An interesting article caught a little bit of the man in the NYT.com today, suggesting the following about Calvin's calling, which is similar to the Apostle Paul:
Although he confessed these failings, his best efforts at correction and reconciliation never extirpated them. What always came first was his conviction of a calling, the calling of a prophet, in his case modeled on Paul, the evangelist, the interpreter, the planter of churches, the negotiator of differences, the disciplinarian of congregations.
Today, such single-mindedness, especially if religious, seems unbalanced or baffling. It can be appreciated only when it drives a political, artistic or intellectual rebel struggling against long odds.
That is the special value of Professor Gordon’s detailed portrait of Calvin as a man in constant motion, beleaguered by political and religious turmoil, a leader who “never controlled his agenda.” The political independence of a militarily weak Geneva was always precarious. Factions within the city were rife. European Protestantism was disunited, torn by bitter quarrels over the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and threatened by the revived power of the Catholic Hapsburgs.Click here for more.
Happy Birthday, John!
Peace,
Pastor Brett
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