Calvin's Institutes: A New Compend

By Jean Calvin, John Calvin, John Allen, et al.

Book Overview

This new and concise abridgement of Ford Lewis Battle's Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion is an easy-to-read introductory overview that will better acquaint the reader with Calvin. Consisting of thoughtfully chosen selections, this condensed edition of the Institutes helps fulfill the contemporary demand of scholars, ministers, students, and other persons who desire authentic texts of a relgious and cultural tradition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664250807
• ISBN13: 9780664250805
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Misleading advertising

The copy I bought was shown as a single volume book, but I was sent volume 2/2 of a very old copy of this book. It was disappointing because this print is so old I can’t buy a matching volume 1, and it’s not very helpful if it’s only the second half :/

Shepherd's Guide to Calvin

Shepherd's Notes on Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion is a condensed summary of John Calvin's two volume work. For a layman who may not have the time nor the inclination to purchase and enjoy the theolocical logic of John Calvin and his musings on the depths of Almighty God's magnificent designs for mankind this is a "godsend" if you will excuse the pun. One doctrine that comes across loud and clear is the total depravity of man which in relief shows the awesome character and love God has for his creatures. Ron Houser

Readable, understandable -- almost devotional

There's so much here, it's difficult to write a review of it. Perhaps my main recommendation of this book is that it presents such a clear, organized outline of the "basics" of the Christian faith. Regardless of one's position on the man or his theology, one cannot escape the fact that this man's faith was obviously vital to him, and he passionately describes his beliefs in these volumes.Reading Calvin's Institutes was, for me, quite valuable in finally being able to separate John Calvin and his theology from later "Calvinism" that followed, including some of its excesses. I found John Calvin's Institutes to be a balanced, easily understood outline of biblical Christianity. My final commendation would address the organization of the work. The fact that Calvin has provided the reader with a clear outline and direction in his writing, and addressed each point of his outline in concise, manageable units makes the reading of this immense work much more approachable; the brief readings on each topic, with the saturation of biblical references throughout, makes the reading of the Institutes almost a devotional experience.