Palmer #9- Luther vs. Calvin

Palmer #9- Luther vs. Calvin

Will Stewart

“How did Calvin differ from Luther in training, background, and personality? How did Calvinism resemble and differ from Lutheranism?”

Thesis: Though Luther and Calvin shared certain aspects of their new religions they differed on distinctive points that made their separate movements unique.

1. Background, Training, and Personality

a. Martin Luther

i. German

ii. Monk until he was 40

iii. Spiritually uneasy, never convinced of his own salvation

1. Sacraments and good works did nothing to assuage this

iv. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans i, 17)

v. Faith, not good works, determines salvation

vi. At first kept it to himself, brought out of seclusion when he saw Tetzel selling indulgences

b. John Calvin

i. French, born 1509

ii. Experienced conversion at age 24

iii. Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion

1. Gain favor internationally, rather than locally like Luther

iv. Applied lawyer-like reasoning to religion

2. Similarities between Calvinism and Lutheranism

a. Both broke from Catholicism

b. Both disagreed with most sacraments

c. Both felt an individual relationship with God was necessary

d. Both agreed with justification by faith alone

3. Differences between Calvinism and Lutheranism

a. Lutheranism was subservient to government, while Calvinism respected no governmental authority.

i. Calvinism urged true Christians to Christianize the state itself

b. Both rejected transubstantiation, but

i. Luther adopted consubstantiation, believing that God is somehow mystically present in bread and wine

ii. Calvin rejected it entirely, believing that idea was entirely symbolic

c. Calvin favored predestination far more than Luther

i. Idea that the “elect” were predetermined by God to be saved

ii. Good works were outward signs of being an elect