Biblical Catholic Answers for John Calvin

by Dave Armstrong

Publisher:

Dave Armstrong

, 2010

In many ways, John Calvin has shaped the history of Protestantism even more than Martin Luther himself. Book four of John Calvin’s monumentally influential work of systematic theology, Institutes of the Christian Religion, gets to the heart of the disagreement between Catholics and Protestants. Armstrong's work is an in-depth critique of the major themes of this portion, from a biblical and Catholic perspective. The back-and-forth, Socratic nature of this volume allows the reader to consider Calvin’s arguments and ponder orthodox Catholic replies to them, deciding which are more plausible or have more of a “ring of truth” to them.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The Catholic Church doesn’t create dogmas with utter disregard for Scripture (quite the contrary). Calvin fails to document what he charges. We make no such dichotomy. Calvin does because he thinks in ‘either/or’ terms: for him, if there is true Church authority, this must somehow inexorably be opposed to Scripture in some essential fashion. It’s simply not true.” (Page 16)

“Catholics do not do this. Scripture often points to traditions outside of itself that are true. Therefore, to hold such a view is not to hold to a ‘mutilated and incomplete’ Bible. It is to hold to all that the Bible itself asserts. The one who denies that there is such a thing as a tradition described and fully accepted in Scripture, is selectively disbelieving part of that same Scripture. It isn’t being accepted in its totality.” (Page 16)

“Individuals can far more easily (wrongly) declare that their view is the ‘biblical’ one. Calvin does this all the time. I do it myself (most people who do any theology at all, do it), but the difference is that we Catholics submit our judgments to that of the Church, and where we differ from the Church, we submit to her, even if we may not always fully understand.” (Page 18)

“Again, we must, therefore, change Scripture so that it is more agreeable to Calvin’s eucharistic teachings:” (Page 221)

“There are true and false traditions. Protestants too often condemn all ‘traditions,’ as if they have none, and as if there are no true traditions described and sanctioned in Holy Scripture.” (Page 18)

Product Details

• Title: Biblical Catholic Answers for John Calvin
• Author: Dave Armstrong
• Publisher: Dave Armstrong
• Print Publication Date: 2010
• Logos Release Date: 2012
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564 › Responses; Catholic Church › Apologetic works
• Resource ID: LLS:BBLCLNSWRSJHNCL
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:11:02Z

About Dave Armstrong

David Armstrong is a Catholic apologist and author (convert from evangelical Protestantism in 1991). His conversion story is in Surprised by Truth (1994). He has been published in The Catholic Answer, This Rock, Envoy, and other periodicals. His many radio appearances include “Catholic Answers Live” and “Faith & Family Live.”