The theology of the Calvinist Protestant Church.In the 16th century, during the religious reform movementCalvinAdvocate, hence the name.With his works《Christian principles》It is the foundation of theology.Some ideas followLutherans Theology, some are original.[2]
The main contents are:《Bible》Is the only criterion of faith;After the fall and crime of Adam, the first ancestor, human nature was completely corrupted, so human beings could not save themselves by themselves;Who will getRedemptionWho will eventually sink has already been "predetermined" by God.Those who believe that they will be saved are all "called" by God in advance;People can only be justified by believing in God and Christ;becauseoriginal sinNo matter how good or bad a person's behavior is, he cannot improve himself, so "justification" is all granted by God's grace from outside, and has nothing to do with his internal spiritual function.He also believes that once people get the grace of God, they will never lose.Affirm the authority of the Bible, and advocate that the political power should be assimilated into the religious power, and the church should implementPresbyterian system, notepiscopal 。It is believed that the blood of Christ is not really in the Holy Communion, but this sacrament is not only a symbol, but also evidence that the recipient can obtain God's favor through appearance.[2]
Calvinism has different meanings in different discussions. In modern theological discourse habits, Calvinism means“Redemption reservation theory”Follow“Salvation alone”。[1]
historical background
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Calvin
Calvinism appeared insixteenth centuryThe period of religious reform.Fundamentals of Authenticityreligious doctrineIt is basically similar to the Lutheran Sect, and also recognizes the belief in human factorsChristAnd MuneSememeThe main feature of orthodoxy is that the elders are elected to supervise the religious affairs, and the church is managed collectively by the pastor and the elders who are not under the priesthood. They believe that no one can enjoy unlimited power, and that church members can participate in political activities, so that the secular world is closer to the will of God.Therefore, in countries where orthodox people hold power, ordinary believers pay more attention to economydemocratic systemAnd public education, and established a number of democratically elected countries.
Gui Zhengzong pays attention to preaching the doctrine, the ceremony is in the local language, and more emphasis is placed on singing hymns.The main tribes are the Presbyterian Church (popular in Scotland), the Congregational Church (popular in Britain and America), etc.
Main points
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Calvinism related pictures
CalvinSupport Martin·LutherOf“Justification by faith”It advocates that mankind cannot be redeemed through just acts, restores Augustine's doctrine of "salvation alone", which is gradually abandoned by Catholicism, and opposes the gradual mainstream of Catholic theology“Theory of cooperation between god and man”Therefore, the church established by Calvin was named "Reformation Sect", and the developed theology was calledReformed theology 。[1]。Its main viewpoints:
(1) Completely incapable
Five Points of Calvinism
(Total viability) or total depravityAdamOfdegenerateHe cannot do any spiritual good with his own ability.
(2) Unconditional selection
(Unconditional election) God's selection of sinners is unconditional, and his selection is not because of people's ethical and moral advantages, nor his confidence in predicting what will happen to people.
(3) Limited redemption
(Limited attachment) Christ nailcrossOnly for those who have been pre elected, not for all the people in the world.
(4) irresistible grace
(Irresistible grace) It is impossible for human beings to reject God's salvation, and God's grace to save people cannot be blocked or rejected for human reasons.
(5) Saint is conservative
(Perseverance of the saints) The salvation won't be lost again, and God will be able to keep his choice.
(6) The elders run the church
The elders run the church, and the eldersBelieversDirectly elected, pastors are appointed by elders.The church established by Calvin is therefore also called "Presbyterian Church", "Presbyterian Church" or "Presbyterian Church".
oppositionCatholicismThe Holy Communion of "qualitative change theory" also opposes Luther's "homogeneity theory" and advocatesbelieverThrough faith, you can receive spiritual but invisible entity Holy Communion.
The state is subordinate to the church and sends for it.
Core creed
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(1) Unable to save oneself
1. Because of Adam's fall, all mankind cannot rely on themselves to send out the faith of salvation to believe in the gospel.2. Sinners are dead, blind and deaf to god's affairs;His heart is full of vanity, and he is absolutely corrupt.3. The will of the sinner is not free, but is bound by the nature of evil.We cannot and cannot choose good spiritually and abandon evil.4. Sinners must have the support of the holy spirit to come to christ;It is the Holy Spirit that makes the sinner reborn first, and then the sinner will come back to life;It is the Holy Spirit who first gives sinners a new nature.5. Faith is not a contribution to salvation, but a part of God's salvation;It is a gift from God to sinners, not a gift from sinners to God.
(2) Selection of criminals
1. Before the creation of the world, God chose some people for salvation, which was completely out of God's supreme will.2. God's special selection of certain sinners is not based on God's anticipation of the reaction or obedience of sinners, such as faith, repentance, etc.Instead, God gives faith or repentance to those whom God has chosen.3. Faith and repentance are the result of God's choice, not the cause.Selection is not determined by God's foresight of human virtue or good deeds;Morality or good deeds are not conditions of God's choice.4. God chooses people according to his supreme sovereignty, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, he makes sinners accept Christ wholeheartedly.
(3) Limited redemption
1. Christ's work of redemption is to save those who have been elected, and in fact he has obtained salvation for them.2. The death of Christ was a punishment for some specially chosen sinners.3. The salvation of Christ is not only to eliminate the sins of God's people, but also to obtain all salvation for God's people, including those beliefs that unite God's people with Christ.4. The gift of faith has been firmly given by the Holy Spirit to those for whom Christ has died.5. To ensure that their salvation is always valid.
(4) Force majeure
Calvinism related pictures
1. The Holy Spirit not only gives external calls to those who have heard the gospel, but also gives internal special calls to those who have been elected. Because of this special call, they will finally be able to obtain salvation.2. The external call is made to everyone. Without distinction, it can be rejected and often rejected;However, the inner call is made to the chosen, which cannot be rejected and will eventually cause them to repent.3. This special and irresistible call, the Holy Spirit attracts sinners to Christ.When the Holy Spirit gives salvation to people, the Holy Spirit is not limited by people's will;The efficacy of the work of the Holy Spirit does not depend on human cooperation.4. The Holy Spirit is specialBenevolenceHelp the chosen sinners, and make them cooperate, believe, repent, and sincerely willing to come to Christ.5. DivineGraceIs irresistible;Those who are favored by God will be saved in the end, and will never fail.
(5) Demeng is conservative
1. VermontGod's ChoiceThose who have been redeemed by Christ and given faith by the Holy Spirit will be saved forever.Because they are protected by the power of Almighty God, their salvation will never be lost.2. Salvation is due to the sovereignty of the Almighty Trinity God.3. The Father chose a group of people, and the Son died for them. The Holy Spirit made the death of Christ work on them, and made them believe in repentance, so that they were willing to obey the gospel.4. The whole process of salvation（Picking→ Rebirth → Redemption) is God's work, and it is completely out of God's grace.5. In conclusion, it is God, not man, who decides who will receive the gift of redemption.
Historical position
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(1) World phenomenon
Calvinism related pictures
Although Calvinism originated fromSwitzerlandBut then gradually spread to Germany, the NetherlandsHungary, France and other places, widely affecting the localReformation Movement。From France and HollandEngland, Scotland, etc.Calvinism dominated the English church in the 17th century and became the core of Puritanism;They then took this idea to the New World - the Northeast of the United StatesNew EnglandOne Belt.
This shows that the popularity of Calvinism at that time has become a worldwide phenomenon.Calvinism has not only become the basic doctrine of the so-called Reformation of Religious Churches, but also has a strong impact on the thinking and life of Westerners, such as promoting the development of natural theology, establishing the politics and state of Christianity, providing the basis for modern constitutionalism and promoting growthChristian literatureAnd works of art, thereby creating a specific social life of Christian cultureForm。
(2) Faith life
Calvinists, like most other early newcomersSectThat way, emphasize“Sememe”Doctrine, which deals with the conditions for salvation.The saved people are called righteous by God's grace, and they are declared righteous or acceptable to God.Salvation or justification cannot be achieved by doing good deeds;Everyone must live by faith alone.Righteous people express their faith (confidence) through external strict moral and righteous behaviors and good deeds.For the Calvinists, being able to live by faith (confidence) is probably evidence that a person has been saved from sin and counted as a "chosen person".
In Calvinism, the Bible became the supreme authority of faith and life.Calvinists believe thatThe BibleThere are only two sacraments - baptism and communion.Calvin's idea of church governance, that is, the church elects elders to manage church affairs, originated from the Bible and was adopted by the Presbyterian Church and Reformation Church.This representative way of church governance has an important impact on the development of modern democracy.
(3) Contract of conduct
In the 17th century, some Dutch theologians and English Puritans“Covenant theology”Join Calvinism.Covenant is a contractual relationship between Christians and God.The sacrament is used as the seal of the covenant.There are two holy covenants made by God and human beings - the "covenant of conduct" made with Adam;Through the "covenant of grace" made by Jesus Christ with the voters.Covenant theology is the core doctrine of Puritanism in Britain and America, which weakens the doctrine of salvation predestination because it recognizes human cooperation in the process of salvation.
In the early 20th century, only a fewprotestantismThe Church maintained the strict Calvinism of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.Most of the churches, called Calvinists, have greatly modified or abandoned such doctrines as selection, predestination, and irresistible grace.
Far-reaching influence
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(1) Religious reform
Calvin's religious reform was top-down.The return of pure doctrines, rigorous management system and strict management all made the French religious reform avoid the chaos of the German Lutheran reform.Since then, evangelists have spread throughout Europe.
During the period of religious chaos in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, legends about the devil and various witchcraft prevailed.The original role of witches was mainly to cure various diseases. But in the late Middle Ages, as witchcraft also tried to solve the religious problems of that era in its own way, these "heresies" were naturally regarded as evidence of the relationship with the devil, so witches became representatives of the new sect of the devil against religion.Enthusiastic churches and people imagined various evils for witches, including horrible sacrificial rites, infanticide, disaster reduction, companionship with poisonous animals, devil possession or adultery with the devil, and so on.
Among them, the so-calledwitchThey are often the objects of people's fear and hunting, and they are depicted asSatanHis lover is evil and promiscuous.In particular, the discovery, reporting and hunting of witches in areas with strong Catholic power has changed fromVillagersTo the important activities of the army, once a person is accused of waiting for her as a witch, only the most cruel punishment will be given.The witch panic lasted until the end of the 17th century, when thousands of ignorant village women were burned or hanged.
(2) Teaching question and answer
In the eyes of people in the 16th century, diseases that threaten the soul are more terrible than diseases of the body (this is what I have been trying to explain to you).So they organized a strict system to prevent mental illness.As soon as children grow up to be able to read, they are taught the principles of true faith (and "the only true").Facts have proved that this practice indirectly promoted the general progress of Europeans, which is a good thing.Protestant countries soon spread over schools of all sizes.Although these schools spend a lot of valuable time on the repeated explanation of the "catechism question and answer", they also teach other knowledge besides theology.They encourage people to read books, and at the same time promote the prosperity of the printing industry.
social influence
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(1) Circulation area
Calvinism appeared in the period of the religious reform in the 16th century.The basic doctrine of the orthodox sect is basically similar to that of the Shinto sect. It also recognizes that people are justified by grace because of their belief in Christ. The main feature of the orthodox sect is to elect elders to supervise the religious affairsministerThe church is managed collectively by elders who are not subject to religious duties. They believe that no one can enjoy unlimited power, and that church members can participate in political activities to make the secular world closer to the will of God.So in countries where orthodox people hold power, ordinary believers pay more attention to economy, democratic system and public education, but the dictatorship of the majority is also more severe.
Gui Zhengzong pays attention to preaching the doctrine, the ceremony is in the local language, and more emphasis is placed on singing hymns.The main tribes arePresbyterian(popular in Scotland), the Congregation (popular in Britain and America), etc.
The main spreading areas of the authentic areSwitzerland, NetherlandsScotland, FranceSouth Africa、Southwestern Germany、BelgiumAustralia, as well as several regions of the United States and Canada.
(2) In China
The mainstream of Chinese churches isAminialismFew people fully accept the doctrine of limited salvation, and because of theIndiscretionThe vast majority of Chinese Christians are against Calvinism.With the penetration of Chinese reformed theologians into various churches, the future development of Calvinism in Chinese churches is still unknown.
