scholar

^{page 179 note 1} Inst. 1.17.2 (OS III, 203, 18–21).

^{page 179 note 2} Inst. III.3.16 (OS IV, 73, 4–6).

^{page 179 note 3} Inst. III.7.2 (OS IV, 152, 15–7).

^{page 179 note 4} Com. John 3.21 (CO 47, 68).

^{page 179 note 5} ‘On the Necessity of Reforming the Church’, Calvin's Tracts, I.147 (CO 6, 474).

^{page 180 note 1} Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, trans, by Reid, J. K. S. (London: James Clarke, 1961), p. 185 (CO 8, 366).Google Scholar

^{page 180 note 2} Inst. III.21.1 (OS IV, 368, 33–5).

^{page 180 note 3} Inst. III.21.7 (OS IV, 378, 2–4).

^{page 180 note 4} Inst. III.22.2 (OS IV, 381, 30).

^{page 180 note 5} Inst. III.24.12 (OS IV, 424, 8–16).

^{page 180 note 6} Inst. III.23.12 (OS IV, 406, 10f.).

^{page 180 note 7} Concerning Eternal Predestination, p. 124 (CO 8, 316).

^{page 181 note 1} Inst. I.7.5 (OS III, 71, 8–14). Cf. Com. 1 Thes. 2.5 (CO 52, 147).

^{page 181 note 2} Inst. III.22.7 (OS IV, 387, 25).

^{page 181 note 3} Com. Ps. 19.11 (CO 31, 203).

^{page 181 note 4} Inst. III.6.4 (OS IV, 149, 23–6).

^{page 181 note 5} Com. Gal. 1.4 (CO 50, 170).

^{page 181 note 6} Lobstein, Paul, ‘La Connaissance religieuse d'après Calvin’, Revue de Théologie et de Philosophic (Paris: Librairie Fischbacher, 1909), p. 20.Google Scholar

^{page 181 note 7} Com. Ps. 6.2 (CO 31, 73).

^{page 181 note 8} Com. Gen. 32.24 (CO 23, 438). Cf. Com. Hos. 6.1 (CO 42, 319): God's ‘proper office is to heal after he has torn, to bind the wounds he has inflicted’.

^{page 181 note 9} Letter to Viret, 19th August 1542, CO 11, 430.

^{page 181 note 10} Responsio ad Baldini Convicia, CO 9, 576.

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