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Calvinist Church

Calvinism (named after John Calvin and also called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a doctrine theologically Protestant and approach to life Christian . Although it was developed by several theologians such as Martin Bucer , Heinrich Bullinger , , Peter Martyr Vermigli , Ulrich Zwingli and Theodore Beza , it bears the name of reforming French Jean Calvin due to the dominant influence he had on her and the vital role he played in the confessional and ecclesiastical debates of the XVI century. Today the term refers to the doctrines and practices of Reformed Churches. More rarely, it means the teaching of Calvin himself . Calvinism is known for the doctrines of predestination and total depravity.

Summary

History

International Influence of John Calvin on the development of doctrines of the Protestant Reformation , started at the age of twenty-five years old when he began writing the first edition of his theological treatise entitled Establishment of the Christian religion , in 1534 (published 1536 ). This work is undergoing a number of changes later and translated it into French vernacular. Writing this book and its controversial pastoral work, his contributions to the confessions of faith , and its important work of biblical exegesis , led Calvin to exert a direct influence on Protestantism. With Martin Bucer , Heinrich Bullinger , Peter Martyr Vermigli , Ulrich Zwingli , Beza , Guillaume Farel and John Knox , Calvin, played a large role in the development of the doctrines of Reformed Churches. He eventually became the dominant reformer.

The growing importance of Reformed Churches and John Calvin, are part of the second phase of the Protestant Reformation, when Protestant churches began to form after the excommunication of Martin Luther by the Catholic Church. Calvin was a French exile in Geneva in Switzerland. He signed the Augsburg Confession as amended by Philipp Melanchthon in 1540 , but his influence was first felt in the Swiss Reformation , which was not Lutheran but Zwingli. The doctrine of the Reformed churches since the beginning of their existence, has developed in a direction independent of Luther, under the influence of numerous writers and reformers, including Calvin became prominent. Much later, when his fame was linked to the Reformed churches, this doctrine as a whole was called Calvinism.

Expansion

A Reformed Church in Hungary.

Although the bulk of the practice of droult Calvin in Geneva, his publications have extended his ideas in a Reformed Church in many parts of Europe. Calvinism became the theological doctrine majority in Scotland with John Knox , the Netherlands with William Ames , and TJ Frelinghuysen Wilhelmus in Brakel , and parts of Germany (especially those near the Netherlands) with Caspar Olevian and Zacharias Ursinus. Calvinism exercised some influence in France, Hungary, Transylvania , Lithuania and Poland. He also gained some popularity in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, where he was however rejected in favor of Lutheranism after the synod of Uppsala in 1593 .

Most settlers who settled in the Mid-Atlantic and New England were Calvinists. This included the Puritan English, Huguenot French, Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam , and Ulster-Scots Presbyterians in the region of the Appalachians. Dutch Calvinist settlers were also the first European to successfully colonize South Africa in the seventeenth century. They were later named the Boers , or Afrikaners.

The Sierra Leone was largely colonized by Calvinist settlers from Nova Scotia who were mostly Black Loyalists who had fought for the British Empire during the American Revolutionary War. Pastor John Marr had established a congregation under the auspices of the connection of the Countess of Huntingdon. Some of the largest Calvinist communities were formed through the missionaries of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries , including Indonesia, Korea and Nigeria.

Today, all the churches of Calvinist (Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregational and United Church of Christ ) together, after the site Adherents.com , about 75 million people . The World Communion of Reformed Churches , the international body that brings together churches from most of Calvinism, it claims about 80 million believers .

France

In France today, the descendants of Huguenot Calvinists are all qualified, which would not have been taken as an insult by their ancestors. The Huguenots fought (and Calvin among them in his youth) long before the spread of Reformed worship influenced by Calvin (who was later located in Geneva) for freedom of conscience, without any established church, and well often in spite of the wrath of John Calvin. Repressed under Francis I , Henry II and Francis II , they formed under the latter, together with other malcontents, the conspiracy of Amboise , which failed. The Colloquy of Poissy in 1561 , their hope was an edict of tolerance, when the massacre of the Huguenots to Wassy gave the signal for civil war.

Although much weakened by the defeats of Dreux ( 1562 ), Saint-Denis ( 1567 ), Jarnac and Moncontour ( 1569 ), the Calvinists had won major concessions by the treaty of Amboise ( 1563 ) of Lonjumeau ( 1568 ) and Saint-Germain ( 1570 ): that's when Charles IX and Catherine de Medici sought to harm them in the fatal night of St. Bartholomew ( 24 August 1572 ), but this massacre, which was to bring them the last shot, did that raise a new war, which lasted until the accession of Henry IV to the throne. This prince made in 1598 an edict known as the title of Edict of Nantes , which secured the freedom of conscience to the Calvinists and their abandoned cities as collateral.

They rebelled again under Louis XIII , but Richelieu subdued by the capture of La Rochelle ( 1628 ). Louis XIV ruled in 1685 the revocation of the Edict of Nantes , this impolitic measure aroused soon after several uprisings, notably that of Camisards , in the Cevennes , in 1706 , and determined the emigration of many Calvinists, who went abroad to bring their capital and their industry. Under Louis XVI , in 1787 , the, Calvinists were granted a new edict of toleration. Soon after, the Revolution of 1789 ensured their complete freedom. In nineteenth-century Calvinist worship is paid by the state as the Catholic cult. The organization of the churches is based on territorial division and the meeting of five churches is a synod.

In France, among them, which are the main stream of Protestantism history include the Reformed Church of France , the Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine , the Independent Evangelical Reformed Churches and the Evangelical Free Churches.

General rules

As painted here by Emanuel de Witte in 1660 , Calvinism is sometimes characterized by its churches and its sober lifestyle and robbed.

The term Calvinism is somewhat ambiguous in that it can lead to think that the doctrine of the Calvinist churches or movements corresponds fully to the writings of Calvin. In fact, some theologians and reformers had considerable influence on what is now called Calvinism: for example the successor of Calvin, Theodore Beza , the Dutch theologian Franciscus Gomarus , founder of the Presbyterian Church John Knox , and many other figures such as Baptist English John Bunyan and the American theologian Jonathan Edwards.

One of the specific features of Calvinism is the doctrine of soteriology or salvation. This highlights the inability of men to obtain salvation. God is the only one to spearhead every stage of salvation, faith formation to all decisions that lead to follow Christ. Calvinism stresses therefore particularly on the importance of divine grace in salvation, and the fruits of this grace in both the life of the believer in Christian society. This doctrine was solemnly formulated and codified during the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) which was rejected another theory known under the name of Arminianism .

Calvinism is sometimes identified with the Augustinian because his conception of salvation, which occupies a central place in Calvinism, is supported by St Augustine in the debate which opposed the monk Breton Pelagius. Unlike the free will advocated by the American minister Charles Finney and others disaffected, Calvinism places strong emphasis not only on perpetual goodness of the original creation, but also the total destruction of the achievements Human and frustration of the whole creation, caused by sin. Therefore, he believes salvation as a new work of creation performed by God, rather than the success of those who are saved from sin and death.

More broadly, Calvinism is synonymous with "Reformed Protestantism", encompassing the entire doctrine taught by Reformed churches. The reformers were not the predestination a central dogma, and instead encouraged the preaching of "the whole counsel of God" that is to say of Scripture as a means to achieve salvation. The covenant theology , in addition to relying on a Calvinistic soteriology , is the architectural structure that unifies all the doctrines of Calvinism. Regarding the practice of worship, the main specificity is the adoption of the regulative principle of worship that is to say, the rejection of all forms of worship that is not explicitly ordered by the Bible . This differs from Calvinism Lutheranism that respects the other hand, the normative principle of worship.

Features

There are several ways to present the different characteristics of Calvinist theology. The best is perhaps the one that exposes the five points of Calvinism , though these points identify some more differences with other Christians on the doctrine of salvation, they summarized the doctrine as a whole. Generally speaking, Calvinism stresses the glory of God, supremacy and sovereignty in all things.

Sovereign Grace

Calvinism argues for a complete ruin of the moral nature of humanity with the only possibility to salvation, the grace of God. It teaches that humanity fallen morally and spiritually unable to follow God. Men can not escape conviction before God, and only divine intervention, whereby God changes their hearts reluctant to allow men to spend the rebellion or indifference to voluntary compliance.

According to this view, all men are to thank you God, that would be fair if he were condemned for their sins, but who chose to be merciful to some. A person is thus saved while another is condemned. One that is saved is not because of his own will, his faith, or any other virtue, but because God has chosen to take pity on her. Although this person has to believe in Scripture and apply it to be saved, this obedience of faith is a gift from God. In this way, God completely and sovereignly accomplishes the salvation of sinners. Calvinists are not unanimous among themselves about predestination to damnation (the doctrine of reprobation ) and hello (doctrine of election). A debate between them and the supralapsarians infralapsaires (see lapsarianisme ).

In practice, Calvinists teach sovereign grace primarily for the exhortation of the Church because they believe the doctrine demonstrates the extent of the love of God, which has saved those who could be and follow. Takes away a sense of pride and autonomy of people by focusing on the total dependence of Christians vis--vis the grace of God. In the same way, sanctification in the Calvinist conception implies a constant dependence before God to expiate the perversities of the heart dominated by sin, and to promote the joy of Christian .

The five points of Calvinism

Calvinist theology sometimes likened to the five points of Calvinism, also called the doctrines of grace, which is a point by point reply to the five points in the admonishment developed Arminian. They serve as summary of the decisions of the Synod of Dort in 1619. Calvin himself never used such a model or directly opposed Arminianism.

Therefore these points are a summary of the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, not a full summary of the works of Calvin and the theology of the Reformed churches in general. In English, they are designated by the acronym TULIP, though the order of items is not the same as that mentioned in the Canons of Dort.

The central assertion of these canons is that God is able to save every human being whom he has mercy and that his efforts are not hampered by the inability or the impiety of men.

Corruption Total

Main article: Total Corruption.

The doctrine of total depravity (also called "total depravity" or "total disability" ) explains that as a result of the fall of man in sin , every person born into the world is a slave to sin. Men are not by nature inclined to love God with all their heart, their whole mind and with all their strength, but rather to serve their own interests over those of their neighbors, and to reject God's law. They are unable, with their own faculties, to choose to follow God and be saved, because they are unwilling to do so because of the need of their own nature. The term "total" in this context refers to sin affecting the whole of a person, not the fact that each individual is as bad as possible .

Jacobus Arminius himself and some of his supporters later, such as John Wesley , also supported the doctrine total corruption.

Unconditional election

Main article: Unconditional Election.

Also called double predestination , this doctrine asserts that all eternity , God's choice to bring him to some people is not based on their virtue, merit, or their faith. It is based on the unconditional mercy of God alone.

The doctrine of unconditional election is sometimes seen as the main doctrine of the Reformed churches, including sometimes by some of its members. However, this ruling does not hold in the doctrinal statements of these churches. Unconditional election and its corollary of the doctrine of predestination are never fully taught by the Calvinists, except for such insurance, for those who seek forgiveness and salvation through Christ, their faith is not futile because God is able to bring to completion those he chose to save. However, non Calvinists argue that these doctrines promote discouragement in search of salvation.

The atonement

Main article: Limited Atonement.

Redemption or atonement or particular limited is the doctrine which teaches that the substitutionary atonement of Jesus is final and definite in its intention and its realization. This doctrine follows the notion of God's sovereignty in salvation and the Calvinistic conception of the nature of redemption. The Calvinist view of redemption in effect as a penal substitution : Jesus was punished in the place of sinners. And since it would be unjust for God to redeem the sins of some of then still condemn them for their sins, then all those whose sins were atoned for must necessarily be saved.

Furthermore, since in this plan, God knew exactly who would be saved and since only the elect are saved, then there is no requirement for Christ to atone for all sins in general, but only those elected. Calvinists do not believe however that the redemption is limited in its value or power. In other words, they believe God could have elected and redeem everyone. But redemption is limited in the sense that it was designed for some and not for everyone. Thus, Calvinists argue that redemption is sufficient for all and efficient for the elect.

The irresistible grace

The doctrine of irresistible grace, also known efficacious grace, claims that the redeeming grace of God is effective for those he chose to save, that is to say the elect. At the time chosen by God, she triumphs of their resistance to obeying the call of the Gospel , and bringing them to saving faith.

This doctrine does not argue that one can not resist any influence of the Holy Spirit of God , but the Holy Spirit is able to overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible and effective. So when God sovereignly decided to save someone, that person will be saved with certainty.

Perseverance of the Saints

Perseverance (or preservation) of the saints is also known as the "eternal security." The term "saints" is used here in the Biblical sense to refer to all those who are placed apart by God, not in the technical sense of one who is exceptionally holy , canonized , or in heaven (see Saint ). Under this doctrine, since God is sovereign and His will is never hindered by anyone, so those he called to communion with him persevere in faith until the end. While some away from it, it's either they never received the true faith, or they will return to her.

This doctrine is slightly different from the free grace or the phrase "once saved, always saved" that is preached by some evangelicals. According to it, even if it is in a state of apostasy or impenitent, an individual is truly saved if he had accepted Christ at one point in his life. In designing traditional Calvinist, apostasy proves that a person was never saved .

The nature of the atonement

Another area of disagreement with Arminianism that appears within five points, lies in the design of the Calvinist doctrine of substitutionary atonement of Jesus as punishment for the sins of the elect. This design was developed by St. Augustine and especially St. Anselm and Calvin himself. Calvinists argue that if Christ suffered the penalty instead of a sinner, then it must be saved since it would be unfair if he was subsequently convicted of the sins that have been redeemed. Final and binding nature of this design consenting atonement, leads to large consequences for each of five points. She has led Arminians to adopt the governmental theory of atonement. According to this theory, there is no particular sins or sinners, but all humanity is included in those whose sins have been redeemed. The atonement was not a payment of the debt of sinners, but a substitute for such payment, allowing God to withdraw His grace from punishing a sinner when it is repented and believes in Gospel.

The covenant theology

Although the doctrines of grace have generally attracted the most attention in the contemporary Calvinism, the theology of the covenant or federal theology , is the architectural superstructure that unifies the doctrine of Calvinism as a whole .

Calvinists design the transcendence of God as the relationship between God and his creation established by voluntary condescension of God. This relationship he establishes is an alliance. The terms of the relationship are immutably enacted by God alone .

Reformed writings usually refer to a covenant of redemption intra- Trinitarian. The relationship between God and man, which in the historic Calvinism is based on a dual alliance reflects the distinction made in the early days of the Protestant Reformation, between law and gospel. The covenant of works (the first alliance) includes morality and natural law , by imposing its requirements for creation. Under these requirements, the man has an eternal life and supreme happiness on condition he observes a continuous obedience, personal and perfect . With the fall of man, the alliance continues to occur, but only to condemn sinful man . The covenant of grace is established during the fall and implemented through successive historical alliances, recorded in Scripture, in order to bring redemption. Under the provisions of this covenant, salvation does not come from personal conduct, but a promise. Peace with God can only come from a mediator, which is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is seen as the federal head of his elect. Accordingly, the alliance is the foundation of the doctrines of substitutionary atonement and the imputation of active obedience of Christ .

God is everywhere

Theories that relate to church, family and political life, and are all called an ambiguous "Calvinism", are the result of a religious conscience imbued with the sovereignty of God as part of its alliances both creational and redemptive. Goodness and power of God then have free and unlimited applications, and his works are proof that God works in all areas of life , including areas spiritual , intellectual and physical , whether secular or sacred , public or private, on earth or in heaven.

According to this view, the plan of God is at work in each event. God as creator, reigns supreme over all things, and as Redeemer over those he has saved. The absolute dependence vis--vis the Christ is not limited to the sacred (just to the church or explicit acts of piety such as prayer ) but also extends to all tasks trivial and secular vocation. For Calvinists, although the kingdom of God in redeeming the church remains distinct areas of common activity with those who are not Christians, no part of life is truly autonomous vis--vis the kingdom of Christ.

Worship regulated by God

Worship in a Presbyterian church in Virginia.
Article: a href = "% C3% Principe_r A9gulateur_du_culte"> regulative principle of worship.

The regulative principle regarding worship , which distinguishes the Calvinist approach the public worship of God from other Christian traditions, is that only those elements who are ordained or appointed as a precept or example in the New Testament are acceptable for worship. The regulative principle asserts that God instituted in the Scriptures what he requires for worship, and anything that is not part is prohibited. Expressing own ideas of Calvin, the regulative principle is guided by the latter's obvious antipathy towards the Roman Catholic Church and its worship. Calvin also associates musical instruments with icons , which he believes is a violation of the prohibition of graven images by the Ten Commandments , although Calvin himself should authorize other songs in addition to the biblical Psalms .

Variants

Many efforts have been undertaken to reform or develop Calvinism. They gave rise to a number of variants in or around the Calvinism, which marked more or less its history.

Lapsarianisme

Main article: Lapsarianisme.

Within scholastic Calvinist theology, there are two schools of thought about when and whom God predestined: The supralapsarian (Latin supra "over", meaning here "before" and slip, "fall") and the infralapsarian (from the Latin infra, "below", meaning here "after", and slip, "fall"). The first claims that the fall was partly produced to facilitate the action of God in accomplishing its goal is to select certain individuals for salvation and some for damnation. The second is the doctrine that will ensure the fall, which was planned has not been based on who would be saved.

The supralapsarians think that God chose which individuals to save before he decided to allow the man to fall. The drop is then a means to achieve the decision taken earlier to send some people in hell and others to heaven. It provides the conditions necessary for the condemnation of the reprobate and the need for redemption in the case of elected officials. In contrast, infralapsaires ensure that God logically planned the fall of man before deciding to save or condemn individuals, since they believe to be saved, one must first need to be saved something. Therefore, the divine decree of the fall must precede predestination to salvation or damnation.

These two views vied with each other at the Synod of Dordrecht in 1618-1619, during which was attended by an international body representing Calvinist churches throughout Europe. The decisions of this synod took up positions in favor of infralapsarian . The influential Westminster Confession of Faith also teaches infralapsarian but is also sensitive to the position supralapsarians . Today, the controversy has lapsarienne few supporters who are heard on one side and the other, but generally, it does not receive much attention from modern Calvinists.

Amyraldisme

Main article: Doctrine of Saumur.

The amyraldisme , also called "doctrine of Saumur", "hypothetical universalism" or "four-point Calvinism" is a doctrine of Calvinism after that abandons the principle of limited atonement in favor of unlimited atonement stating that God provided the atonement of Jesus Christ to all in the same way. But observing that no one would believe all alone, God would have chosen those it would lead to faith in Christ. Thus, the principle of unconditional election Calvinist is satisfied .

This doctrine was, in large part, actually established the Academy of Saumur by the French Reformed theologian Moses Amyraut who gave his name. The formulation of this doctrine was for him an attempt to bring Calvinism from Lutheranism. It was popularized in England by the Reformed pastor Richard Baxter and gained strong adherence among the Congregationalists and some Presbyterians in the American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The amyraldisme is present in various evangelicals the United States and the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. It is common in moderate and conservative groups of Presbyterian, Reformed, Baptists , evangelicals among members of the Church of England churches and some non-denominational.

Historically, amyraldisme was called "moderate Calvinism" . The apologist Norman Geisler defines his point of view in this way, but many theologians reject the idea that it would be a moderate Calvinist. And James White describes his thought of "simple modified form of Arminianism history " .

The theologian Robert Charles Sproul believes that there is confusion about what the doctrine of limited atonement actually teaches. Although he considers it possible for a person to believe four points of Calvinism without believing in the fifth, he argues that someone who really understands these four points "must" believe in limited atonement because of what Martin Luther called the "irresistible logic" .

Hypercalvinisme

Main article: Hyper-Calvinism.

The hyper-Calvinism is primarily refers to an eccentric design occurred in the first Particular Baptists English in the 1700s. Their doctrine that denied the appeal of the gospel to " repent and believe "is addressed to every individual and that is the duty of everyone to believe in Christ for salvation. Although this doctrine has always been a minority, it has not been relegated to the past and is now present in some small denominations and Christian communities. The term also appears occasionally in controversial circumstances on a theological or secular. It then usually connotes a negative opinion concerning certain types of theological determinism or predestination. It also sometimes means a version of Evangelical Christianity or Calvinism that is described as ignorant, hard or extreme by those who criticize.

Theology dialectic

Main article: Dialectical Theology.

In the traditional Reformed churches, Calvinism has undergone revision and development under the influence of Karl Barth and dialectical theology (also called theology of crisis or neo-orthodoxy). Barth was an important Reformed theologian Swiss who began writing in the early twentieth century and whose main achievement was to counteract the influence of the Enlightenment in the churches. The Barmen Declaration expresses the reform of Calvinism Barth. Conservative Calvinists (as well as some liberal reformers) regard it is ambiguous to use the term "Calvinism" to refer to neo-orthodoxy or other liberal revisions from Calvinist churches, because of theological differences that exist between these doctrines.

Neo-Calvinism

Besides the traditional movements within the conservative Reformed churches, several trends have emerged through the attempt to propose an approach to the contemporary world but theologically conservative.

The neo-Calvinism is a version of Calvinism which was adopted by both conservatives and liberals (in theology). He won influence in the late nineteenth century in the Dutch Reformed churches. It developed from the theories of the theologian, politician and journalist Dutch, Abraham Kuyper. Critics of this movement on the part of most modern Calvinists was described as a revision of Calvinism, but a review more conservative compared to modern Christianity or neo-orthodoxy. The neo-Calvinist or " Reformed philosophy "are a response to the influences of the Enlightenment, but generally they are not directly related to the doctrines of salvation. The neo-Calvinists regard their work as an update of the worldview Calvinist in response to modern circumstances. They want either an extension of the Calvinist understanding of religion issues scientific , social and political. To show their consistency with the historic Reformed movement, supporters refer to chapters 1-3 of 1 pound of the Institutes of the Christian religion of Calvin. United States, neo-Calvinism of Kuyper is represented among others by the Center for Public Justice , a think tank whose political and denominational headquarters in Washington.

Neo-Calvinism branched off into more theologically conservative movements in the United States. The first of them grew to become important in the writings of Francis Schaeffer , who had gathered around him a group of academics, and broadcast their ideas in writing and through L'Abri , a study center Calvinist Switzerland. This movement generated a renewed social consciousness among evangelicals.

Christian Reconstructionism

The "Christian Reconstructionism" is another neo-Calvinist but much smaller, more radical and theocratic. However, it is described by some as widely influential in American political life and family. Reconstructionism is a distinct revision of Calvinism Kuyper's approach, which differs markedly from the influence of origin by the total rejection of religious pluralism and the proposal to the modern civil governments to enforce sanctions from the biblical law. These characteristics are among the least influential of the movement. Its founder intellectual Rousas John Rushdoony , based much of his opinions on the ideas apologetics of Cornelius Van Til , father of prsuppositionalisme and professor at Westminster Theological Seminary (although Van Til does not support such a view). This movement has a certain influence among the conservative Reformed churches, in which he was born, and among the churches and Baptist Calvinists charismatic , mainly in the United States.

Reconstructionism seeks to completely rebuild the structures of society on Christian and Biblical presuppositions. According to its proponents, this goal will not be achieved by structural changes from top to base, but through the steady progress of the gospel of Christ in the minds of men, as is evident from the conversion of men and women, which subsequently implement their obedience to God in all the areas they are responsible. By adhering to the principle theonomy , this movement seeks to establish laws and structures better able to implement the ethical principles of the Bible, including the Old Testament , as summarized in the Decalogue. While not a political movement, strictly speaking, Reconstructionism has nonetheless been influential in the development of certain aspects of the Christian right and some critics have called " Dominionism. " Reconstructionism ensures that God instituted in the Scriptures , all it requires to organize society and oneself, while extending the regulative principle of worship to all areas of life.

Calvinism today

In recent years, Calvinism has undergone a revival in North America . The magazine Time in 2009 described the new Calvinism as one of "ten ideas changing the world" and his supporters as Baptists and Southern Baptists mainly .

Influences religious and social

Money and Capitalism

Main article: Protestant work ethic.

One school of thought linking the rise of the Industrial Revolution in the Netherlands and England and Calvinism. She says that it has allowed the development of capitalism in Protestant countries in Europe. This argument was especially developed by Max Weber in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in which he argues that the capitalist spirit of Calvinism is based on . For him, in fact, Calvin has elevated the work and effort to the level of religious practice while emphasizing the austerity and simplicity of lifestyle, resulting behavior of savings and thus led to the emergence capitalism . The German theologian Ernst Troeltsch argues that capitalism does not originate in Calvinism but Calvinism promoted the capitalist spirit after being under the influence of the capitalist economy . For George Goyau , Calvinism has religious individualism, which encouraged economic individualism and capitalism as well . However, according to economist Andr-Emile Sayous , Calvinism has hindered the development of capitalism, including advocating limiting the rate of interest in Geneva, a city where Calvin and many Protestants had settled .

For Calvin, wealth is a manifestation of God's grace. It is therefore not really human and therefore must flow from rich to the poor . Thus, rich and poor have a social function: the rich should distribute his money to the poor to help him and the poor should receive money from the rich so that proves the solidarity between men chosen by God. The poor then the "prosecutor" of God, by which the rich man is judged by his charity and faith .

On the loan at interest , Calvin believes that its prohibition as mentioned in the Bible, does that loan to those in need and not industrial and commercial loans, which were unknown at the time in Israel . It thus prohibits the first but allowed the latter . In doing so, he opposes the earlier reformers, like the Catholic Church, condemned lending at interest. Calvin, however, sets limits on their loans to these terms and creditors . He also warned against its abuse potential . The loan interest is thus entitled to Geneva, but under certain conditions. The rate of interest established by the authorities, for example, is much lower than elsewhere at the same time. After his death, his successors shall comply with the design of lending at interest. In the proposed creation of a bank in the city, Theodore Beza warn against the dangers that could pose the desire for wealth on the manners .

Arminianism

Main article: Arminianism.

Theological and political movement, which grew in opposition to Calvinism, and now called "Arminianism", was founded by the theologian Dutch Jacobus Arminius and revised and further developed by Remonstrants. Arminius rejected several principles of Calvinist doctrines of salvation, namely the final four points of what was later named the five points of Calvinism. Today, the term "Arminianism" is often used to denote both Arminius's doctrine and that of Remonstrants. However, the disciples of Arminius distinguished themselves sometimes calling itself the name "Reformed Arminian" .

The doctrine was condemned at Remonstrants Synod of Dort, held in the town of that name in Holland in 1618-1619. Supporters of Arminius and Remonstrants are generally not considered "reformed" by most Calvinists. Many evangelical Christians adopted the positions supported by Remonstrants. The doctrine of Arminius was revived by evangelist John Wesley and is now common, particularly within Methodism.

Comparison between Protestant movements

This table summarizes the differences between conceptions of salvation, Calvinism and two other Protestant movements .

Subject Lutheranism Calvinism Arminianism
Free Total corruption without free Total corruption without free Corruption does not preclude free will
Election Unconditional election to salvation only Unconditional election to salvation and damnation Conditional election based on the prediction of faith or unbelief prediction
Justification Justification for all, accomplished in Christ's death Limited justification to those who are elected to salvation, accomplished in Christ's death Possible justification for all but completed only when the individual chooses faith.
Conversion Through the means of grace resistible Without means, irresistible Implies free will, resistible
Preservation and apostasy Away is possible, but God gives the assurance of preservation. Perseverance of the Saints Preservation provided to persevere in faith, possibility of apostasy total and permanent.

References

(In) This article is partially or entirely from the article in English entitled " Calvinism "(see the list of authors )


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