pp 18-21 Calvin
Summary
The radical break with a nature-grace dualism began with Calvin. This opened up the way for a Christian worldview.
Calvin viewed the law as the boundary between God and creation.
law
CREATION
God is not subject to his law; he transcends the law. God gave each sphere of life its own law. The true origin of all things is not in reason but in the sovereign will of God.
This is the origin of the idea of sphere-sovereignty.
Unfortunately, the ideas of Melanchthon held sway. The Christian idea of the State became submerged in a Medieval-Scholastic synthesis. The State could only receive a Christian stamp by serving the church community.
Study questions
1. What reformed ideas did Calvin introduce?
2. Why didn’t they reform the Christian understanding of the State?
