Today in Sunday School, I heard several quotes from John Calvin that made me resolve to read The Institutes soon. After being raised constantly associating Calvin with deep, unsearchable (and certainly almost incomprehensible) erudition, I found his sentences regarding True Worship not only legible, but also entertaining! He speaks of "bleary-eyed men" in scathing anecdotes, and drops words like "subterfuge" with impunity.
So, upon returning home from church, devouring a meal, and sleeping it off--I logged onto Encarta to see what quotes my favorite encyclopedia had to offer. You know what I found?
One quote, out of volumes and volumes.
It reads thus: It is a mockery to allow women to baptise. Even the Virgin Mary was not allowed this.
My friends, Muhammed the Prophet has eighteen quotes. Encarta awarded Buddha five. Even Joseph Smith's voice was louder than Calvin's by three quotes.
It's moments like these when it strikes me how drastically different were the cultural emphases on my life than those on most members of my generation. Calvin, to each crop of Reformed Christians, is just beneath the Apostle Paul when it comes to his impact on the church's teachings. To the wide world (if Encarta can be permitted to judge), Calvin is a negative blip on the radar...a French fanatic whose extreme and narrowminded views contributed to the oppression of women in the world.
So I am even more resolved now to read the Institutes and judge for myself.
I still love the word subterfuge.
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