I like John Calvin. Yes, he had his blind spots (doesn’t everyone?), but he was a very careful, thoughtful and helpful Bible teacher. I’ve learned much from him and am enjoying reading his Institutes of the Christian Religion.
This year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of his birth. Many people have no idea who he was and why he is important for Western civilization and especially for the Protestant church. I was happy to see that Svend White posted his thoughts after listening to a BBC podcast on Calvin. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t agree with Calvin, but he rightly points out his importance:
Calvin’s grim and uncompromising perspective on sin, predestination and grace obviously rubs many contemporary sensibilities the wrong way, but that unpopularity doesn’t make his insights any less profound or essential to serious theological undertakings.
For those interested, Desiring God has republished a biography of John Calvin and you can download the book for free.
