1536–1559

Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion: From the Catechism of 1536 to the System of 1559

The first edition of the Institutes (Basel, 1536) had six chapters modeled on Luther's catechism, with a dedication to Francis I; the final edition of 1559 had eighty chapters. The intermediate editions (1539, 1543) show the influence of Bucer and polemics against Servetus and the Anabaptists; by 1559 it was a systematic exposition of Reformed theology. Calvin conceived the Institutes as a summary of piety and a companion to his commentaries. McGrath traces his method – going directly to the text in its linguistic and historical context – to the French legal humanism (mos gallicus) of Budé. González sees it as a practical guide for Christians in difficult days, not an eternal system.