Life in God: John Calvin, Practical Formation, and the Future of Protestant Theology

Boulton (God Against Religion), professor of theology and president of Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ind., offers a vigorous reinterpretation of the work of John Calvin, the man at the head of the Christian Reformed tradition, who is traditionally thought of as dour. Boulton makes the case that Calvin understood Christian doctrine as a framework for spiritual formation%E2%80%94a means to live and practice life in God. Boulton offers a rereading of Calvin's opus Institutes of the Christian Religion and criticizes the dangers of Calvin's thought%E2%80%94byways of quietism, masochism, and misanthropy, where believers can get stuck through misunderstanding. But if divine predestination also leaves permanent room for future striving, and the Christian cross is understood as a sign of divine solidarity, then Calvin begins to seem possibly even a bit mystical. Boulton is among the group of scholars recasting Calvin for today, and he writes with persuasive clarity. (Oct.)