IVP has a series of six-lesson studies on a
variety of topics. John Calvin, Sovereign Hope focuses on
John Calvin and some of his major themes. The series is designed
for either individual or group studies. It contains some up front
information on John Calvin and his time and provides study notes
at the end each section.
The topics of study range from “how can we
know God,” to “what does it mean to be chosen by God?” and
“what does God want from me?” The study’s inductive format
will be familiar to those who have used other IVP studies.
John Calvin was a theologian who was careful
to put God first in his work and the sovereignty of God was the
major overarching theme of his theology. He predated the modern,
or enlightenment philosophy that impacted so much of the
philosophical and theological world, even those who might be
called classical Calvinists. For these reasons, we believe he is
important for the postmodern generation which reacts against
modernism and the theologies resembling its paradigm. No other
theologian has claimed the world impact of John Calvin; primarily
because he rightly understood that Christianity is a system, not
just a collocation of loosely held individual doctrines.
As stated above, John Calvin is a theologian
from the second wave of the Protestant Reformation during the 16th
century. Every Christian should read his works. While his greatest
impact was on the “reformed” part of the Reformation, he
continues to be read by the Protestant church in general. Not only
did he see the sovereignty of God as the overarching motif of the
Reformation, he clearly accented the Bible as basis of the
Christian’s authority in faith and life. People who have only
read what secular historians have written about Calvin perceive
that his major emphasis was on predestination. While Calvin had a
place for every biblical doctrine in his work, including
predestination, his scope was far broader and emphasized the
sovereignty of God.
He completed the Institutes of the
Christian Religion when he was 26 years of age. It continues
to be heralded as one of the best, if not the best, systematic
presentations of Christian theology based solely on the Word of
God written. He wrote voluminously, penning commentaries on the
entire Bible (with the exception of Daniel and Revelation.) More
than 22,000 of his sermons and numerous “tracts and treatises”
have been published over the years.
This book, arranged as a daily devotion, is
an excellent way to delve into Calvin for the first time or to
keep in touch with his great writings. Each daily devotional
selection is limited to one page for easy use. Both of these books
offer a window into the mind of a great Christian thinker.
-Charles Dunahoo
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