Introductions
07.10.09
I am pleased to introduce readCalvin, a new rendition of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion.
Few people have been as instrumental in the development of Protestant Christianity as John Calvin — born 500 years ago today — and few works have been as seminal in the theological development of Protestantism as the Institutes. In recognizing the importance of this work, I have decided to undertake the project of creating a vernacularized English translation of Calvin’s Institutes. A “freshened up” rendition might be a more accurate description.
It’s an idea that comes from an honest introspection: I have a master’s degree in theology and spent eight years learning about John Calvin from many of the world’s leading experts on him, but I honestly still can’t pick up the Institutes and make much sense of them without somewhat struggling to read through it. That’s not to say that the major English translations aren’t good, but they were translated for a more scholastic audience and rendered in a more archaic English, which has the effect of making them seem a bit stale.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a rendition of the Institutes that people could read? Our theology is scholarly, but it needn’t be stale. Indeed, it shouldn’t be stale — it’s book upon book talking about the vitality, wonder, and freedom of a life lived through God. Our theological language should be accessible wherever possible — it should be language that will draw people in, not push them away.
It is my humble hope that this project will encourage people to read Calvin’s writing with fresh eyes and see, through his writing, the multiplicity of ways in which God is alive and working in our world.
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For now, Book I, Chapter 1 has been published for your consideration. Stay tuned for further details about how the project will proceed and more information about it, myself the translator, and the considerations and concerns surrounding such an effort.
-Christian Bell
(cshbell@gmail.com)