Calvin and the Independence of the Church

Herman Speelman deals with a central question in the intellectual history of the sixteenth century: to what extent can Calvin be regarded as responsible for the tendency in Calvinism or, broader, in Reformed Protestantism, to form a church which has its own ecclesiastical organization and office bearers? So far, claiming a great deal of independence for the church has been considered an important aspect of Calvin's legacy. In this line of reasoning, it is assumed that Calvin was a strong opponent of the church as a state organization that did not have its own governing body and power of excommunication. To better understand this issue, we first examine the position of the church within the city-state of Bern. Secondly, we direct our attention to the manner in which Calvin gave form to ecclesiastical life in Geneva. Next we deal with the church in France, and finally, we examine the influence of Calvin and French Calvinism on the organization of the Reformed church in The Netherlands in the 1570s.

1;Cover ;1 2;Title Page ;4 3;Copyright ;5 4;Table of Contents ;6 5;Body ;8 6;Foreword by Erik de Boer;8 7;Preface;12 8;Translators Note;14 9;General Introduction;16 10;Chapter 1. The Church in Bern after 1528;20 10.1;1. The Church in Bern after 1528;23 10.2;2. The Church in Bern after 1532;39 11;Chapter 2. Calvin and the Independence of the Genevan Church 1536 1538 and 1541;58 11.1;1. The state of the church between 1536 and 1538;62 11.2;2. The ecclesiastical situation late in 1541;104 12;Chapter 3. Calvin and the Independence of the French Calvinist Church from 1559 to early 1562;144 12.1;1. The Formation of Local Churches;146 12.2;2. The National Church;153 12.3;3. Political Pressure;181 13;Chapter 4. We were right to follow the Genevans: Calvin and the Church in the Netherlands 1572 1578;210 13.1;1. Motive and background;212 13.2;2. The Kerkelijke Wetten (1576) and the Acts of the Synod of 1578;223 13.3;3. Responses to the synod of 1578;237 14;Chapter 5. Conclusion ;248 15;Abbreviations;258 16;Afterword;260 17;Literature;262 18;Sixteenth-century Names;282 19;Other Names;286 20;Geographical Terms ;290 21;Back Cover ;293