Foundation for Reformed Theology  
Calvin
John Calvin
(1509-1564)
In this Email
The Ethos of the Reformed Tradition
Quick Links

Join Our Mailing List
Greetings! 

The mission of the Foundation for Reformed Theology is to recover the historic faith and Reformed theology of the church and to apply it to the faith and life of the church today.

What do we seek for the church? Consider the following vision for a Reformed church and community. 

The Ethos of the Reformed Tradition

 

First, there is an emphasis upon the majesty of God and therefore upon the praise of God. "A case can be made that the central theme of Calvinist theology, which holds it all together, is the conviction that every human being has every moment to do with the living God."

Second, there is a polemic against idolatry. "God is free, and God acts and speaks when and where he chooses." It is the living God and none other with whom we have to do and whom we desire to worship and serve. We certainly do not want to absolutize and therefore divinize anything else, including the church!

Third, there is an awareness that God is not only the creator of the natural world in general but also the lord of human history in particular. "God is working his purpose out in human history. He calls his people to be the instruments of his purpose. His purposes are not simply the salvation of souls but also the establishment of a holy community and the glorification of his name throughout all the earth." The emphasis upon the authority of Scripture, the life of obedience, and the mission of the church all embody this theme.

Fourth, there is an emphasis upon ethics and a life of holiness. "Truth is in order to goodness." We value both of these. We also want to emphasize both justification and sanctification. "The Christian is not only a forgiven person but an ethical person. . . . The elect person is called to a life of service and obedience. The forgiven person is summoned to live by the law of God."

Fifth, there is an emphasis upon the life of the mind as the service of God. If our ministers do not study the Scriptures, the gospel, and the Christian faith, they cannot possibly preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and build up the church of Jesus Christ. They may do other things, but they cannot do these. "From the beginning the Reformed sponsored learning as Christian duty. They placed value upon the skills of language, reading, writing, and speaking. They also prized clarity, logic, and precision in mental procedure. They valued the ability to analyze a problem and to formulate an answer. The sermon was an intellectual exercise and a mental discipline that had a significant cultural impact." Without this, we cannot be Reformed. And this is not merely an eccentricity of being Reformed. Indeed, without this, we can hardly be Christian. Without this, we cannot fight for a good and true understanding and interpretation of the nature, authority, and content of the Scriptures as the word of the living God.

 

Sixth, there is an emphasis upon preaching. "The Reformation . . . was the greatest revival of preaching in church history." Preaching "was the means of grace above all others by which he [Calvin] expected God to transform Geneva." Surely we all want to emphasize the lively preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But see theme five above as a necessary precondition for the same.

Seventh, there is an emphasis upon the organized church and pastoral care. "The focus of Calvin's concern with church organization is pastoral care and the 'cure of souls.' . . . Yet pastoral care is not only comfort for the bereaved, forgiveness for the guilty, and help for the sick and needy; it is pre-eminently the renewal of life in the image of Christ. Pastoral care has as its purpose not only the giving of comfort but also the redirection of life." From time to time the church needs to be radically restructured to eliminate the inane and unholy and to uphold the good and righteous.

Eighth, there is an emphasis upon the disciplined life. "Even among highly disciplined people, Calvin stands out not only in his personal achievement but also in his insistence that discipline should characterize Christian life and community." There is an emphasis upon personal, pastoral, and ecclesiastical accountability.

Ninth, there is an emphasis upon simplicity. "Calvin . . . opposed all redundancy. He was the enemy of the ostentatious, the pompous, the contrived, the needlessly complicated. His style was plain and direct. . . . Simplicity is closely related to . . . authenticity and integrity." We all seek plainness, directness, and integrity.

 

To read and learn more about these nine motifs or themes of Reformed ethos, see John H. Leith, "The Ethos of the Reformed Tradition," chapter three in:


We invite you to join us in promoting these in the life of the church today.

Dr. James C. Goodloe IV Grace and Peace,

    Jim 
Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Executive Director
The Foundation for Reformed Theology
        Gathers ministers into ongoing communities of study
        Helps them recover the historic faith of the church
        Cultivates better preaching, teaching, and pastoral care

        Builds Up the church of Jesus Christ today
4103 Monument Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23230-3818
[email protected]
(804) 678-8352

Please Give Now to support the mission and work of the Foundation. 

 

Visit our Email Archives.

 

The Foundation is exempt from Federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)  

and is not a private foundation as defined by Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.