THE REFORMATION FATHERS 1530-1550

The printing press enabled the writings of Martin Luther to spread the flames of Reformation throughout Europe. The quick dissemination of ideas through the mass media of the press permitted the Reformation ideas of Luther to gain the attention, to stir the frustration, and to solidify the commitment of people in the learning centers around Europe.
The great church reformation ideas of Luther can be simplified and summarized with the phrases "Through Grace Alone", "Through Christ Alone", and "Through the Scriptures Alone". So much of the simple gospel had been either lost or covered by the crustaceans of 1500 years of accumulated tradition. The Reformers sought desperately to refocus and to redirect the attention of the church back to the simple affirmations of Apostolic Christianity. They passed over the accumulated traditions and they expositioned Christian faith and practice from the scripture.
To do this they had to struggle against both state and church. The Holy Roman Empire, in medieval theory a supposed continuation of Rome, but in fact a resuscitation of Charlemagne's German based Roman Empire, had its initial beginning in 962. State and church showed their interdependency when the pope crowned the emperor and the emperor used his authority and power to impose papal policy.

This empire located, by 1500, more or less in the area we now call Austria and southern Germany continued in name at least until 1806. The empire, functioning as the secular arm of the papacy, guaranteed Roman Catholicism the majority of the people. Relationships between these two powers varied during the years, but during the Reformation era the alliance between the pope and emperor was very strong. Those German princes siding with Luther found themselves face to face in confrontation with Emperor Charles V who was not about to tolerate any religious variation in his Holy Roman Empire. Religious variation was interpreted by the emperor as a seditious act against the state and led eventually to the century long religious wars which were to scar Europe so terribly.

Soon a second generation of Protestant Reformers began to emerge and assume the leadership of the Reformation. John Calvin of France was born in 1509. His father, in typical style of the pre-reformation age, had determined his son's profession and was gearing him for the priesthood. Even before Calvin was twelve, there were assigned to him various church posts from which he gained a certain income. A quarrel developed between Calvin's father and some church authorities which motivated him to withdraw his son as a candidate for the priesthood. Rather, he began to prepare him for law. The young student showed genius from the beginning and soon hob-nobbed with France's greatest humanists. The key reformers were intellectual giants with modern I.Q. specialists estimating Luther and Calvin having I.Q.s in the range of 175 - 180.

Reflecting the humanistic idealism of the classical Greco/Roman past, Calvin's earliest writing dealt with the Roman classical poet Seneca. In conversation with a number of people seeking reform in the church, he himself was not at first greatly moved. In the spring of 1532, fifteen years after Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the Wittenberg church door, Calvin tells us he experienced a "sudden conversion" after which his whole life and attention became focused on God. Calvin was in his early twenties.
While in Paris, Calvin became a close friend of the newly elected rector of the University of Paris, Nicolas Cop. Cop, also desirous of reform wrote together with Calvin his inaugural address to the University faculty urging church reform.

Almost immediately those of the Reform movement were branded Lutheran heretics. King Francis put a price on their heads which forced them to flee Paris for their lives. Soon after this incident, Calvin published the first edition of his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion. This constituted the most significant book written in the Renaissance-Reformation era. Calvin organizes and summarizes the theological thinking of the Protestant Christian movement. His first draft was completed when he was only 26 years old. Calvin's genius was more formulative than original. Standing on the shoulders of Luther and other reformers, he spoke with clearness, restraint and power. His writings brought him into position of leadership among the second generation Protestants which he assumed only with great reluctance.

A significant emphasis in the theology of Calvin lay in his perception of the sovereignty of God. Calvin, like Luther, Zwingli, Thomas of Aquinas, Augustine, Paul and the other truly great theologians of the church's history, have believed in predestination and election to salvation. Their theology was not fatalistic but "grace" oriented. Life and salvation are always dependent on the loving kindness and efficacious action of the sovereign creator. For Calvin, the realization of the truth and validity of predestination and election were always a source of comfort and security for the Christian. Popular theology focuses on man and his supposed abilities and capacities. Biblical theology focuses on the nature, grace and sovereignty of God.

Another significant and unique contribution of Calvin to the modern Christian movement was his emphasis that the government of the church not be in the hands of professionals. The church, following New Testament practice, was to govern itself through elders of the people chosen by the people. This process insures both competent and grass roots governance of the church.

Also, Calvin believed Jesus Christ was present in the celebration of the Lord's Supper in spirit rather than in flesh and blood. This contrasts with the Catholic and Lutheran view of the bodily presence in or with the elements of the bread and wine and also the Zwinglian view that the supper is in essence a memorial.

Fleeing France, Calvin attempted to go to Strasburg to study and write. The events of war required he detour through Geneva, Switzerland, a Reformed stronghold by 1536. While there, a Swiss by the name of Farel made a dramatic plea to Calvin to stay and help with the Reformed movement in Geneva. Hesitantly, Calvin agreed to stay. The Reformed movement in Geneva soon clashed with the political authorities, especially non-reformed elements. The politicians did not want the church to be independent of their control. By 1539 Calvin and Farel were forced to leave Geneva. After a period of disorder and chaos in Geneva, in 1541 the Reformed party returned to power and they pleaded with Calvin to return to Geneva. He complied and promptly set up his Presbyterian-type government in the church. Presbyterianism emphasizes rule in the church by elders elected by the people.

Education was highly esteemed by Calvin so he established an academy which became a great university center influencing all of Europe. In contrast with other reformers, Calvin was international in his scope of influence. With people coming from Poland, Scotland, England, Germany, Holland, France, Austria, Italy, Hungary, etc...there was no end to the influence of the Geneva school on the church life all over Europe.
The Reformation of the church occurred in a very barbaric and intolerant age. Religious deviation, especially when made public, was viewed universally as treacherous to the state and punishable by law. Beginning with this era hundreds of thousands of people suffered or died because of their faith choice. The shadow of this monstrous intolerance crept even into Geneva. One Miguel Servetus, a Spaniard already condemned to die by the Spanish inquisition, and long a heckler of Calvin, made his way to Geneva. Servetus was an outstanding physician and an aggressive Unitarian who denied the deity of Jesus. Upon arriving in Geneva he immediately sought to have Calvin removed from leadership thinking possibly he might replace him. Because of his disruptive character and refusal to leave Geneva, the civil authorities arrested him, had him tried and sentenced him to death. Calvin concurred in his death as did Luther's companion theologian, Melanchthon. At the close of the medieval age, with all of the political turmoil and danger to life, no theological tradition was without some moments of shame.

John Calvin died in 1564 after having set in motion the Presbyterian-Reformed movement of the Christian church now extending its influence to nearly every country in the modern world