Along with Martin Luther, multiple people set out to reform the Church, but instead set up new religions. John Calvin, a strict and harsh theocrat, was among these people. He received a master's degree in theology and a doctorate in law. His work, Institutes of the Catholic Religion, proved to be one of the most important works of the Reformation Period. In this work, Calvin taught of the primacy of the Scripture and absolute supremacy of God, while denying the idea of sacraments. Calvin also condemned he papacy, monasticism, and clerical celibacy. Calvin's biggest doctrine however, was his teaching of Predestination. Predestination is the teaching that God has already decided on whether a person will go to heaven or hell before they are even born. This would make any human effort to salvation worthless, and almost a waste of time.
|