Calvin's Exegesis Research Articles

Foedus and testamentum: Calvin's federal terminology in Hebrew 8–10

AbstractCalvin's significance in the development of federal theology has received much attention. Scholars have often neglected, however, the role that his exegesis played in his own construal of covenant ideas. More specifically, Calvin's reading of covenant in the book of Hebrews has played a negligible part in reconstructing Calvin's broader understanding of covenant. By looking closely at Calvin's exegesis and the terminological diversity in his commentaries on Hebrews 8–10, a more complex picture emerges. The federal terminology employed in these sections of his commentaries evidences exegetical sensitivity and doctrinal complexity. Calvin not only stands in the stream of Reformed covenant doctrine, but his exegesis represents an early instinct that noticed the tension at work in passages like Hebrews 8–10.

Reading the Rules of Knowledge in the Story of the Fall: Calvin and Reformed Epistemology on the Noetic Effects of Original Sin

ABSTRACT Reformed epistemology has reclaimed for contemporary apologetics not only Calvin's notion of sensus divinitatis, but also its negative counterpart—the idea of the corruption of human intellectual capacities through original sin. But while Alvin Plantinga's retrieval of the concept finds some support in Calvin's Institutes, it does not do full justice to the exegetically determined historical dynamism of Calvin's anthropology. I will support my argument with a close reading of Calvin's exegesis of the Fall, which highlights the Christological mediation of true knowledge, and Calvin's identification of disordered imagination as the primary noetic accompaniment of sin. These features deserve the attention of any contemporary retrieval of the noetic effects of original sin, while Calvin's exegesis continues to be of theological interest in itself.

Reading the Rules of Knowledge in the Story of the Fall: Calvin and Reformed Epistemology on the Noetic Effects of Original Sin

ABSTRACT Reformed epistemology has reclaimed for contemporary apologetics not only Calvin's notion of sensus divinitatis, but also its negative counterpart—the idea of the corruption of human intellectual capacities through original sin. But while Alvin Plantinga's retrieval of the concept finds some support in Calvin's Institutes, it does not do full justice to the exegetically determined historical dynamism of Calvin's anthropology. I will support my argument with a close reading of Calvin's exegesis of the Fall, which highlights the Christological mediation of true knowledge, and Calvin's identification of disordered imagination as the primary noetic accompaniment of sin. These features deserve the attention of any contemporary retrieval of the noetic effects of original sin, while Calvin's exegesis continues to be of theological interest in itself.

‘“Fuisse in Forma Hominis” belongs to Christ Alone’: John Calvin's trinitarian hermeneutics in hisLectures on Ezekiel

AbstractThe present article examines John Calvin's trinitarian and christological interpretation of Old Testament theophanies in hisPraelectioneson Ezekiel 1. The first section of the article treats Calvin's exegetical principles. It is noted that Calvin defends a strict set of rules for how to interpret Old Testament theophanies: in short, Calvin argues that if a passage presents the divine nature in the form of a human person, that given theophany must be interpreted as a representation of the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God (i.e. Jesus Christ). In defending this position, Calvin examines in great detail various rules for how to interpret Old Testament passages which indicate a plurality within the divine nature (i.e. the Trinity). He defends his exegetical approach to these texts with numerous passages from the New Testament.This examination of Calvin's exegesis is contextualised in two ways. First, it is noted that Calvin's exegesis of these passages is uncharacteristically more ‘strict’ in its trinitarian and christological reading than one finds in earlier thinkers such as Augustine and Jerome. For example, Augustine argued that Old Testament theophanies which present God in the form of a human being could be understood as the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit. Augustine, in short, does not think one can definitively determine which member of the Trinity is ‘present’ in a theophany. Second, it is noted that this surprising development in Calvin's final work is the result of the rising threat of anti-trinitarianism in Transylvania. Thus, the article argues that the rise of Polish anti-trinitarianism not only contributed to Calvin's renewed interest in trinitarian and christological interpretations of the Old Testament, but it also pushed him to develop a more strict set of exegetical rules which govern how such passages are interpreted.Therefore, the article presents a reading of Calvin which strongly suggests that any complete analysis of Calvin's alleged ‘Judaising’ must develop a historically nuanced methodology. While it is often argued that Calvin hesitates from interpreting Old Testament passages in a strictly trinitarian or christological way, it must be acknowledged that towards the end of his career he radically began to alter his exegetical rules/method given the renewed threat of the anti-trinitarians.

A Mirror for God and for Us: Christology and Exegesis in Calvin's Doctrine of Election

AbstractAlthough John Calvin's doctrine of election is often criticized, it remains seriously under‐described in both content and form. By attending to one strand of its content (Christ and election), and one persistently unappreciated aspect of its form (exegesis), this article attempts a substantial construal of the doctrine in Calvin's theology. It aims to show that, for Calvin, Christ is the subject of election in that he is its author, and Christ is the object of election in that he mediates both election itself and the salvation which flows from election. The focus on Calvin's exegesis of election and Christology establishes contact points with some important theological concerns: Karl Barth's reading of Calvin; election and the extra Calvinisticum; and ‘christocentrism’ in Calvin's theology.

John Calvin As Teacher, Pastor, And Theologian: The Shape Of His Writings And Thought. By Randall C. Zachman Image and Word in the Theology of John Calvin. By Randall C. Zachman

John Calvin As Teacher, Pastor, And Theologian: The Shape Of His Writings And Thought. By Randall C. Zachman Image and Word in the Theology of John Calvin. By Randall C. Zachman

No Escape by Deception: Calvin's Exegesis of Lies and Liars in the Old Testament

The frequency with which Old Testament figures use mendacious means to achieve good and even holy ends presents a challenge to John Calvin's exegesis of the Hebrew Scriptures. Following Augustine, Calvin takes a hard line against all forms of intentional deception. He rejects the solution offered by some in the Christian tradition that there are situations that call for a ‘dutiful lie’ (mendacium officiosum). This necessitates some exegetical acrobatics on Calvin's part when he interprets texts in which liars are blessed, rewarded, and praised for their actions. Calvin does not, however, reject all forms of dissimulation, which is all the more surprising given his opposition to the half-truths employed by the Nicodemites. While Calvin strives for a consistent ethic of veracity in his exegesis, however, there remains the question of how consistently truthful Calvin was in his own practices, particularly in his use of Renaissance flattery and pseudonyms.

John Calvin and the Sensus Literalis This essay is an address that was delivered at the Eleventh Biennial Conference on Calvin Studies, 2 March 2002, on the campus of Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. It followed Gary Neal Hansens address, John Calvins Non-Literal Interpretation of Scripture: On Allegory.

Calvin has been traditionally regarded as having consistently interpreted scripture according to its literal sense and having also consistently repudiated non-literal modes of interpretation. This view has been recently challenged, however, by Gary Hansen, who claims that ‘Calvin's theological rules or priorities of interpretation allow for and even require non-literal interpretation of biblical texts’. The issue turns, however, on what interpreting scripture according to the literal sense actually meant for Calvin. Hans Frei claimed Calvin as a champion of the literal sense because he affirmed the primacy of the literal sense with respect to scripture's witness to the identity of Jesus Christ – that is, following the longstanding consensus of the church, Calvin proceeded on the basis that what the scriptures are literally about is not a concept or timeless truth, but the suffering, obedience, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.The fact that other so-called ‘non-literal’ modes of interpretation such as allegory appear in Calvin's exegesis should not necessarily, however, be seen as a betrayal of Calvin's commitment to literal interpretation, but rather as evidence of the elasticity of the concept. For Calvin, metaphorical or allegorical interpretations may, to a limited degree, be ascribed to the literal sense, but they must not offend, subvert, or be given independent or equivalent status alongside the literal rendering of the basic story about Jesus depicted in the Gospel narratives.This essay demonstrates that the literal sense in Calvin is a much more supple notion than many have assumed, especially when one considers his Harmony of the Gospels. Contrary to modernist assumptions and in contrast to a strict, direct identification between signa and res, a tight, irresidual, one-to-one correspondence between what is written and what is written about, Calvin's approach to literal interpretation allows for what Frei called ‘breathing space’.

Where Shall Wisdom be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job from Medieval and Modern Perspectives

Through countless retellings, from the Talmud to Archibald MacLeish and since, the story of Job has become a fixture in the cultural imagination of the West. In this study, Susan E. Schreiner analyzes interpretations of the Book of Job by Gregory the Great, Maimonides, Thomas Aquinas, and particularly John Calvin. Reading Calvin's interpretation against the background of his medieval predecessors, she shows how central Job is to Calvin's struggles with a number of theological issues. For Calvin and his predecessors, Schreiner argues, the concept of intellectual perception is the key to an understanding of Job. The texts she examines raise questions about the human capacity for knowledge: What can the sufferer who stands within history perceive about the self, God, and reality? Can humans truly perceive the workings of providence in their personal lives? Are evil and injustice a reality that we must confront before finding wisdom? In her final chapter, Schreiner turns to the wide array of twentieth-century interpretations of Job, including modern biblical commentaries, the work of Carl Jung, and literary transfigurations by Wells, MacLeish, Wiesel, and Kafka.

Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job from Medieval and Modern Perspectives. Susan E. Schreiner

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsWhere Shall Wisdom Be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job from Medieval and Modern Perspectives. Susan E. Schreiner David F. WrightDavid F. Wright Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Religion Volume 76, Number 4Oct., 1996 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/489877 Views: 5Total views on this site Copyright 1996 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Book Review: John Calvin's Exegesis of the Old Testament

Book Review: John Calvin's Exegesis of the Old Testament

Book Review: Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job From Medieval and Modern Perspectives

Book Review: Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job From Medieval and Modern Perspectives

:John Calvin's Exegesis of the Old Testament

The Columbia Series in Reformed Theology represents a joint commitment by Columbia Theological Seminary and Westminster John Knox Press to provide theological resources from the Reformed tradition for the church today.Volumes in this series are intended for scholars, theologians, pastors, and lay people who are committed to faith in search of understanding.

:Where Shall Wisdom be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job from Medieval and Modern Perspectives

:<i>Where Shall Wisdom be Found? Calvin's Exegesis of Job from Medieval and Modern Perspectives</i>

Where shall wisdom be found?: Calvin's exegesis of Job from medieval and modern perspectives

Where shall wisdom be found?: Calvin's exegesis of Job from medieval and modern perspectives

Imitation of David: David As a Paradigm for Faith in Calvin's Exegesis of the Psalms

La representation de David chez Calvin. Il est considere comme un exemple pour la foi des chretiens du XVI e siecle. Cette conception decoule de l'exegese des Psaumes par Calvin. A la lumiere de l'exemple de David, la foi de Calvin vient corriger le peche et permet au fidele de penetrer une part du mystere de la Providence divine

Christ in the Eschaton: Calvin and Moltmann on the Duration of theMunus Regium

In his important Christological study,The Crucified God, Jürgen Moltmann addresses the problem of the ultimate relation Christ to believers, using as the focus of his analysis Calvin's exegesis of 1 Cor 15:24–28. Moltmann argues that thislocus classicusof Pauline subordinationism— “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father … then shall the Son also himself be subject”—marks the point in Calvin's Christology at which “divine rule” is transferred from Christ's humanity to his divinity.

Calvin and the Messianic Interpretation of the Psalms

The purpose of this study is firstly to examine the principles behind Calvin's exegesis of the messianic elements in the Psalms, and then to consider briefly how far in the light of recent studies in Israelite sacral kingship we can apply them to our own understanding today. At the outset, however, it is necessary to defend the adjective ‘messianic’ in regard to Calvin's exegesis of the Psalms. It has been objected, particularly by Mowinckel at the beginning of his He that Cometh, that the term ‘Messiah’ can only rightly be used for a royal eschatological figure in the literature of later Judaism. As, according to Mowinckel, the royal figure in the Psalms is in no strict sense an eschatological one, the adjective ‘messianic’ cannot be strictly applied to it. It is not our intention here to combat this judgment of Mowinckel on exegetical grounds, but to point out that his criticism is not valid for what Calvin was seeking to do in his commentary.