Calvin was born in Camp Nou in northern France. Father Gerald. Calvin used to be the secretary of a prestigious local bishop and a lawyer of the parish church. Jenny, mom? Frank, the daughter of a retired hotel owner, died young. Calvin became a monk at the age of 12 according to his father's orders. /kloc-went to Paris at the age of 0/4 and studied at Namaki College and Montague College. Calvin has a deep temperament, quick thinking and superior intelligence. 65438-0528, graduated from university, Master of Arts, originally planned theology. However, his father clashed with the local Catholic church in Camp Nou. In a rage, he ordered his son to specialize in law, so Calvin went to two universities in Orleans and Bourges to study law. 153 1 After his father died, Calvin gave up his plan to take law as a career and returned to Paris to study Greek and Hebrew, discuss the Bible (seventy verses) and study theology and literary classics. Calvin was deeply influenced by humanists Lasmo, Le faivre and Valla during his schooling. 1532 In April, Calvin published his first novel (On seneca's Theory of Kindness), which was recognized as a "typical humanistic work" and fully reflected the author's profound knowledge and unique style, but did not involve religious issues.
1533 Calvin experienced a "sudden religious reform" and converted from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism. He explained that "this change is caused by God himself." In fact, his cousin, the Protestant Ali Weitan, had a great influence on him before. After a long period of inner struggle, Calvin was deeply disappointed with the compromise reform carried out by Lasmo and Le faivre in the church, and finally convinced himself to make an important proselytizing decision. From then on, he completely changed his belief life, began to concentrate on theology, and actively participated in the activities of Paris reformists. As a result, he was accused of heresy and forced into exile. He has been to Gulaim, Basel, Strasbourg and Geneva. Calvin first published his theological masterpiece (Principles of Christianity) in 1536. The first edition is not long, and it is revised and supplemented one after another. By 1559, the final revised edition is five times larger than the first edition. The Principles of Christianity has four volumes, the order of which is the Apostle's Creed, the Creator of the Father, the Savior of the Son and the Holy Spirit and the Church, with 20 chapters in each volume. This book is recognized as a Calvinist Bible, a concentrated expression of Calvinist religious thoughts, and the most influential Protestant encyclopedia in the Reformation in the 6th century.
1536 In August, Calvin went to Strasbourg and passed through Geneva, where his good friend and French religious reformer Farrell was engaged in religious reform. So Farrell rushed to the hotel to meet Calvin and urged him to stay and cooperate with him. Since then, Calvin began to actively promote religious reform in Geneva and put his religious thoughts into practice. Calvin began to reform the church and rectify morality and strict discipline according to his catechism and Farrell's creed. Violators are not allowed to take communion, but they will be excommunicated. 1537 In July, the Grand Council of Geneva decided that all citizens should take an oath to accept Protestant theory. Anyone who believes in Catholicism, such as holding rosaries and preserving sacred objects, needs to be discussed; Women are imprisoned in strange clothes, gamblers are shackled, and adulterers are exiled after wandering in the streets. However, these coercive measures have met with opposition from some citizens. At the beginning of 1538, the opposition came to power and Calvin and Farrell were exiled.
Calvin went to Strasbourg to be a priest for French exiles. He preached, educated, wrote, and had extensive contacts with reformists. And in 1540, he married a delicate and charming widow, Polly. Husband and wife have deep feelings, and it is a pity to have a son. 1549 When Polly died, Calvin mentioned her in his book, saying that she was his best companion and faithful assistant. Calvin didn't remarry.
154 1 year, the reformists came to power again in Geneva, and Calvin was invited to return to Geneva in September of 1998 to preside over the religious reform until 1564 died. Calvin presided over the drafting of the Constitution of the Church from September 154 10, and determined the organization and leadership system centered on elders. Calvinist churches include priests, teachers, elders and deacons. The elders elected by believers are the core of the new social organization, and their main duties are to maintain social order, morality and discipline. Pastors are responsible for preaching, presiding over sacraments and exhorting believers. The teacher's task is to teach "orthodox doctrine". The deacon is responsible for charity. The religious court consists of 12 elders and 6 priests elected by the large and small councils, and is responsible for supervising the religious life of believers and hearing religious cases. The case is heard every Thursday, and the maximum penalty is expulsion. If it exceeds this limit, it will be handed over to the municipal authorities for trial. Calvin has made lifelong efforts and contributions to the religious reform and the construction of Calvinism in Geneva, and to the establishment and consolidation of the theocracy in Geneva.
Calvin's reform completely changed the political, religious and moral life of Geneva people. He strongly criticized absolutism and autocratic politics, but resolutely opposed violent struggle and advocated eclecticism combining aristocratic regime with "moderate democracy". Calvin formulated the Geneva Code, which emphasized the religious significance of daily life, condemned carelessness and frivolity, and forced the government to ban gambling, dancing, drinking, fancy clothes and prostitution, and offenders were sentenced or deported. Calvin forbade believers to freely choose the church and freely study doctrines, and publicly supported the church to suppress heresy with the state. In this respect, what he did was not inferior to that of the Roman Catholic Church. Many outstanding figures were executed or exiled by Calvin himself. During the period of 154 1- 1546, 58 people were killed and 76 people were exiled, while only 6,546 people lived in Geneva at that time. Servit, a Spanish humanist and natural scientist, was also burned at the stake in Geneva on 1553, 10/27. He is a friend of Calvin and wrote a letter to Calvin, urging him to support the overthrow of the Trinity. However, Calvin reported Servit to the Roman Church through a friend. Therefore, Sai was sentenced to the stake and escaped from the prison before the execution. As a result, the tie fled to Geneva. He was arrested in a sermon by Calvin, tried and imprisoned for two months, and finally executed at Calvin's insistence. Calvinists took full control of Geneva in 1555. Calvin founded Geneva College, the predecessor of Geneva University, in 1559, and its trained priests were sent to all parts of Europe. Calvin is therefore known as the Pope of Geneva, and Geneva is also known as Protestant Rome. Calvin died in Geneva on May 27th, 564. His works include 52 volumes of The Complete Works of Calvin.
Calvin accepted some basic teachings of Luther: justification by faith, biblical authority, and frugal church (only baptism and Eucharist are reserved). His view of Eucharist is between Luther's "presence theory" and the "memorial theory" of kindness and arts, which can be called "calling the holy spirit theory" He believes that the Holy Spirit acts in our hearts and makes us understand redemption, righteousness, sanctification, eternal life and all kinds of gifts from Christ. But Calvin also has his own unique content:
(1) predetermination theory. This is the core of Calvinism, which is based on Luther's justification by faith and the fatalism of Paul and Augustine. He believes that God chooses the world with his absolute supreme will, and the chosen people are God's voters, otherwise they will abandon the people and be punished forever. His understanding of "voters" has nothing to do with prayer, good deeds and monasticism. , but it is entirely the grace of God. He believes that what believers do is to glorify God and prove that they are voters, which can be reflected in their career success, overall success and high morality. He encouraged believers to have indomitable spirit. Max. Weber believes that this is the theoretical basis of Calvin's asceticism ethics and embodies the spirit of capitalism. Engels said: "Calvin's creed suited the requirements of the bravest bourgeoisie at that time." Calvin deified the social reality of social differentiation and the success or failure of commercial competition in the primitive accumulation period of capitalism, encouraged the pursuit of wealth, and demanded that the bankrupt and the lower class obey God's arrangement.
2 church view. Calvin advocated that the church should supervise the state (Luther gave the church to the secular rulers) and the family. He transformed the society with his religious thoughts, christened the society, and established a theocratic country with the integration of politics and religion. Calvinism has more than 40 million followers in more than 80 countries. 1843 was introduced into China.
Calvin's influence goes far beyond Geneva. His works and the establishment of the Geneva church model, the Geneva Institute and his frequent correspondence with others cultivated Protestantism in France, Holland and Scotland and Puritans in England, and his influence penetrated into southern Germany, Poland and Hungary. Calvin's theory is the theoretical weapon of the bourgeois revolution in the Netherlands and Britain. His ethics gave birth to the spirit of capitalism and promoted the development of capitalism in western Europe and even the world.