A History of the Origins of World Religions Christianity No. 43: Calvin's Theological Views 2

Christianity No. 43: Calvin's Theological Views 2

Calvin attached great importance to the material construction of the city, emphasizing the mutual responsibility of both the individual and society. He believes that as a community, no one can seek personal gain. The property of the city needs to be shared by its members. From a social point of view, the community should take care of everyone's life, especially the government should provide relief to the poor, the beggar should be strictly prohibited, Calvin allowed loans to have 5% interest, but he did not allow people to seek huge profits, and advocated interest-free loans to the poor. At the same time, he advocated the development of industry and commerce, especially the silk and garment industries. He advocated the provision of job opportunities to every genevan and the enjoyment of the right to produce labour. Calvin advocated that everyone should work diligently to fulfill the vocation given to them by God, and praise God by doing his job well, because God calls people to do a job, so there is no distinction between high and low in all walks of life.

　　The strict boundaries between the traditional monastic and secular professions were abolished, and Calvin believed that the work of a devout peasant was no inferior to that of a cleric. A kind of manual work can also be considered as people performing their vocations and obeying God's call, so they are also part of religious belief. The emphasis on "vocation" also means that all job opportunities will be open to ordinary people, and everyone will be equal before opportunities. Calvin also believed that hard work is the responsibility of Christians, so the success of the cause is evidence of the christian's behavior, but richness is not a sign of the electorate, and poverty is not a sign of abandonment. Calvin refused to place personal self-interest in the first place, but advocated the realization of a system of public interest and social welfare under the administration of conquest. When the Protestants in France fled to Geneva, Calvin advocated helping them. He made these exiles citizens of the city and his most powerful social foundation.

　　Calvin's theology embraced Luther's teachings in many ways, and Luther's concepts of original sin, human inability to be self-perfect, and preconclusive had a great influence on Calvin. But Calvin also had many differences from Luther. Luther advocated the complete separation of the spiritual world from the secular world and did not recognize the possibility of building the kingdom of God on earth. Luther believed that religious belief was a very personal matter, subject to secular rulers in secular and social affairs. Calvinism advocates the establishment of a kingdom of God on earth, calling for the combination of theology and government to establish a new Christian order through sanctified government institutions. As a result of Luther's Reformation, the church was placed under the rule of the princes, while Calvin's Geneva protested the city, and Geneva became a Protestant stronghold and cathedral.

　　Calvin was a man who emphasized discipline and order. After 1530, Luther's Reformation weakened, losing support due to its over-reliance on princes. Calvin's religion brought about a new Reformation climax. Calvin did not fall into personal soul torment and contemplation as Luther did, he calmly transformed into a Protestant, because the Protestant camp already existed in Calvin's time, but in Luther's day it did not.

　　Luther's theology was mystical, while Calvin was deeply influenced by humanism in his youth, paying more attention to logical and rational analysis. Calvin was influenced by Christian humanism and wanted to realize the Christian kingdom on earth.

　　Calvin divided faith in God into high and low levels. In the lower stages, faith and obedience to God are required, and at the higher stages, it is necessary to become a conscious instrument for the attainment of God's goals. As long as you believe that you are acting according to God's plan and will, you don't have to worry about the salvation of your soul. Calvin advocated a high degree of self-discipline, and as long as you discipline yourself and believe in God, you will become God's chosen people. Calvinism therefore has a specific goal of establishing the Church of God in the world.

　　Calvin was intolerant of human shortcomings. He also attributed this to God's work for human achievements. His religion was also based on the Bible. The door of faith is very narrow, but profound and powerful.

　　Calvin advocated the concept of the elect, not believing that people have a lot of personal freedom of choice, he emphasized God's plan, and everything boils down to the completion of God's plan. In this respect, calvin, though consistent with Luther, seems to have placed more emphasis on collective experience than Luther, who emphasized the mystical interaction of the individual with God.

　　The preconclusive concept means that some people will be soul-saved, some people will not be able to save their souls, and human behavior cannot change this state. But the elect themselves know that they can be saved souls because there are signs that they are God's chosen people. For example, they know that they are on God's side, that they are fulfilling God's mission, that they are living a holy life, etc. As long as one thinks about one's own actions and has a sense of mission from God, one feels God's call and thus realizes that one is God's chosen person.

　　Calvinism emphasizes that the church is a place where Christians are reunited. So, it's a place of mass, not a hereditary ecclesiastical government. In this sense, Calvin believed that the church could not be in the hands of the princes and nobles, but should be in the hands of the people. The specific approach is that the people elect the clergy, so from this point of view, Calvin's church has a certain democratic character. Calvinism's theory of becoming God's chosen people and the idea that the church must be democratic have greatly influenced European history. Under Calvin's influence, Geneva became a city of God. The people united in the Calvinist Church against the secular rulers. People from all over Europe came here to study Calvinism, and when they returned, they spread Calvinism throughout Europe.

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