John Calvin

Life of Calvin

Period: Jul 5, 1509 to May 27, 1564

Birth of Calvin

Jul 10, 1509

John Calvin was born on 10 July of 1509, in Noyon, Picardy region of France.

Calvin goes to Paris to study

Feb 5, 1523

At the age of 14, Calvin went to Paris to study. He studied seven subjects: Grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music.

Calvin changes College

Nov 30, 1523

In 1523 he changed to a more famous college, and also his name to it’s Latin form, which in French is Jean Calvin.

Calvin is converted to the Reformed religion.

Mar 16, 1527

Calvin was closely tied to the Catholic Church, even though teachings of Martin Luther and Jacques Lefevre d’Etaples were spreading in Paris. By 1527, he had been friend with reform-minded people, and his father told him to study the law rather than theology, wich helped him convert into a Reformed faith.

Calvin publishes his book Institutes of the Christian Religion

Mar 22, 1536

John Calvin published the first edition of his book Institutes of the Christian Religion, which talked about:
- It was indebted to Martin Luther.
- It was addressed to King Francis I of France.

War between King Francis I and Charles V and Calvin moves to Geneva

Oct 15, 1536

John Calvin disengaged himself from the Catholic Church, and made plans to move to Strasbourg, but there was a war between King Francis I and Charles V, so calvin decided to move to Geneva. He worked there as a preacher and Lecturer.

Calvin moves to Strasbourg

Jun 24, 1538

Calvin was asked to leave Geneva because of theological conflicts. So, he went to Strasbourg. His stay as a pastor to french refugees was happy and peaceful.

Calvin marries

Aug 18, 1540

Calvin got married to Idelette de Bure, a widow who had two children from her first marriage.

Calvin gets back to Geneva

Jul 26, 1541

In 1541, Calvin was requested by the Council of Geneva to get back to Geneva. He was emotionally torn and he wanted to stay, but he felt a responsibility to return.

Calvin publishes another book, The Form of Prayer and Church Hymns

May 17, 1542

Calvin adapted a service book used in Strasbourg, publishing “The Form of Prayer and Church Hymns”. Calvin recognized the power of music, and in the original Strasbourg psalter had twelve psalms by Clement Marot, and added many hymns of his own in the Geneva version. In 1542, Marot became a refugee in Geneva and contributed 190 more psalms. In the same year, Calvin published Catechism of the Church of Geneva, wich was inspired by Bucer’s Kurze Schrifftliche Erklärung of 1534.

Calvin start preaching less per week

Sep 30, 1542

Calvin preached over two thousand sermons. Initially, he preached twice on sunday and three times during the week, but as this was too hard, late in 1542 the Council allowed him to preach only once a sunday

Calvin's sermons start to be recorded

Aug 23, 1549

Calvin’s sermons started to be recorded so that they could be printed, Those sermons preserved in manuscript form are published in Supplementa Calviniana.

Calvin is required to preach more times

Oct 13, 1549

Calvin was required to preach twice on sundays and every week day of alternative weeks. His sermons lasted more than one hour and he did not use notes.

Another edition of Calvin's book was written.

Sep 14, 1559

• In his edition of 1559, he writes in four sections, about how the knowledge is considered the knowledge of the Father.
• In section two, how the Son reveals the father.
• section three talks about the work of the Holy Spirit, who raised Christ from the dead.
• Section four, about the Christian Church.

Death of Calvin

May 27, 1564

John Calvin died in 27 May of 1564, Geneva.