On Monday Oct 22 2018 I was at the Pastors Academy once again. Rather busy there as the Lloyd-Jones Library is being refurbished following a flood and the ThM students were there for a module so the reading group ended up in the chapel. Seven of us, led by Brad Franklin, discussed Scott Manetsch's Calvin and the company of pastors. The book is absolutely brilliant and well worth getting hold of. It is well written and yet scholarly with a large chunk of endnotes. It teaches you more about Calvin, which we need to know but going from 1536-1609 it partly fills in that haziness that takes us from Calvin to the Puritans. It scotches the Calvin and the Calvinist idea and is also full of nice anecdotes, which always helps. (eg Claude Griffat suspended for calling his dog Calvin; Calvin seizing a man who had pocketed communion bread during the Lord's supper, Jean Saddo who gave his minister his cow's eyeball for some reason, etc). It is very useful for thinking through pastoral work too. Geneva was sadly wedded to the church state ideas of the past but if you can see beyond that there is a lot to learn. ( )

Beautiful, sensitive, and thorough historical work. Each chapter could easily have been a book unto itself. ( )

All with even a passing interest in history know of John Calvin as one of the leading figures of the Reformation. His played a role in building the Reformed church in Geneva which led to the spreading of the Reformation throughout Europe and eventually across the globe.
The details of how this occur, especially through building and developing a group of pastors is less known. This book takes the reader through many of these details. Matters like church organisation, the tension that there was between the magistrates and the church, training of pastors, pastoral work, church discipline, preaching and church services, the administration of the sacraments, and even matters like finance are all covered. The author also deals how leaders following Calvin dealt with what he and his peers left behind: should things stay the same, or can they change? The authors is also emphatic is dealing with criticism of Calvin as a tyrant. He clearer was not so, and whilst given a place a honour and leadership, he always wanted the church leadership to be group working harmoniously together. The civil government were insistent on having one man in charge in the church (as individual they could deal with directly); Calvin and his peers and successors strongly resisted that.
This is a wonderful book. A little overwhelming in a few places, a bit technical in one section on doctrine, funny in other places, but overall very instructive. I enjoyed reading it. ( )

Clear and easy to read explanation of Calvin's and Beza's Geneva in the 16th century—how they did ministry and formed the church. ( )

Clear and easy to read explanation of Calvin's and Beza's Geneva in the 16th century—how they did ministry and formed the church. ( )