John Calvin Against the Backdrop of the North Sea

The School of

Divinity, History, Philosophy & Art History

Maintaining a tradition of teaching & learning dating back over 500 years

John Calvin Against the Backdrop of the North Sea

A French refugee who fled to Geneva, and who became one of the most influential leaders in the reformations of the 16th Century. Author of a best-seller which went through several editions in his lifetime, which remains in print nearly 500 years later. Preacher, theologian, pastor, civic leader, biblical expositor, family man, John Calvin has been the subject of caricature and reverence, loathed and loved. Why? And why bother about what he wrote, thought, or did in a small Swiss city state 500 years ago?

That’s what we enjoyed hearing about on Saturday the 12th of May at the Calvin for Pastors Conference. The leading authority on Geneva and Calvin, Professor Bill Naphy, explained the political intricacies of Geneva and the various tightropes Calvin had to walk between church and state. Professors Philip Ziegler and Paul Nimmo talked us through the architectonics of Calvin’s Institutes and in the process opened out the pastoral goals and motivation of Calvin’s incessant work and driven sense of God’s calling.

We were on the top floor of the Duncan Rice Library on a gloriously sunny day, with the North Sea horizon hazy in the distance. Wouldn’t we rather be elsewhere? Well, no. But only because we were engaged from the start and throughout by experts talking accessibly about theological horizons, opening up for us new vistas of thought. The aim was to encourage us towards a personal engagement with one of the most acute minds and serious pastoral theologians in the history of the Church. It was an enriching day. And it finished in plenty time to enjoy the later sunshine – best of both worlds really!

 

Search News

Browse by Month

2024

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2024
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2024
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2024
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2024

2023

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2023
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2022

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2022
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2022
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2022

2021

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2021
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2020

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2020
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2019

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2019
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2019
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2019
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2019

2017

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2017
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2017
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2017
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2017
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2017

2016

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2016
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2016
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2015

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2015
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2015
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2014

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2014
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2014
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2014
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2014
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2014
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2014
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2013

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2013
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2013
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2013
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2013
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2013
  8. Aug
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2013
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2013
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2013