Portal:Calvinism

Part of a series on
Protestantism
Theologies
Topics Criticism Culture Demographics Ecclesiology Great Awakenings History Persecution Reformation
Major branches Adventism Anabaptism Anglicanism Baptists Calvinism Lutheranism Methodism Pentecostalism
Minor branches Bible students Eastern Protestant Holiness movement Irvingism Plymouth Brethren Proto-Protestantism (Hussites and Waldensians) Quakers Schwarzenau Brethren Schwenkfelders Others
Broad-based movements Charismatic movement Evangelicalism Neo-charismatic movement
Other developments Arminianism Christian fundamentalism Crypto-Protestantism Evangelical Catholicism Modernism and liberalism Neo-orthodoxy Paleo-orthodoxy Pietism Puritanism
Related movements House churches Nondenominational Christianity Spiritual Christianity
Christianity portal

Part of a series on
Christianity
Jesus Christ Nativity Baptism Ministry Crucifixion Resurrection Ascension
Bible Foundations Old Testament New Testament Gospel Canon Church Creed New Covenant
Theology God Trinity Father Son Holy Spirit Apologetics Baptism Christian universalism Christology History of theology Mission Salvation
History Tradition Apostles Peter Paul Mary Early Christianity Church Fathers Constantine Councils Augustine Ignatius East–West Schism Crusades Aquinas Reformation Luther
Denominations Groups Western Western Catholic Independent Catholic Protestant Adventist Anabaptist Anglican Baptist Evangelical Holiness Lutheran Methodist Moravian Pentecostal Quaker Calvinism Eastern Eastern Catholic Eastern Orthodox Eastern Protestant Oriental Orthodox Church of the East (Nestorian) Restorationist Jehovah's Witness Latter Day Saint Iglesia ni Cristo
Related topics Criticism Culture Ecumenism Glossary Index Other religions Outline Prayer Sermon Symbolism Worship
Glossary Index Outline  Christianity portal

Calvinists broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century. Calvinists differ from Lutherans (another major branch of the Reformation) on the spiritual real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, theories of worship, the purpose and meaning of baptism, and the use of God's law for believers, among other points. The label Calvinism can be misleading, because the religious tradition it denotes has always been diverse, with a wide range of influences rather than a single founder; however, almost all of them drew heavily from the writings of Augustine of Hippo twelve hundred years prior to the Reformation.

The namesake and founder of the movement, French reformer John Calvin, embraced Protestant beliefs in the late 1520s or early 1530s, as the earliest notions of later Reformed tradition were already espoused by Huldrych Zwingli. The movement was first called Calvinism in the early 1550s by Lutherans who opposed it. Many in the tradition find it either a nondescript or inappropriate term and prefer the term Reformed. The most important Reformed theologians include Calvin, Zwingli, Martin Bucer, William Farel, Heinrich Bullinger, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. In the twentieth century, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, B. B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, Louis Berkhof, Karl Barth, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Cornelius Van Til, R. C. Sproul, and J. I. Packer were influential. Contemporary Reformed theologians include Albert Mohler, John MacArthur, Tim Keller, John Piper, Joel Beeke, and Michael Horton.

The Reformed tradition is largely represented by the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Evangelical Anglican, Congregationalist, and Reformed Baptist denominations. Several forms of ecclesiastical polity are exercised by a group of Reformed churches, including presbyterian, congregationalist, and some episcopal. The biggest Reformed association is the World Communion of Reformed Churches, with more than 100 million members in 211 member denominations around the world. More conservative Reformed federations include the World Reformed Fellowship and the International Conference of Reformed Churches. (Full article...)

Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Article requests : Scottish Second Reformation, More... Cleanup : Imputed righteousness Copyedit : Better integrate Calvinism, the Five points of Calvinism (and the pages for each point), and the History of Calvinist-Arminian debate. Revise unconditional election. Expand : Presbyterian worship, Unconditional election, Regulative principle of worship, More... NPOV : Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge Stubs : Split-leaf psalter, Gaspar Karolyi, Westminster Standards, Christian philosophy, More... Verify : Puritan, Presuppositional apologetics Wikify : Imputed righteousness, First Great Awakening

If those don't satisfy, try wandering through Category:Calvinism articles by quality looking for things to do.

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: