Download or read book The Christian Polity of John Calvin written by Harro Höpfl and published by CUP Archive. This book was released on 1985-07-18 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the relationship between Calvin's thought about civil and ecclesiastical order and his own circumstances and activities. The early chapters argue that in his pre-Genevan writings, including the first edition of the Institution, Calvin's political thinking was entirely conventional; his subsequent thought and conduct were not an implementation of previously formulated ideas. Later chapters examine whether and to what extent Calvin developed a distinctive vision of the Christian polity as part of an overall conception of the Christian life.