Europe Gearing Up to Celebrate 500 Years Since the Birth of John Calvin
"What's the big deal," you ask? Maybe it's time to find out.
(Geneva, Switzerland)—Did you know John Calvin was French? That he was a lawyer? That he wrote a church constitution based on the democratic principles of division of powers? That his treatise on Protestant theology was more profound that Luther's theses? That his institution of compassionate capitalism in Geneva helped lift Europe out of centuries of feudalism? (Portrait: Greatsite.com)
From what I've read of John Calvin's life, he was a complex, yet also simple, imperfect, modest, brilliant and extraordinary man of God who is often not given the credit, nor the honor, he deserves. Evidently, others feel the same way. His quincentenary (he was born 500 years ago on July 10, 1509) is being celebrated this year in what a Swiss daily is coining "Calvinomania."
As more media coverage of events begin to pour in, an AP article on Calvin is a great place to start for anyone wanting to learn more about this giant of the Church. It is both broad and succinct in its coverage of his life, and it may well inspire many to find out more about him. (Hint: like why he was asked to clean up Geneva, Switzerland, and why it was subsequently called "The City of God.")
You may access the article by following the link provided.
