View the Sample Pages here

This volume grows out of a conference at The John Owen Centre for Theological Study in London to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformer’s birth. Topics covered include Calvin’s life and reforming work, his Institutes of the Christian Religion, aspects of his theology, and his commitment to revolutionary living and powerful preaching. The contributors are Joel Beeke, Sinclair Ferguson, Ian Hamilton, Anthony Lane, Ray Pennings, and Paul Wells.

The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
At the age of twenty-six, Calvin published several revisions of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work in Christian theology that altered the course of Western history and that is still read by theological students today. It was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone. It vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism, to which Calvin says he had been “strongly devoted” before his conversion to Protestantism. The over-arching theme of the book—and Calvin’s greatest theological legacy—is the idea of God’s total sovereignty, particularly in salvation and election.

AND

Piety’s Wisdom: A Summary of Calvin’s Institutes with Study Questions by J. Mark Beach
John Calvin’s The Institutes of the Christian Religion presents one of the most winsome, thought-provoking, spiritually inspiring, and heart-searching summations of Christian truth ever written.
Although works exist that either offer an analysis of Calvin’s views or serve as a guide to his Institutes, none fully share the aim of J. Mark Beach’s Piety’s Wisdom.
Keeping to the form, shape, and tenor of Calvin’s own work, Piety’s Wisdom offers busy pastors, seminarians, interested college students, and motivated laypersons a book that presents Calvin on his own terms. This summary can be used as an introduction to the Christian faith, as a primer for the study of Calvin, or a combination of each. While the book is suitable for individual study, the inclusion of study questions makes it an ideal tool for facilitating discussion in adult study groups.

Calvin for Today

Hardcover, 296 pages
Retail Price: $25.00
RHB Price: $19.00
ISBN 978-1-60178-084-3

Available by March 1

Calvin for the 21st Century is an edited compilation of the stimulating addresses given at the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary’s annual conference in August 2009, at Grand Rapids, Michigan. The book contains a wealth of information and practical applications about how to use Calvin’s thought in our challenging day. Topics include Calvin on preaching Christ from the Old Testament, missions, the church, Scripture, the Spirit’s work, redemption, ethics, believers’ benefits, the early church, reprobation, marriage, and reforming the church. A highlight is Ligon Duncan’s chapter on “The Resurgence of Calvinism in America.” The book concludes with a summary chapter by the editor, Joel Beeke, who expounds twelve reasons Calvin is important for us today. Additional writers include Jerry Bilkes, Michael Haykin, Nelson Kloosterman, David Murray, Joseph Pipa, Neil Pronk, Donald Sinnema, Derek Thomas, and Cornel Venema. If you can afford only one of the books published on Calvin that commemorated the 500th anniversary of his birth, this is the one to get! Written at laypeople’s level, and retaining a flavor of the spoken style, it is informative, stimulating, and practical.

The answers to these and many other questions become clear once we gain a biblical understanding of justification and regeneration. These two great miracles lie at the very heart of the gospel, yet even among genuine Christians they are surrounded by confusion and ignorance. This book attempts to set forth in clear biblical light the nature and characteristics of justification and regeneration that God may be glorified and His children brought to know more fully the liberty that is theirs in Christ. See more here.

Retail: $40.00
RHB: $25.00

The first English translation of a classic text of pastoral theology.

John Calvin (1509–1564) originally wrote his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion in Latin. Beginning with the second edition of his work published in 1541, Calvin translated each new version into French, simultaneously adapting the text to suit lay audiences, shaping it subtly but clearly to teach, exhort, and encourage them. Besides reflecting a more pastoral bent on Calvin’s part, this 1541 Institutes is also notable as one of the founding documents of the modern French language.

Elsie Anne McKee’s masterful translation of the 1541 French Edition — the first-ever English version — offers full access to the brilliant mind of John Calvin as he considered what common Christian people should all know and practice.

Originally $35.00
Sale price:  $24.00

Research on French theologian John Calvin is flourishing around the world today, and Calvin’s quincentennial this year has lent such research even greater momentum. The Calvin Handbook is designed to support and stimulate this research. An international team of renowned scholars here offers a comprehensive view of Calvin’s biography, his theology, and the history of his reception. The Calvin Handbook is a uniquely helpful resource on Calvin for readers of every interest level.

Friends of Calvin

Originally $20.00
Sale price:  $12.00

Calvin may be known as a scholar who preferred his study to imperial and ecclesiastical politics, but he was also a rebel of faith against the papacy, which controlled most of Europe and had a price on the heads of all “reform-minded” citizens, especially their leaders. Allegiances to Rome were constantly in flux in the empires of Europe — as were the lives and welfare of dissenters — and Calvin’s life was full of perilous risks, political intrigue, much harried travel, and many relocations.

The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin

Originally $15.00
Sale price:  $8.00

Enter the brilliance and decadence of renaissance France in this fast-paced biographical novel on John Calvin. Told from the perspective of a rival whose envy escalates to violent intrigue and shameless betrayal, The Betrayal is a tale of how God uses the humility and unflinching faithfulness of Calvin to break down the barrenness and bitterness of a chief of sinners—all accomplished by grace alone.

The Calvin 500 Series

Volume 1 – Theological Guide to Calvin’s Institutes: Essays and Analysis Edited by, David W. Hall and Peter A. Lillback

Originally $36.00
Sale Price $20.00

Capturing both the best of elite scholarship, as well as exhibiting a firm understanding of and passion for Calvin’s own work, these essays by 20 elite Calvin scholars who appreciate the abiding value of Calvin’s Institutes provide definitive and section-by-section commentary on Calvin’s magnum opus. A section by section commentary on Calvin’s Institutes.

Volume 2 – Legacy of John Calvin: His Influence on the Modern World by David W. Hall

Originally $12.00
Sale Price $7.00

David Hall identifies 10 seminal ways that Calvin’s thought transformed the culture of the West, complete with a nontechnical biography of Calvin and tributes by other leaders. The Legacy of John Calvin is brief enough for popular audiences and analytical enough to provide much information in a short space.

Volume 3 – The Piety of John Calvin: A Collection of His Spiritual Prose, Poems, and Hymns by Ford Lewis Battles

Originally $19.00
Sale Price $12.00

The Piety of John Calvin is an anthology that promotes “a warm personal grasp” of Calvin, the man. This book seeks to show the Christian man as he saw himself, to see the Christian life as he understood it, and to examine both his theoretical exposition or prayer and his own prayers, in the liturgy and for other occasions.

Volume 4 – Calvin in the Public Square: Liberal Democracies, Rights, and Civil Liberties by David W. Hall

Originally $25.00
Sale Price $12.00

In the past two decades, a small cottage industry of important new scholarship has emerged documenting the distinctive Calvinist contributions to the development of Western theories of law, democracy, and human rights. In this engaging volume, David Hall offers a crisp distillation of the latest scholarly findings and a clarion call to reclaim the Calvinist pedigree of some of our most cherished political ideas and institutions.

Italian PDF

Publisher’s Description: In this attractive volume, Simonetta Carr introduces young readers to the life, thought, and work of one of the most famous Reformers of the Christian church. She tells about the life of John Calvin from his birth to his death, placing him within the troubled context of the sixteenth century. She also introduces Calvin’s writings in a way that children will desire to know more about his ministry and influence.

Readers will come to know Calvin’s personality, his devotion to God and the church, and the personal challenges he faced. They will understand the struggles the early Reformed church faced at that time, not only surviving attacks of the Roman Catholic Church, but also achieving a clear identity and a unified doctrine. They will also have a glimpse of life in sixteenth-century Europe, stricken by pestilence, poverty, and wars. Simply written, and full of interesting facts, this book makes a great gift for children of this rich Reformed heritage.

Michael Horton wirtes,

“The parents of four ourselves, my wife and I are eager to learn of new materials we can use and recommend. This is surely a resource that we would noise abroad. A translator of Reformed materials into Italian as well as a teacher, Simonetta is remarkably gifted. She knows the history and theology of the Reformation well, yet also knows how to ‘translate’ for our children. The Reformed community really needs this kind of edifying literature for our covenant youth.”

Why is it important for our children to read Christian biography?

There are several reasons. I was motivated to write this biographical series for young readers when I realized that most children today are not aware of the concept of “church history” as the progress of God’s people throughout the ages. They read Bible stories, they see other believers today, and they read a few stories about a few individual Christians who lived in between, but the connecting thread seems to be missing.

With these books, I don’t want to tell children, “Look how wonderful these people were! Let’s all be like them.” There are other biographies that do that. I want to explain how some Christians have impacted history – secular and non-secular – and how their teachings affect what we believe today. I am also hoping to introduce children to the real characters, with all the struggles and the intensity of emotions that have accompanied their decisions.

How should parents use this series and your book?

Some parents have read the book to their children in one sitting, and others have used it as a study guide, one chapter at a time, and both of these approaches seem to work well. My hope is that these books will be readily available to our young people, who can then read and re-read them on their own, and that they will spark an interest which parents will be able to encourage with additional material. As I read with my children devotional books based on quotations by John Calvin, I notice that their level of interest is much higher now that they understand how God shaped Calvin’s life and moved him to write what he wrote.

For homeschooling families, these books can provide a basis for unit studies. Currently, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is using the book on John Calvin to formulate a series of lessons that will be used within their clubs.

You can read the rest of the interview here.

Watch the video here

In this attractive volume, Simonetta Carr introduces young readers to the life, thought, and work of one of the most famous Reformers of the Christian church. She tells about the life of John Calvin from his birth to his death, placing him within the troubled context of the sixteenth century. She also introduces Calvin’s writings in a way that children will desire to know more about his ministry and influence.

Readers will come to know Calvin’s personality, his devotion to God and the church, and the personal challenges he faced. They will understand the struggles the early Reformed church faced at that time, not only surviving attacks of the Roman Catholic Church, but also achieving a clear identity and a unified doctrine. They will also have a glimpse of life in sixteenth-century Europe, stricken by pestilence, poverty, and wars. Simply written, and full of interesting facts, this book makes a great gift for children of this rich Reformed heritage.

Michael Horton- “The parents of four ourselves, my wife and I are eager to learn of new materials we can use and recommend. This is surely a resource that we would noise abroad. A translator of Reformed materials into Italian as well as a teacher, Simonetta is remarkably gifted. She knows the history and theology of the Reformation well, yet also knows how to ‘translate’ for our children. The Reformed community really needs this kind of edifying literature for our covenant youth.”

Reviews from our buyers
Rachel Short- I was thrilled to finally hold this book in my hands! Mrs. Carr has written a delightful book that is the perfect introduction to the life of this great man. Mr. Calvin’s life is clearly explained in a way that is truly appropriate for children. The book is also very beautiful and captivating. I am purchasing more copies of this book to save for my children and give away as gifts.

Shane Lems- What a great little book! In her biography of Calvin, Carr wastes no words and uses no unclear vocabulary to discuss the main points of Calvin’s life, including a simple overview of his teaching which is woven throughout the book.

This 63 page book is a great addition to a Reformation library. It is geared for children around ages 7-10, but certainly everyone older than that will benefit as well. I’ve read quite a few different accounts of Calvin’s life, and though this one covered the same basics, it was interesting enough to hold my attention to the end.

I might also suggest that this type of book be used for more than just a home library for children. It would be helpful for a theme of church history in Sunday School, it would be beneficial in a church plant setting, where some people haven’t heard of Calvin, and it would be good for a Christian home school library.

Finally, the artwork is brilliant and captivating. The layout of the book has a fitting Reformation theme: the theme comes through in the words and artwork layout.

The reader will not be disappointed in this book if he she is looking for a clear, concise, and attractive biography on John Calvin.