A Reader's Guide to Calvin's Institutes - Paperback

by Anthony N. S. Lane (Author)

John Calvin's Institutes is one of the great classics of Christian theology. Now, at the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth, a leading Calvin expert offers an affordable guide to reading the Institutes (keyed to the McNeill/Battles translation).

The book includes selected readings and annotations to offer a streamlined introduction to the heart of Calvin's theology. Dividing the Institutes into thirty-two portions, the author has chosen an average of eighteen pages to be read from each to cover the whole range of the Institutes. The notes guide readers through the text, concentrating on the sections chosen for reading and summarizing the material. An introduction and questions at the beginning of each portion direct the reader's attention to important points.

Back Jacket

A Streamlined Introduction to the Heart of Calvin's Theology

A leading Calvin expert offers a guide to reading John Calvin's Institutes, keyed to the McNeill/Battles translation.

"Nothing truly worthwhile is really easy to master, and John Calvin is one of the best theologians ever produced by the Christian faith. In this study, the range and depth of Calvin's reflections are soundly and helpfully surveyed."--Charles Partee, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

"Having Lane's book with you as you read the Institutes is like having an enthusiastic teacher sitting alongside you, helping you with the background and context, pointing you to key ideas, offering succinct summaries, sometimes challenging you to consider whether you agree with Calvin, but above all assisting you in understanding Calvin. I am glad to use this in my Calvin class and am happy to recommend its use to others."--W. P. Stephens, University of Aberdeen

"A concise yet meticulous guide to the Battles translation of the Institutes. Tony Lane admirably succeeds in identifying its structure and in highlighting its arguments. This guide will be an invaluable help to new readers of Calvin's great work."--Paul Helm, Regent College

"Tony Lane is one of the world's most well-respected Calvin scholars. In this book, he draws on his impressive knowledge of the Reformer to provide contemporary readers with a careful guide to the structure, argument, and content of the 1559 edition of the Institutes. This work clearly supersedes previous reading guides and is likely to become the standard overview."--Carl R. Trueman, Westminster Theological Seminary

"For teachers, this reader's guide will enable them to teach the whole Institutes without pushing students to exhaustion, or to study the Institutes alongside ample selections from Calvin's other works. For students, Lane's work will lead them through the Institutes strategically--allowing time for reading and reflection--with the sort of guidance that will invite them to return for deeper and broader exploration."--John L. Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary

Author Biography

Anthony N. S. Lane (DD, University of Oxford) is professor of historical theology and director of research at the London School of Theology. He is the author of A Concise History of Christian Thought, John Calvin: Student of the Church Fathers, and Justification by Faith in Catholic-Protestant Dialogue and compiled The Lion Christian Classics Collection. A world-class Calvin scholar, he abridged the Institutes into a popular student edition and also edited the translation of Calvin's Bondage and Liberation of the Will.