John Calvin's Theories Of Protestantism

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To begin with, John Calvin, a French theologian, sounds like an optimist hoping to bring about change. He was a man who stood by his beliefs and fought for them. Although pressured to become a lawyer, he did not follow the same path as his father. During his time at the University of Orleans, he first joined the cause of the Reformation as a Protestant Reformer. The Reformation occurred from the years 1517 to 1648. It was a schism or a divided period caused by differences of opinion in Western Christianity. It was in 1536 that John Calvin issued a print of his own Institutes of Christian Religion, which was at the time, a premature attempt on standardizing his theories of Protestantism. Essentially, his teachings and spiritual beliefs emphasized …show more content…

Michael Servetus denied that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. In addition, he denied the idea of paedobaptism, which in turn, furthered him from the Catholic and Protestant churches. Before coming to this heretical belief, Michael Servetus became involved with Protestant leaders and was even a Protestant himself but that all changed. Once he began to write and publish books, it was all downhill from there. His books were analyzed by the Caltholic Church and that is when they condemned him as a heretic. This ultimately resulted in his arrest, and trial, which in the end, he was sentenced to the death. He somehow managed to escape his untimely demise and flee heading towards Italy. In doing so, he decided to travel through Geneva, which is, as previously stated the home of John Calvin and the center of the hostility and anger against Michael Servetus ' beliefs. According to the Challies site, "Servetus ' decision to stop in Geneva was in no way innocent. Some have suggested that he arrived in Geneva almost by accident, but this is not true. He was clearly hoping to exert influence over Calvin and to convert him to his errant understanding of the Trinity. It seems that Servetus was a strange combination of genius and lunatic." Even after this, Michael Servetus wrote a letter to John Calvin, which essentially asked to continue his own teachings and if he may return to Geneva. John Calvin responded in a way that took initiative and eventually decided Servetus ' fate. Finally, whn Michael Servetus arrived back in Geneva, John Calvin felt pressured to make a decision as to continue to let him teach or execute him. He consulted with other leaders of the Protestant Church, but worried that his decision may make him look softer than the Catholic Church. A trial