Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #113607 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780664231811
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Beautifully Done
THL Parker has continued to place us all in his debt with his solid, serious, inspirational work on the various aspects of John Calvn's theology. This is one of the better biography's in print on Calvin's life and I would recommend it enthusastically.

Though now roughly thirty years old, it was the first biography written on Calvin's life in quite some time when it was published. Though not as current as Bernard Cottret's recent biography, it seems more in touch with the subject matter than Cottret does.

Cottret, it seems to me, seeks too much "objectivity" in rehearshing the details of Calvin's life--Parker clearly has a fondness for Calvin and the sources with which he is familiar and it shows in this biography.

Parker has an enthusiasm for the material that I find missing in Cottret's otherwise outstanding work. I would recommend everything that Parker has authored as worthy of being read, reflected upon, and used. Particularly this biography of Calvin.

too technical for the layman
This book is a very bad place to start if you are looking for a readable and easy to understand introduction to John Calvin. The author assumes a great deal of technical historical knowledge that, unless you are educated in that area, you will struggle to get through. I didn't get further than the first 2 chapters.

I wish some authors would write simpler, more easily readable works so that the average layman can also have access to some of the great figures of the past. A good example to follow would be like Wayne Grudem has done with his 'Systematic Theology' which is specifically done for the layman.

So for an easy-to-read/understand biography of John Calvin look elsewhere - I think I might try the biography by Robert Raymond or the compilation by Burk Parsons (Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology), they look as though they will be more geared to the average reader.

A Quick One
It's very painful to read the first few pages as they document Calvin's early childhood, where he lives, and education. It gets better and easier to read as you go on. My only problem is that you have to know a lot about theological events and people because the author mentions them without explanation, assuming that you will know what he is talking about. Therefore, you either have to look them up yourself or just keep reading.