Reddit Reddit reviews Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 Volume Set)

We found 7 Reddit comments about Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 Volume Set). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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7 Reddit comments about Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 Volume Set):

u/davidjricardo · 28 pointsr/Reformed

Hi /u/iwillyes, I'm glad you're here! Let me start by talking a bit about what the Reformed tradition of Christianity is.

The Reformed Tradition is a branch of Protestant Christianity that developed during the Reformation in Switzerland, Scotland, France and the low countries. John Calvin was (and is) the most influential theologian in the Reformed tradition. While we share many similarities with Anglicans, Baptists and Lutherans we are usually seen as a distinct strand. We disagree on the meaning of both Baptism and the Eucharist, for example (in both regards Lutherans are closer to Catholics). Pentecostals and Anabaptist are quite different.

In terms of what makes the Reformed different from other Protestant groups, I love this quote by Cornelius Plantinga:

>>Our accents lie more on the sovereignty of God, on the authority of Scripture, on the need for disciplined holiness in personal Christian life, and finally, on Christianity as a religion of the Kingdom.

That emphasis on the sovereignty of God over all things is in my mind what most clearly distinguishes the reformed tradition. Part of that is understanding God to be sovereign in salvation - what is commonly known as the five points of Calvinism. Basically we believe that because of we are dead in our sin, man is utterly unable to do anything to save himself - even unable to turn to God. It is only through God's grace of drawing us to him that we are able to have the faith that saves us. This means that we contribute nothing to our own salvation - it is entirely a work of God.

In the U.S. there are two main groups of Reformed churches: Presbyterians (the Scottish Reformed) and the Dutch Reformed. Historically Scottish Reformed have put a bit more emphasis on personal piety (the Puritans are part of this group) while the Dutch Reformed have put slightly more emphasis on declaring the Lordship of Christ over all creation. But, we are very, very similar. The Reformed tradition is a deeply confessional one. We hold to historic documents that describe what we understand scripture to teach on a wide range of matters. The Presbyterians hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Dutch Reformed hold to the Three Forms of Unity. While different documents, the two sets of confessions essentially teach the same doctrine.

In terms of churches the large (100k+ members) Presbyterian denominations in the US are the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbyterian Chrurch in America. the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and ECO: A Covenant Order of Presbyterians. The PC(USA) is a more "liberal" church while the others are more "conservative" to varying degrees. The two large Dutch Reformed denominations are the Reformed Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church. There are also many smaller Presbyterian and Reformed denominations. Many of them are part of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council.

What complicates things a bit is that in recent years, many Christians in other traditions have started using "reformed" to mean they have a Calvinistic view of salvation, even if they don't fit into the broader reformed tradition in other ways. You will find a lot of Baptists who have a Calvinistic view of salvation, but not of the sacraments or the church, for example. This sub tends to attract both the more conservative branch of the Reformed tradition as well as those who just have a Calvinistic view of salvation.

In terms of books, my number one recommendation for you is Letters to a Young Calvinist: An Invitation to the Reformed Tradition by Jamie Smith. It's a quick easy read best digested in small parts. It does a great job of providing an overview of the Reformed tradition that is accessible, theological, and pastoral. It's aimed at those who have a 'come-to-Calvin' moment from within other theological traditions (Smith was pentecostal), but would benefit everyone.

Also read through some of the Reformed Confessions. The best place to start is with the Heidelberg Catechim and the Belgic Confession. If you want a more modern approach, I'd encourage you to also read the Christian Reformed Church's Contemporary Testimony Our World Belongs To God, too.

Other good "intro" level books:


  • Reformed: What It Means, Why It Matters by Bob DeMoor. This is more of a booklet that a full book. It'd be a great option for a newcomers class at church.

  • Deep Down Faith by Cornelius Plantinga. This one is a devotional aimed at young adults, but an excellent explanation of Reformed Faith.

  • Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul. This is the book that made me a Calvinist. Best explanation and defense of TULIP out there. Sproul's The Holiness of God is anothe excellent choice, as are all of his books.

  • Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport: Making Connections in Today's World by Richard Mouw. Another book focused on TULIP. This one's goal is to show how the doctrines of Grace affect the way we live out our lives and correcting common misunderstandings about Calvinism.


    Once you feel ready for higher level stuff, I recommend:

  • Reformed Theology by Michael Allen. If you want a book that covers the breadth of Reformed Theology at a deep level than Smith or DeMoor, this is for you (think intro college level).

  • Reformed Catholicity: The Promise of Retrieval for Theology and Biblical Interpretation by Michael Allen and Scott Swain. This book is a clarion call: “to be Reformed means to go deeper into true catholicity, not to move away from catholicity.” A must read.

  • Reformed Dogmatics (Abridged) by Herman Bavink. My appreciation for Bavink grows every time I read him. This abridged version is much cheaper and more accessible than the full four volume edition.

  • Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. This one needs no explanation. Get this one if you want to splurge for a nice reference edition, the Beveridge Translation is available for much less (and free online).
u/REVDR · 6 pointsr/Reformed

The McNeill edition of the Battles translation is the standard text for most seminary courses.

u/b3k · 6 pointsr/Reformed

Of course the top "reformed book" is Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion.

A great and useful book is the Heidelberg Catechism (or the Baptist version).

And, something put together this century is Valley of Vision, a great book of prayers to help learn to pray better.

u/friardon · 5 pointsr/Reformed

I have this version and it is a really easy to read translation. The only complaint I have is the typeface. Other than that, it's great. Look for it used or on Kindle if $90 is a bit steep. I bought mine under a pastoral stipend back in the day.

u/MapleLeafEagle · 3 pointsr/Christianity

Which James White? I hear good things about Dr. James Emery White, though I have never read any of his works.

This James White is a different story. He's not really a "doctor", all his doctoral degrees come from an unaccredited institution. I haven't interacted with his work too much, mostly because he comes across as a bit arrogant and confrontational in the works I have read. His apologetic work often strikes me as disingenuous, uncharitable, and often pseudo-historical towards those he is arguing against, especially Roman Catholics.

I do have quite a few books I would recommend:

First, I would read the following:

The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort

These are collectively referred to as the "Three Forms of Unity", and are the baseline documents for continental Reformed (Calvinist) churches. In addition, I recommend the following:

Good Introductions

Letters to a Young Calvinist by James K.A. Smith

Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport by Richard J. Mouw

What is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul

A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin

Digging Deeper

Pilgrim Theology by Michael Horton

The Christian Faith by Michael Horton

The Institutes of the Christian Religion in the 1536, 1541, or 1559 editions by John Calvin. Also available online here

Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck

Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof

As well anything by the following authors:

Modern: R.C. Sproul, Michael Horton, James K.A. Smith, Cornelius Plantinga, Alvin Plantinga, John Piper, and Tim Keller.

1800s & 1900s: J. Gresham Machen, Herman Bavinck, Abraham Kuyper, G.C. Berkouwer, and B.B. Warfield

Pre-1800s: Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox

u/makumazahn · 2 pointsr/Reformed

I'd recommend John Owen's Overcoming Sin and Temptation and Communion with the Triune God. The first book quite literally changed my life. Then if you want to read the Reformed response to Bellarmine, check out Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology. This book is seen in Reformed circles the way Aquinas is in Catholic ones. Calvin's Institutes are incredible, too, and far more accessible.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/Christianity

This is a good list. Quick suggestions...

As others are saying, Athanasius' On the Incarnation is a must-read if you're looking at the great theological works of the tradition. I have the edition from the Popular Patristics series sitting on my shelf. It's a good translation. You can also find it here online.

For Augustine, read his Confessions. It's the first autobiography in the West. That's pretty wild. I read the Oxford edition; that's what I usually see people point to. His City of God is also very important.

For Aquinas, his great work is the Summa. It's massive. And in order to really understand Aquinas, you should understand Aristotle first. Your reading list is getting quite long now—but there are abridgments and reading guides to Aquinas out there if you're interested. Peter Kreeft's Summa of the Summa has often been recommended to me.

John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion should be added. It's hard to overstate the significance of this work. Many would call this the greatest theological work that came out of the Reformation. The Battles edition of the Institutes is more expensive but far more readable than the older Beveridge edition.

Jonathan Edwards is one of the greatest minds in American history. He's certainly not as important as Calvin, but his End for which God Created the World and his Religious Affections are both very good works by, like I said, one of America's greatest minds.

God bless you if you can make it through 14 volumes of Barth's Church Dogmatics. They say Barth's exceedingly important, and I believe them—but frankly I'd put him at a much lower priority than anyone else here. Because Barth stands in the Reformed tradition, I doubt one is able to fully appreciate him without first reading Calvin anyway.

When someone asks about the greatest theological works, some will always recommend works by contemporary writers. Some very good stuff has been written by folks who are still alive; N. T. Wright comes to mind, though I think he's too verbose for his own good. But I'm of the opinion that we don't yet have the historical distance to discern whether works by contemporary authors ought to be placed among the undisputed greats of the tradition.