Calvin - Hardcover

Bruce Gordon

4.19

422 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300120761 ISBN 13: 9780300120769

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2009

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During the glory days of the French Renaissance, young John Calvin (1509-1564) experienced a profound conversion to the faith of the Reformation. For the rest of his days he lived out the implications of that transformation - as exile, inspired reformer, and ultimately the dominant figure of the Protestant Reformation. Calvin's vision of the Christian religion has inspired many volumes of analysis, but this engaging biography examines a remarkable life. Bruce Gordon presents Calvin as a human being, a man at once brilliant, arrogant, charismatic, unforgiving, generous, and shrewd. The book explores with particular insight Calvin's self-conscious view of himself as prophet and apostle for his age and his struggle to tame a sense of his own superiority, perceived by others as arrogance. Gordon looks at Calvin's character, his maturing vision of God and humanity, his personal tragedies and failures, his extensive relationships with others, and the context within which he wrote and taught. What emerges is a man who devoted himself to the Church, inspiring and transforming the lives of others, especially those who suffered persecution for their religious beliefs.

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Review:

"... [a] never-less-than-fascinating account." --Trevor Royle, The Herald, 4th July 2009

"Gordon is ... able to give the first truly coherent account I have read of Calvin's complex theological diplomacy ..."
--Alec Ryrie, Church Times, 31st July 2009

"...a considered book, balanced and fair, and very informative."
-- Edward Norman, Literary Review, 1st April 2009

"... ought to be regarded as definitive ... [and] even-handed ... Summing [Calvin] up isn't easy. Gordon has made a valiant attempt."
--Jon Wright, BBC History, September 2009

`... this biography paints a full and vibrant portrait of Calvin ... and makes enthralling reading.'
--Good Book Guide, 1st September 2009

`... a good way to understand the man and the world in which he lived ... a readable and comprehensive biography.'
--Stephen Beer, Tribune, 18th September 2009

`This is an impressive book.' --Noel Malcolm, Standpoint, 1st October 2009

'...an illuminating and engaging life of Calvin to celebrate the quincentenary of his birth...lively, but scholarly...an excellent biography.'
--Peter Stephens, Methodist Recorder, 15th October 2009

`[A] masterful biography...succeeds spectacularly by allowing a vivid insight into the life and world of Calvin.'
--Hilmar Pabel, The Tablet, 12th December 2009

`This biography excels in providing a scrupulous, detailed narrative from the ground up.' --James Simpson, Times Literary Supplement, 18th December 2009

About the Author:

Bruce Gordon is professor of Reformation history, Yale Divinity School. He is author and editor of a number of books, including The Swiss Reformation.

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