A Quincentennial; or Happy Birthday, Jean Cauvin

Today marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of noted theologian John Calvin. It is difficult to overstate Calvin's influence theologically, particularly in the United States, where our religious thought -- regardless of denomination -- is heavily shaped by Calvin.

Born in France (as Jean Cauvin; the Anglicized version is John Calvin), Calvin gained prominence as a religious and political leader in Switzerland, where he often found himself at the center of controversy. At one point in career, he was forced to leave Geneva due to a theological dispute, although the Genevan church eventually invited him back with open arms.

A prolific writer, Calvin wrote commentaries on almost every book in the Bible, published many sermons, wrote hundreds of letters, and authored several theology books. His most noted work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, was a complete summary of his central theological views. First written when he was in his 20s, Calvin revised and expanded the text five times during his life (each version was published). At its heart, the book presents a theology where an omnipotent God dominates virtually all aspects of life. This led to Calvin's famous belief in double predestination, in which God determines from the outset which people will be saved and which people will be damned.

More important, though, is the emphasis that this puts on a divine purpose for each human life. A God who controls all aspects of the world also controls what each created being should do in that world, argues Calvin, meaning that each person has God-given tasks to discover and perform. This view of "the meaning of life" has become instilled in American psyches (in particular), deeply ingrained even apart from religious belief. (Just think about how often it occurs in popular media.)

My theological thinking is heavily influenced by Calvin (and by his great predecessor Augustine), though I usually admit that grudgingly because Calvin seems like such an unlikeable fellow. Brilliant, yes, but also the last guy you'd ever want to invite to a party (or anywhere else).

There is some media coverage of today's anniversary, but less than I'd imagined there would be, and less than a figure of Calvin's stature and influence deserves. But here are some articles marking this day:

• Peter Steinfels in The New York Times
• William Klempa in the National Post (a Canadian publication)
• an AP article also published on the DisciplesWorld website
• and an essay by Serene Jones (Disciples theologian and now president of Union Theological Seminary) on Belief.net