Calvin Jubilee – Celebrating 500 years of reformed faith and life

Calvin and reformed faith

Introduction to Calvin and Reformed Faith

Three major strains of Protestantism arose in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century:  Lutheran, Anabaptist (Mennonites and others) and Reformed.  The Reformed tradition is the tradition that comes initially out of Switzerland under the leadership of Ullrich Zwingli in Zurich and Calvin in Geneva.

“Central to this tradition is the affirmation of the majesty, holiness, and providence of God who creates, sustains, rules, and redeems the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love. Related to this central affirmation of God's sovereignty are other great themes of the Reformed tradition:

  1. The election of the people of God for service as well as for salvation;
  2. Covenant life marked by a disciplined concern for order in the church according to the Word of God;
  3. A faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God's creation;
  4. The recognition of the human tendency to idolatry and tyranny, which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God.” [G-2.0500]

From the Presbyterian News Service

WARC essay contest to focus on Calvin’s take on environmental, financial stewardship

Lombard Essay Competition helps mark Reformer’s 500th birthday

by Jerry L. Van Marter

GENEVA — To mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches has developed a Calvin theme for its annual Lombard Essay Competition.

The theme of the competition — which is open to all theology students or pastors 35 years of age or younger — is “What Would Calvin Say? Responsible Stewardship in the Face of Today’s Ecological and Financial Crises.”

Essays must be submitted no later than Sept. 1, 2009. They must address both environmental and financial stewardship. Keep reading.

Ideas!

Giving Up Calvin for Lent
by Tammy Wiens

In a year dedicated to John Calvin’s legacy, it is intriguing to note one thing Presbyterians cannot trace back to him: our practice of Lent. Those of us who choose to “give up” something for Lent are not doing so with Calvin’s blessing. More than likely Calvin would also be surprised to find Presbyterians wearing ashes on their foreheads at the beginning of Lent, because Protestants have historically avoided that practice. For many years Presbyterians and other Reformed Christians shied away from all things Roman Catholic. [Keep reading]

What Does Calvin Mean to Me?
by Grace Choon Kim

On a hot summer afternoon in 2004, I was treated to an unexpected visit to John Calvin’s birthplace in Noyon, France. The Rev. Lee, the senior pastor of the Korean Presbyterian Church in Paris, guided my husband and me to the childhood house of Calvin, which is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Paris. Noyon is a small city with a rich historical heritage, and Calvin’s house is managed by the city as a historical and cultural site. In Noyon, we found a small two-story building with simple pieces of furniture and some of Calvin’s memories. Compared to Martin Luther’s birthplace, it was a plain and common place. I remember feeling a sense of solitude in the quiet room where Calvin lived his childhood days. [Keep reading]

What Presbyterians also influenced Reformed faith?

The following people also played an important role in Presbyterian/Reformed Tradition.