"To Teach and Delight": The Literary Significance of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion

"To Teach and Delight": The Literary Significance of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion

Jerry Falwell Library, Terrace Conference Room B

A tremendous amount of scholarship has been devoted over centuries to the study of John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion as a key work of Christian theology. However, less attention has been paid to this enormous work's literary merit. This presentation will examine selections from chapters 1 and 2 of book I and chapters 21 through 24 of book III from the 1559 edition of the Institutes, where some of Calvin's most fundamental convictions and controversial arguments are presented. As these passages are considered through the lens of Leland Ryken's definition of Christian literature as that which "teaches and delights" the reader, it will be shown that Calvin engages his audience's imaginations and emotions alongside their intellects in order to communicate his theological insights. The form of this work, as well as its content, has contributed significantly to its landmark status within the scope of Christian literature, and merits further study.