A volume comparable in style to Cliff's Notes, here highlighting the key points from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion.

An essential biography of the most important book of the Protestant Reformation John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion is a defining book of the Reformation and a pillar of Protestant theology. First published in Latin in 1536 and in Calvin's native French in 1541, the Institutes argues for the majesty of God and for justification by faith alone. The book decisively shaped Calvinism as a major religious and intellectual force in Europe and throughout the world. Here, Bruce Gordon provides an essential biography of Calvin's influential and enduring theological masterpiece, tracing the diverse ways it has been read and interpreted from Calvin's time to today. Gordon explores the origins and character of the Institutes, looking closely at its theological and historical roots, and explaining how it evolved through numerous editions to become a complete summary of Reformation doctrine. He shows how the development of the book reflected the evolving thought of Calvin, who instilled in the work a restlessness that reflected his understanding of the Christian life as a journey to God. Following Calvin's death in 1564, the Institutes continued to be reprinted, reedited, and reworked through the centuries. Gordon describes how it has been used in radically different ways, such as in South Africa, where it was invoked both to defend and attack the horror of apartheid. He examines its vexed relationship with the historical Calvin—a figure both revered and despised—and charts its robust and contentious reception history, taking readers from the Puritans and Voltaire to YouTube, the novels of Marilynne Robinson, and to China and Africa, where the Institutes continues to find new audiences today.

A leading Calvin scholar provides an annotated guide to the reading of Calvin's Institutes, selecting passages critical to understanding Calvin's theology.

Christians love to celebrate grace, but often talk about it in vague generalities. But such an important biblical concept ought to be clearly defined so it can be consistently defended. In this book, best-selling author Kevin DeYoung points modern readers back to an old document originally written to do just that. Warmly pastoral and broadly accessible, this book introduces readers to the Canons of Dort, a 17th-century work summarizing the central doctrines of the Christian faith. Widely regarded as a key pillar of the Reformed tradition, the Canons of Dort stand as a faithful witness to God's grace—offering a depth of understanding that the church still needs today. In three concise sections—covering history, theology, and practical application—DeYoung explores what led to the Canons and why they were needed, the five important doctrines that they explain, and Dort's place in the Reformed tradition today.

This abridgement of Ford Lewis Battles' Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion will better acquaint readers with the seminal work in Reformed theology. In an easy-to-read, concise format, Donald McKim follows the main development of Calvin's thought, accentuating his contributions without lingering over matters whose importance has become outdated.

"Calvin is a cataract, a primeval forest, a demonic power, something directly down from the Himalayas, absolutely Chinese, strange, mythological; I lack completely the means, the suction cups, even to assimilate this phenomenon, not to speak of presenting it adequately ... I could gladly and profitably set myself down and spend all the rest of my life just with Calvin." -Karl Barth Sadly, despite Calvin's vast historical influence, few Christians actually read Calvin. Surprisingly, his prose is very easy and it is only the length that is daunting. This study guide by Douglas Wilson gives readers bite-sized pieces of the institutes to read, as well as simple discussion questions to help review and ponder the gems found in this profound, yet simple Christian classic.

The goal of Knowing God and Ourselves is to help students, especially beginning students, of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion to better understand what they are reading and to encourage them to persist in working through this important but challenging book. Calvin intended the Institutes to be a guide in reading Scripture and a theological companion to his commentaries. Above all, he wanted his readers to respond to biblical truth with love for God and obedient lives. The subtitle of this book is Reading Calvin's Institutes Devotionally. Reading the Institutes devotionally is not merely one way of reading Calvin's book. It is the only way to read it.

Calvin's Institutes is one of the most important theological works of the last millennium, but even seminarians and pastors have difficulty finishing it. The author guided students through Calvin's classic for more than forty-five years. His detailed outline and summary of it have been made available posthumously to all.

Following Calvin's intent with the Institutes, this book displays the coherence, trustworthiness, and glory of biblical truth for all ages. We hope these readings will awaken readers to the relevance of Calvin's theology, humble them by the depth of Calvin's insights, and challenge them in their progress in the Christian life. Most of all, we hope they discover that exploring the Institutes means following Calvin as he follows Christ into a deeper, Bible-saturated devotion to the triune God. The content of the proposed book is adapted from the 2009 "Blogging Through the Institutes" project hosted by reformation21.org, the online magazine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.