Calvin - Saint or Sinner? - Spatmittelalter, Humanismus, Reformation / Studies in the Late Middle Ages, Humanism, and the Reformation

The Calvin year 2009 began on October 31, 2008 with a conference organized by the Institute for Reformation Research (Apeldoorn) on the topic "Calvin: Saint or Sinner?" A number of scholars dealt with the question of whether and how Calvin brought a renewal to theology, the church and society. This volume contains the papers held at this conference, which demonstrate the detailed and growing research on the reformer of Geneva.

Since the contributions reflect the latest research in Calvin studies, the conclusions reached in many of the papers are surprising. Calvin was not a reformer in all respects in the original sense, as some would have wanted him to be. However on other subjects he definitely distanced himself from tradition and from his fellow reformers. All in all, this volume gives an overview of the many facets of John Calvin and his theology.

Survey of contents:

Biography Irena Backus: Calvin in 16th Century Biographies - Max Engammare: John Calvin's Seven Deadly Sins - Isabelle Graesslé: Geneva against Calvin. The myth of the non-saint - Olivier Millet: Berufung, Arbeit und Krankheiten: Calvin als Leidensmann - Frans P. van Stam: Calvin as Plagiarist

Bible Jon Balserak: Expounding the "mens prophetae". Calvin on the prophets and Calvin as a prophet - J ohn L. Thompson: Calvin, Reformer of Exegesis? - Christoph Burger: Calvin, Luther und das Magnifikat

Theology Arnold Huijgen: Calvin and the real God - Volker Leppin: Calvin als Reformator der Theologie des Mittelalters - Anthony N. S. Lane: Anthropology - Calvin between Luther and Erasmus - Christian Link: Erwählung und Prädestination - Günter Frank: Natürliche Theologie bei Calvin und Melanchthon - Kees van der Kooi: Calvin's Christology. What's new?

Church Emidio Campi: Calvin, Reformator der Konfession - Karin Maag: Calvin as the Ideal Teacher - Scott Manetsch: Holy Terror or Pastoral Care? Church Discipline in Calvin's Geneva, 1542-1595 - Elsie Anne McKee: Calvin as Reformer of Spirituality