Calvinism

Theological approach to a Christian lifestyle named after John Calvin.

Calvin's main work Christianae Religionis Institutio (1536-1559) had a great influence on the development of the Protestant church. The main points of Calvinism include the belief in the sovereignty of God and the reading of Christian scriptures: according to Calvin, all religious belief should be founded on the literal reading of Scriptures, including church organization, political organization, and society itself.

Calvin, as well as Luther, denied man a free will and blamed this on the original sin of Adam and Eve. But Calvin went further than Luther and developed the theory of predestination, meaning that God only chose a few men for salvation, while the others are damned. Hard work, austerity and faith lead to economic success, which is a sign of being one of God's chosen people. The concept of predestination also had an impact on the economy (the sociologist Max Weber called this the "Protestant Work Ethic"). During the 17th century Calvinism started spreading in Europe.

Calvinism is often summarized by the Five Points of Calvinism:

Total depravity
Unconditional election
Limited atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the saints

Sources

Calvinism: Catholic Encyclopedia, 21 July 2009 [1]

Kalvinismus: Brockhaus, 21 July 2009 [2]

Lectures on Calvinism: The Stone Lectures of 1898 Kuyper, Abraham, Six Lectures Delivered at Princeton University, 1898, 22 July 2009 [3]

Reformation: John Calvin. Hooker, Richard, Washington State University, 22 July 2009 [4]