Institutes of the Christian Religion
by John Calvin · Institutio Christianae Religionis
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1536; final edition 1559
- Era
- Renaissance
- Form
- Theology
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Epic · 1500 ppover 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Difficult4 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendInstitutes of the Christian Religion, translated by Ford Lewis BattlesWestminster John Knox Press, 1960John T. McNeill's two-volume edition of the 1559 text, the standard scholarly translation.
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The systematic statement of Reformed theology, first published as a short handbook in 1536 and expanded through five editions to four books. Book I treats the knowledge of God as creator, scripture and providence; Book II the fall, human depravity and Christ the redeemer; Book III faith, justification by grace alone and the doctrine of predestination; Book IV the church, sacraments and civil government. The last chapter, on civil government, sets out the duties of magistrates and the limits of obedience.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Institutes of the Christian Religion are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
