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The long Reformation - Reformed - Geneva and Calvin

5 important questions on The long Reformation - Reformed - Geneva and Calvin

Who was to lead the most successful and expansionist branch of the Reformed movement?

It was a Frenchman in exile, John Calvin, who was to lead the most successful and expansionist branch of the Reformed movement from his base in Geneva, labelled 'the Protestant Rome'.

How is the Genevan Church described by historians?

John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, famously described the Genevan Church as 'The most perfect school of Christ that ever was since the days of the Apostles'.

What three factors stand out when analysing the influences of Calvin?

Three factors stand out when analysing the influences upon, and explaining the influence of, Calvin's thought:

first, his education and the implementation of doctrine;
second, his experience of co-operation and conflict with urban authorities;
and, finally, his formation as a religious refugee.

What did Calvin's education bring?

Calvin's education in theology and law in the leading French universities and law schools in his day gave him the rhetorical and analytical skills which he later put to good use in his widely circulated sermons.

What did Calvin's insistence for independence of the Church lead to?

Calvin's insistence on the independence of the Church brought him into conflict with the Genevan authorities, but allowed Reformed Churches to be established even within states where the authorities were hostile or viewed as ungodly.

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Early Modern History

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