John Calvin, the son of
a clerk, was born in Noyon, France, in 1509. He studied in Paris,
Orleans and Bourges and in 1533 became a supporter of the Protestant
Reformation.
Calvin's book, Institutes
of the Christian Religion (1536) was an explanation of
the new theology. This was followed by Ecclesiastical
Ordinances (1541) which dealt with church government. Calvin
argued that there should be equality within the clerical ministry
rather than the episcopal hierarchy of the Roman
Catholic Church. Calvin's supporters became known as Presbyterians.
In 1536 Calvin moved to
Geneva where he had great success in imposing his religious doctrines
on the people living in the city. His views also spread to France
and the Netherlands. The government of Presbyterian churches is by
elected representative bodies of ministers and elders. Under the influence
of the teachings of John Knox, the minister
of St. Giles, Edinburgh, Presbyterianism
became very strong in Scotland.
John Calvin died in 1564.
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