Martin Luther and John Calvin were two of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Their opinions on religion differed, but they were both opposed to the Roman Catholic Church. Luther and Calvin both adhered to Protestantism. He calls Luther “an apostle,” which is a clear indication of Calvin’s love for Luther. Luther founded the Lutheran Church, which is currently the largest Protestant denomination in the world. Both had a significant impact on Europe, but they did it in very different ways. Calvin’s impact extended to the New England colonies as well. Protestantism would be almost unknown if it weren’t for these heretics who stood in direct opposition to the established church.
Martin Luther and John Calvin
As a result, Luther and Calvin’s basic currency of soul salvation was faith and justification toward God, which was shared by Luther and Calvin. It was Luther’s first piece of writing in which he argued that faith, not good deeds, is the only thing that can save a person’s soul. During his many days of fasting and abstinence from sleep. Luther recognised that good actions were not the way to get forgiveness of sins.
As a result, he discovered the Bible and found it to be a tremendous source of inspiration and instruction. Furthermore, he held the view that since it is impossible to keep all of the Old Testament laws. Redemption is only achievable via God’s kindness and trust. It is true that good deeds do not create good men, but rather, good men perform good deeds, and vice versa.
Luther summarised Paul’s words (Wogaman p111) in his own words. But he went further than that, declaring that nice deeds were sinful acts as well. This means that if God via Christ conceals this imperfection and does not impute it to us, then we sin even when we do good. (Luther p276). When Calvin says “All we ascribe to man is that, by his impurity he pollutes and contaminates the same works which were excellent,” we can see that this is exactly what Luther is saying. The most flawless item that comes out of a human being is always tainted by a blemish. “If the Lords put the greatest of human efforts to judgement.
He will see his own righteousness. He will also see the dishonour and shame of man”(Westminster Confession). According to Calvin’s view, human nature was corrupted, and no amount of good deeds could win a person’s salvation. Calvin held that the only way to be saved from sin was to believe in Jesus Christ and receive God’s mercy. Calvin was a firm believer in the value of doing good deeds for the benefit of others. Both Calvin and Luther had a similar perspective of salvation and good deeds.
Luther advocated for religion and state
Calvin’s theology was in many respects similar to Luther’s, and he shared Luther’s belief that the Scriptures were the primary source of authority and guidance for Christians, rather than the Church because they could be read by everyone. It was a Christ-centered theology that they adhered to. Instead of searching for hidden meanings, the Bible was meant to be read as it is. For them, the Church was founded on Scriptures, not vice versa. Both Luther and Calvin blasted the Pope and the churches for spending the money on creating and beautifying what they already had instead of living as Christ intended and educating others. Faith alone could justify them before God, according to both of them. Luther believed that no amount of good deeds could earn one’s way to heaven.
There were two groups of individuals in Calvin’s mind; the Elect and the Non-Elect, both of whom were either saved or not. Calvin’s theology revolved around the concept of predestination. Luther advocated for the separation of religion and state. All authority should rest with the state. As an alternative, Calvin held that both state and church should not be subordinated to one another. In Geneva, following Calvin’s restoration of order, “the sword and other portions of civil jurisdiction that bishops and priests had wrested from the magistrate” (Bouwsma, p204) were returned to the king’s authority.
John Calvin has been passed down in many American cultures and in many sectors, including economics, politics, and the physical sciences
The concepts and theology of John Calvin have been passed down in many American cultures. The items that have been retained from his works are the importance of a strong work ethic and family values. Many sectors, including economics, politics, and the physical sciences, have benefited from Calvin’s contributions. Calvinists like Max Weber, R.H. Tawney, and Talcott Parsons have had a profound impact on economic thought and behaviour. They posited a link between capitalism and Calvinism. The functional fit was the term used to describe this. According to Max Weber, Calvinism may have contributed to the creation of an “elective affinity” for capitalism, although Tawny indicated the reverse. Because it gave theological reasons for economic behaviours that were regarded ethically problematic, such as the interest in money.
He believed the Calvinist doctrine was accepted by capitalistic societies. Despite the widespread belief that religion and scientific advancement are unrelated, sociologists claim that Calvinism had a significant effect on scientific growth and research. The rise of John Calvinism and the subsequent shift in our society’s governing structure may be traced back to this figure.
The political framework of the United States was largely based on the British model, although the majority of its governance concepts had a Calvinist flavour. In addition to producing issues, Calvinism is also regarded to have contributed to a mentality that may have led to the Holocaust. John Calvin was affected by Martin Luther’s writings, despite the fact that Luther had less impact on society as a whole. Because he was the first to make the Bible widely available, Luther made a significant contribution. He had a significant impact on the way Europe viewed religious beliefs. He was largely responsible for the Church’s decline in authority.
Lutheran and Calvinist theologies differ while yet sharing many similarities. New Protestantism, Luther’s emphasis on justification by faith, and good actions naturally arise from such a person are all in line with each other. Contrasts the greatness of God with human depravity, and is doubtful of the ability of the saved to accomplish good actions. These two Reformation elements have more in common than they have in contrast. Luther gave Calvin the Reformation baton, and Calvin’s theology was derived from Luther’s. To bring the Gospel back to His church, God utilised both of these men.
