Calvinism: A Very Short Introduction

John Calvin was born only a few years before the Christian church in Europe was plunged into the chaos of the Protestant Reformation. To Calvin, the only thing that mattered was correcting God's church, which he thought had wandered away from the truth. Throughout his adult life, Calvin manifested a singular passion with God. He desired intensely to subjugate the world to what he saw as God's truth, and his ideas started the movement now known as Calvinism. From Calvin's time, the movement has grown and spread throughout Europe and into North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Today 'New Calvinism' is a major branch of Protestantism.

In this Very Short Introduction Jon Balserak explores Calvin's life and considers the major ideas and issues associated with the Calvinist system of thought. He looks at how Calvinist ideas and practices spread and took root, helping shape societies today. Much of contemporary thought - especially western thought - on everything from civil government to money, suicide, and divorce has been influenced by Calvinism. Balserak also combats common misconceptions about Calvinism, and explores the relationship between Calvinism and the modern world.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


[T]his book achieves its goal to introduce readers to the topics of Calvinism in a stimulating and accessible way.-Eundeuk Kim, Reading Religion

This very small volume introduces and entices, familiarizes and complicates all at once. Those pairings are hard to pull off, but this little gem does so...this reviewer can imagine it being of much use to young undergraduates, especially those seeking to get a feel for how neo-Calvinism or Kuyperianism with all its entanglements in varied fields and disciplines relates to the wider world, deeper history, and ongoing debates about Calvinism or Reformed theology. In that regard, Balserak proves to be a particularly helpful guide. -- Michael Allen, Journal of Reformed Theology