JOHN CALVIN – A HEART FOR DEVOTION, DOCTRINE AND DOXOLOGY

The name John Calvin is sure to provoke discussion in most Christian circles, much of what is said is based on a caricature passed on by word of mouth and regarded as the truth.  The idea that he was a harsh doctrinaire individual who pioneered a system of teaching negating evangelism and promoting a cold, hard God has infected many.  Few are prepared to examine whether this one sided picture is true.  This particular book is a compilation of nineteen essays by a number of Christian evangelical scholars and pastors who have each spent many years reading and researching Calvin, his ministry and writings.  The result is a good book of short chapters that sets the record straight.   If any reader comes to this book with an open heart, it will whet the appetite for seriously examination of who Calvin was and what kind of man. Was he a gift of God to His church at a crucial season in its history?  The various authors included in this volume are not busy protecting Calvin from his critics nor promoting his teaching, rather they simply state things factually as to his life and ministry and faithfully let his teachings speak for themselves.  This is exciting; the truth of Calvin’s theology as it is succinctly set out as these chapters unfold will hopefully stir to further reading.  My own experience of the Calvinistic/Arminian argument throughout the years has confirmed to me that Calvin has suffered from his Christian critics unreasonably.  Often they have spoken and written with little real understanding of his heart.  It is time that we read more about him freed from our prejudices and this book will help a great deal in this regard.  There are those who have disregarded Calvin’s writings because of the perverted views that abound concerning them, some of these chapters will change that attitude, there is indeed a ‘warm’ Calvinism and he was not the clinical diagnostician that he is made out to be.  Calvin was one of the greatest theologians of all time, let ministers and preachers ignore him at their peril, let them distort his teachings and denigrate his person to their own risk.  There are riches here, riches for all of us, Calvin brings us to Christ, outside of Him there is no salvation, all the spiritual blessings are hid in Him and through the believers union with Him the life of communion will lead to holiness of life and service in His gospel.