History of the Origins of World Religions Christianity No. 44: The Spread of Calvinism

Christianity No. 44: The Spread of Calvinism

　　

Calvinism arose later than Lutheranism, but Calvinism spread farther than Lutheranism and influenced more peoples. It spread not only to Germany, but also to England, France, Scotland, the Netherlands and other places. There are many reasons to explain this:

First, Calvin had legal training and methodical thinking, which made his teachings more understandable and less mystical. His teachings, which closely combine religious and social issues, call for the promotion of Christian ethics in secular societies are very much in line with the psychology of the civic classes of various countries.

Second, Calvin favored loans for interest and abandoned medieval economic principles, causing many merchants to consider him their friend. If the basis of Lutheranism is the land aristocracy, the basis of Calvinism is mainly the rich, knowledgeable bourgeoisie, citizens and merchants.

Third, Calvin's reforms in Geneva were successful, and he established a theocratic city republican government, which had an influence on the city and the civic class. He advocated the development of education, especially his commitment to the development of higher education, and the school he founded in Geneva was very famous, attracting students from all over the world, who often became Calvin religious believers after returning home, which made Calvin popular with intellectuals. Calvin also advocated republican government, which was often criticized by monarchs and princes, but had influence over the commoners who were fighting for freedom, opposing the king, and the tyranny of the nobility.

Fourth, Calvin had the idea of establishing a world Christian state, and he was influenced by Christian humanism, believing that religious issues needed to rely on collective strength and the power of political power. Lutheranism, on the other hand, focused on the mystical interaction between the individual and God, and saw salvation as a personal affair.

Finally, although the internal organizational structure of Calvinism is simple and clear, there are no popes and bishops, only elders and priests, but the Calvinical Church is very disciplined and adopts a helpful attitude towards Protestants in all countries. Calvin advanced the ideals of Christian ethics in the world and organized the sending of believers to various places for missionary work. All this has made Calvinism famous and prestigious.

　　Calvinism became the religion of most people in Switzerland, gaining a large number of people in the Netherlands. The people there united under the banner of Calvinism against their king Philip II of Spain.

　　Calvinism spread to Germany, where, after a brutal religious war from 1618 to 1648, was followed by the emperor's policy of religious tolerance. Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Catholicism were equally divided, and Calvinism became one of the three major denominations of equal status recognized by the government.

In Calvin's native France, it was largely supported by the urban middle class (about 13% of France's population), but among the nobility and peasants, Calvinism was less faithful.

Calvinism also spread to England and through John. The efforts of Knox and others spread to Scotland. Knox had been to Geneva to study with Calvin. In 1560, under his persuasion, the Scottish nobility abolished Catholicism and founded a church of its own, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Presbyterian Church embraced Calvin's doctrine that believers had long struggled with the Church of England in the hope of manipulating the newly founded Church of England and gaining at least religious tolerance.

In the early 17th century, a group of Calvinist English Protestants left England due to religious persecution, and with the help of Dutch Protestants, sailed to Massachusetts in North America on the Ship Mayflower, and these refugee Protestants founded the foundation of the Calvinist church in the Americas.

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