Exploring John Calvins Views on the Doctrinal Downfall of Man - Literature review Example

Exploring John Calvin’s Views on the Doctrinal Downfall of Man and the Need for a Civil Government Insert here – Section November 13, 2011 Table of Contents I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………. 3 II. Human Sin and Salvation………………………………………………………….………….. 3 A. Total Depravity…………………………………………………………………………....4 B. Unconditional Election……………………………………………………………………5 C. Irresistible Grace…………………………………………………………………………..5 D. Perseverance of the Saints……………………………………………………………….. 6 E. Limited Atonement ……………………………………………………………………… 6 III. Christian Community and the Christian Government …………………………………… 7 - 9 IV. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………9 Introduction The Reformation was a religious movement intended to rectify the teachings of the Catholic Church on human salvation. It abolished the systematized view on attaining salvation by emphasizing on human faith alone. Thus, for the Reformists, it is enough for man to believe in order to be saved. One of the most influential theologians during the Reformation period was John Calvin. Claimed by many as the founder of Calvinism, he shared some definitive teachings on the nature of man and on the significance of a Christian community. His lectures greatly contributed in the establishment of some religious and socio-political ideologies of today. In this light, we will examine the teachings of John Calvin by highlighting on two important aspects: firstly, his view on the nature of man in relation to the divine intellect; and secondly; his notion of the ideal socio-political community. I. Human Sin and Salvation All of the teachings of John Calvin are grounded on his unique conception of human nature, which according to him, is corrupt and wicked. 1 As underscored in most of works, the spiritual downfall of man was caused by the sin of Adam and Eve. As a result of this sin, man became spiritually dead. Thus, John Calvin believes that the spiritual downfall of man has made him unworthy to go to heaven, thus, he has to be essentially chosen by God to be saved. The choice, however, depends not on his actions on earth but on the destiny that has been arbitrarily assigned to him by God. In this light, the salvation of man rests heavily on the arbitrary and preordained judgment of God, for He has the right, the power, and the wisdom to do whatever he pleases. This sets forth the central tenet of Calvinism, which is predestination. The catechism of Calvinism is summarized into Five Points (Christ Covenant Sunday School 2009). An examination of each point will help elucidate some of the key issues related to Calvinism: firstly, the inherent nature of sin in relation to the work of Satan; secondly, the justification for the selection of the Elect; and lastly, Calvary and notion of limited atonement. 1. Total Depravity As described earlier, the whole being of man has been tainted by sin—his body, soul, intellect, will, and emotions. And because of this, man has lost his direct relation to God. Sin is deemed to be the activity of Satan. According to the bible, Satan is a fallen angel who lost his status due to perversion. His rebellion to God caused him to become the irreconcilable enemy of God. It can be stated, moreover, that Satan’s nature is marked by lies.2 His basic strategy of falsehood is intended not only to injure God, but also to destroy man. According to Calvin, however, the fall of man is his own responsibility. Although the conception of sin is formed by Satan, it is man that ultimately executed the act. As a result, man now bears the image of Satan and is now enslaved by it (Hallett 2010). Enslavement is defined as man’s ignorance of the truth. The fall has corrupted man’s knowledge of God, leading him to question His essence and existence. Because of this, it is his goal to find his way back to God. However, Calvin posits that man is entirely unable to seek God unless he is reborn with the capacity to accept or know His truth. 3 2. Unconditional Election The idea of regeneration or being ‘born again’ is crucial in the formation of his idea of predestination. In this sense, man’s regeneration depends not on his good actions on earth, but on the destiny that has been assigned to him by God. Thus, to Calvin, God has preordained the people who will be saved and those who will be not. As for the former, the selection of the Elect is claimed to be a subjective decision of God. The determination of the individual’s inclusion into the selected few is hinted by his capacity to believe in God. Thus, for Calvin, since salvation entails belief in God, and since only God gives the power to believe in Him, only those who believe will be saved. As for the latter, Calvin deems that this group is comprised of the unbelievers (Christ Covenant Sunday School 2009). Since regeneration precedes faith, the unbelievers cannot be saved because God has not provided them with the capacity to believe in the truth of His power. 3. Irresistible Grace Since Calvinism presented controversial precepts on the salvation of man, Calvin devoted most of efforts toward explaining the nature of the Elect or the selected few. For this part, Calvin believes that God draws the Elect to Him that they cannot resist his grace. The attractiveness of God’s activity leaves man desiring to receive God’s grace, since he ultimately wants to be saved. It must be pointed out, however, that the salvation of the Elite still rests on their decision to believe in God. 4 Similar to his fall, the rise of man into the kingdom of God is ultimately determined by one’s own choosing. 4. Perseverance of the Saints In connection to the last point describing the Elect, perseverance of the Saints, in Calvin’s teachings, means that those who believe will continue to believe and act as believers throughout their lives. Salvation, in this regard, is earned through hard work. Since mortal life is tainted by sin, and is therefore open to a myriad of temptations, it is the duty of the man to triumph over various worldly challenges. Through this point, Calvin is able to elevate the understanding of endurance as it is placed within the context of hard work. But, he links this notion back to predestination by arguing that the Elite are not saved because they endure, but they endure because they have been save. Endurance is a fruit of their salvation (MacPhail 2010). 5. Limited Atonement The last point goes back to the definitive delineation of the fate of God’s created beings—those who will be saved and not saved. Since it is pointed out earlier that man’s salvation rests upon the regeneration of man, it can be argued that the aforementioned categorization is logically flawed if taken into consideration Jesus Christ’s sacrifice in the Cross. Biblically, the Calvary signifies God’s mercy for man. It strengthens not his wrath for the sins he has committed but his unconditional love for His creation. Following this reasoning, it can be said that through Calvary, all people have been saved. Calvin directly opposes this notion by stating that Jesus Christ did not die for all, but only for the selected few. Although it is clear that Christ’s redemption is sufficient for all, it is not intended for all since he believes that the wicked shall perish by God’s ordination. To further clarify this point, it can be stated that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to all and salvation is announced to all; but for men to be saved, they must explore this blessing and determine whether God has given it to them or not (MacPhail 2010). II. The Christian Community and the Civil Government Since Calvin recognizes the two realms that govern human life—the physical and the political—it is his goal to provide teachings that aim to reconcile man’s understanding of the two. In this sense, Calvin’s view about the government stemmed from his belief in the necessity of a civil authority that physically and spiritually uplifts the depravity of man. 5 This conception is in line with his goal of having a public form of religion that should exist among Christians.6 Thus, for Calvin, an effective civil government is that which able to maintain peace and moral order in the society through the provision of free education, relief for the poor, hospital construction, prison reformation, improvement of sanitation systems, and protection and respect for refugees. This highlights Calvin’s apparent bias on the concept of a Christian community by emphasizing that the attainment of the society’s ultimate goals rests upon the spiritual unity of the citizens. Calvin believes that the determination of this goal rests on the effective structuring of the civil government, which is constituted of three primary groups: firstly, the Magistrate who stands as the protector or guardian of the laws; secondly, the Law which the Magistrate upholds; and lastly, the People who are governed (Cole 2009). Calvin advocated the civil government by reiterating the precept of ordination – no authority or government exists unless it is ordained by God. As for the Magistrate, although it has been granted the power of governance through the consent of the people, it must be noted that its original authority is still subject to God. (Cole 2009). Thus, the Magistrate must serve as the minister or servant of God; and as such, its members are expected to exhibit the image of God that is marked by guardianship, goodness, benevolence and justice. As for the Law, Calvin posited that although there is a natural law which is available and applicable to all, nations have the freedom to enact laws which it regard to be beneficial to its people. Moreover, laws that are to be established must be tested by the perpetual concept of love and must be equally applied to all (Cole 2009). As for the People Governed, every citizen has a duty to obey the civil government. This is in accordance to his notion that it is the duty of the citizens to respect what God has ordained to be the civil government. In addition to this, the people are also expected to submit to the laws of the government by paying taxes and performing the required civic duties. At this point, it is important to examine the types of civil government which Calvin deems as most apt. For this part, we will study his views on monarchy, democracy, and aristocracy. Calvin rejects monarchy as he deems it as the rule of the tyrants. On the other hand, Calvin heralds democracy as it promoted the dignity and equality among men, which reminds us that even in our fallen condition, we are granted with a remnant of grace as being created in the image of God (Cole 2009). Calvin strongly accepts aristocracy, since to him, it is ruled by the best—the wealthy, the intellectual, and the moral. In relation to the demarcation of the powers given to the church and the government, Calvin believed each should not be subject to each one. While both church and government are subject to God’s law, they both have their own God-ordained spheres of influence (Theopedia 2010). As an example, the church does not have the power to impose penalties for civil offenses, although it can advise the authorities to punish them. Similarly, the government is not allowed to intrude on the operations of the church” (Theopedia 2010). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that through a solid understanding of predestination and the indispensable role of God in the fate of man, John Calvin is able to integrate all his teachings into specific guidelines on how man ought to live his life in accordance to his nature and his social environment. List of References Christ Covenant Sunday School. 2009. "Calvin 500: The Five Points of Calvinism," CCSC Online. Available from http://www.ccsc.org/calvin/documents/Calvin_500.pdf; Internet; accessed 11 November 2011. Cole, Gary. 2009. "John Calvin on Civil Government," WRS Journal Online. Home page on-line. Available from http://wrs.edu/Materials_for_Web_Site/Journals/16-2_Aug-2009/Cole--Calvin_Civil_Government.pdf; Internet; accessed 11 November 2011. Hallett, Adrian. 2010. "The Theology of John Calvin. Part three: The Christian’s Conflict with the Devil," Church Society Organization. On-line documents. Available from http://www.churchsociety.org/churchman/documents/Cman_105_4_Hallett.pdf; Internet; accessed 11 November 2011. MacPhail Bryn. 2010. "John Calvin’s Doctrine of Election," Reformed Theology. Home page on-line. Available from http://www.reformedtheology.ca/calvin.html; Internet; accessed 11 November 2011. Presbyterian Church. (2010). "John Calvin and Civil Government," PCUSA Online. Home page on-line. Available from http://history.pcusa.org/resources/reformation_sunday/files/2010-Reformation-Sunday-Bulletin.pdf; Internet; accessed 11 November 2011. Theopedia. 2010. "John Calvin," Theopedia. Home page on-line. Available from http://www.theopedia.com/John_Calvin; Internet; accessed 11 November 2011. Read More