John Calvin - The First Protestant Influencer

Reformation Wall - At its heart are statues to William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox.

John Calvin was one of the most influential voices of the Protestant Reformation. A theologian, pastor, and writer, he helped shape not only the Church of his day but also the spiritual and intellectual landscape of the modern world.

Calvin was born on 10 July 1509 in Noyon, Picardy, France. His father Gérard worked as an administrator for the local bishop, giving Calvin access to education and opportunity. Originally destined for the priesthood, Calvin was later redirected to study law — a training that sharpened his analytical mind and disciplined style.

He studied in Paris, Orléans, and Bourges, where he absorbed Renaissance humanism and mastered both civil and canon law. During these years, he encountered the writings of Martin Luther and other Reformers. Through this, Calvin underwent what he called a “sudden conversion,” in which God subdued his heart and led him to trust in Christ alone.

Although influenced by Luther, Calvin never studied under him and the two men never met. He did, however, correspond with Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s colleague, and always regarded Luther with deep respect.

In 1536, at the age of just 27, Calvin published the first edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Originally a defence of persecuted believers, it became one of the defining works of the Reformation.

Reformation Wall - Geneva

The Institutes set out Calvin’s central themes:

• The sovereignty of God over all creation

• Salvation by grace through faith

• The supreme authority of Scripture

• The reordering of the Church according to biblical truth

Over his lifetime, Calvin revised and expanded the Institutes, turning it into a systematic and pastoral guide for Christian faith and practice.

Calvin’s path led him to Geneva, where the fiery preacher William Farel persuaded him to help reform the city’s church. Though reluctant at first, Calvin stayed — and his efforts sparked both admiration and conflict. Expelled at one point, he was later recalled, and from 1541 until his death, Geneva became the centre of his ministry.

There, Calvin oversaw reforms in worship, discipline, and education. He founded the Academy of Geneva, which trained pastors and missionaries who carried the Reformation across Europe. Refugees who flocked to Geneva returned home with Calvin’s teaching, spreading it through France, the Netherlands, England, and Scotland.

In Scotland, John Knox — a student of Calvin’s Geneva — hailed it as “the most perfect school of Christ since the days of the apostles.”

Calvin’s theology revolved around the sovereignty of God. He taught that salvation is entirely the work of God, that every part of life is to be lived for His glory, and that the Scriptures are the ultimate guide for faith and obedience.

While later generations systematised his thought into what became known as Calvinism, Calvin himself was a pastor-theologian. His concern was not abstract theory but the faithful living of ordinary Christians under God’s Word.

Despite poor health, Calvin worked tirelessly: preaching several times a week, writing commentaries, producing treatises, and corresponding with leaders across Europe. On 27 May 1564, at the age of 54, he died in Geneva. At his own request, his grave was left unmarked — a testimony to his humility and desire to keep the focus on Christ rather than himself.

John Calvin was rigorous, disciplined, and uncompromising. Critics often found him severe, but his clarity of vision gave the Reformation strength and structure.

His influence lives on wherever believers read the Bible, order their lives around God’s Word, and confess salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Geneva became his pulpit to the world, and from there, Calvin’s legacy continues to shape the global Church.