AP US History A: Unit 1 - Calvinism in the Colonies

Calvinism - founded by John Calvin, leading French Protestant Reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation. His teachings, or the teachings of Theodore Beza, become essential to the Puritan way of the life in British Colonies in America. Where does this phrase the "Puritan work ethic" come from? Well, let's discuss that in th discussion boards for Unit 1. Why was Calvinism important to the early colonial development.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• John
• Calvin
• America
• United
• States
• History
• Theodore
• Beza
• Michael
• Servetus
• Protestant
• Reformation
• Puritans
• Determinism
• Predestination

[alt7310]

I'm sorry, but I just have to respond to this video. You obviously know very little about Calvin, and have never read any of his works. In Calvin's work Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, Calvin sets forth one of the most comprehensive accouns of double predestination that exists. Calvin scholars almost universally agree that Calvin believed in double predestination.

[dlgoyette]

@alt7310 "In his theology, Calvin sought to hold in balance the full range of Biblical teaching, arranged in a coherent pattern but not with absolute logical precision....Calvin's successor at Geneva, Theodore Beza, placed far more importance on the doctrine of double predestination than had Calvin." - Jaroslav Pelikan, Yale University; Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religion

[alt7310]

@dlgoyette You said double predestination was "branded" as Calvinism. My point is that your description is unfair, because Calvin DID believe in double predestination.

[dlgoyette]

@alt7310 Thank you for your coments. More than once in the lecture I mention that predestination was introduced by Calvin and that Beza made it central to Calvinism. I am simply echoing Armstong and Pelikan's point that predestination was not central to his teachings during his lifetime. I never said he didn't believe in double predestination. I have added clarifying annotations. Let me know if these fairly clarify the point. I appreciate your line of questioning.

[MODERATECALVINISM]

Colossians 3:15

*Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

[alt7310]

@dlgoyette Thank you for clarifying. To be honest, I don't know about Pelikan, but I have read Armstrong. She is, of course, not a Calvin scholar. But I think she deals with Calvin more fairly than she seems to deal with other movements. It would be good if you could put another note on your video saying that Servetus was not, in fact, "sentenced to death by Calvin". Rather, he was sentenced to death by the city authorities, though Calvin certainly supported this decision.

[alt7310]

Calvin never had any power to put anyone on trial in Geneva. Servetus had already been sentenced to death by the Roman Catholics, not so much for his opinions about the trinity, but rather for his outrageous rants, and was fleeing them. He believed he might find safety in Geneva. Once Calvin discovered Servetus had arrived in Geneva, Calvin reported him to the civil authorities. The civil authorities sentenced him to death by burning. Calvin pleaded with them to reduce the sentence to hanging.

[alt7310]

To the section of his Institutes covering predestination, Calvin gives this heading, “Concerning the eternal election of God by which He has ordained some to blessedness and others to damnation” (III.21). McNeill says, “Calvin goes beyond Augustine in his explicit assertion of double pre-destination, in which the reprobation of those not elected is a specific determination of God’s inscrutable will” (In Calvin 2006, p.lviii).

[RedBeetle]

Yes, both Protestants and Catholics sought for Servetus to be silenced. Of course, some wanted only to refute Servetus. I know I do not have to remind you how Catholic, secular, and Calvinist historians all have different historiographical methods. I look at history from a Calvinist perspective, but then I am a Calvinist. I don't expect a Catholic or a secular historian to paint Calvin in a favorable light, but this is not always the case. Have you ever read historian Page Smith?

[RedBeetle]

Here is another quote from Luther:

"How he believes or disbelieves is a matter for each individual, and since this takes nothing away from temporal authority the latter should be content to attend to its own affairs and let men believe this or that as they are able and willing, and constrain no one by force" (Selected Writings Of Martin Luther, Volume 2, "Temporal Authority: To What Extent It should Be Obeyed?," page298).

Does this relate to our 1st Amendment? Had Samuel Adams read Luther?