The Necessity of Reforming the Church

by John Calvin

The church reached a turning point in the 16th century. Worship had become a spectacle, the gospel was distorted, the sacraments were replaced by superstition, and ministers lived in immorality. To restore the church to the teachings of Christ, the Reformers cried out for a return to God’s authoritative word. In this classic treatise, John Calvin presents four areas of the church’s life and doctrine that must be carefully guarded and guided by scripture. This timeless call for biblical faithfulness beckons us today. How will we respond?

This new translation by Dr. Casey Carmichael, with a foreword from Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, also includes A Reply to Cardinal Sadoleto, Calvin’s letter defending the work of reformation as it was applied in the city of Geneva.

Genres: Theology, Church History

Audible Audio

Published June 22, 2021

About the author

French-Swiss theologian John Calvin broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1533 and as Protestant set forth his tenets, known today, in Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536).

The religious doctrines of John Calvin emphasize the omnipotence of God, whose grace alone saves the elect.

* Jehan Cauvin
* Iohannes Calvinus (Latin)
* Jean Calvin (French)

Originally trained as a humanist lawyer around 1530, he went on to serve as a principal figure in the Reformation. He developed the system later called Calvinism.

After tensions provoked a violent uprising, Calvin fled to Basel and published the first edition of his seminal work. In that year of 1536, William Farel invited Calvin to help reform in Geneva. The city council resisted the implementation of ideas of Calvin and Farel and expelled both men. At the invitation of Martin Bucer, Calvin proceeded to Strasbourg as the minister of refugees. He continued to support the reform movement in Geneva, and people eventually invited him back to lead. Following return, he introduced new forms of government and liturgy. Following an influx of supportive refugees, new elections to the city council forced out opponents of Calvin. Calvin spent his final years, promoting the Reformation in Geneva and throughout Europe.

Calvin tirelessly wrote polemics and apologia. He also exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger. In addition, he wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible as well as treatises and confessional documents and regularly gave sermons throughout the week in Geneva. The Augustinian tradition influenced and led Calvin to expound the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.

Calvin's writing and preaching provided the seeds for the branch of Protestantism that bears his name. His views live on chiefly in Presbyterian and Reformed denominations, which have spread throughout the world. Calvin's thought exerted considerable influence over major figures and entire movements, such as Puritanism, and some scholars argue that his ideas contributed to the rise of capitalism, individualism, and representative democracy in the west.

Reviews

[Russell Piontek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next time I start an audiobook that is based on a letter from the 1500's that was translated from Latin, someone smack me. The content was good (albeit a bit redundant at times) but you can just get lost in the language at times.

I highly recommend the introduction though. It was a more substantial percentage of the book than I was expecting but actually summed up the history behind the letter and the issues at the center of the disagreement very succinctly...and consequently made most of what followed superfluous.

[mattie mae seals · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know that feeling when you sit down to read a 16th-century treatise and suddenly realize you’ve basically walked into an ecclesiastical rap battle? because that’s what this felt like. calvin comes out swinging in the necessity of reforming the church with the energy of someone who’s had one too many bad papal policies and has finally snapped. the man is demolishing theological opponents left and right, and honestly i kept waiting for him to toss his quill aside, shout “sola scriptura, mic drop,” and walk off stage.

beneath the fire, though, this thing is deeply pastoral. calvin isn’t just being spicy for sport. he’s trying to rescue the church from what he sees as spiritual fog: muddled worship, detached leadership, sacraments treated like magic tokens, and a whole ecclesial system that, in his mind, forgot that holiness starts with the heart. his entire argument basically hinges on this one point: if the church forgets the gospel, everything else rots. and he’s not wrong.

his chapters on worship and the sacraments especially hit me. the way he frames worship as something that must be simple, sincere, and driven by scripture—not spectacle—feels almost shockingly modern. like okay john, i hear you criticizing the 1500s but it’s giving “american christianity 2025” vibes. and when he talks about the church’s need for discipline and shepherding, he manages to be both stern and tender. it’s feisty theology with a soul.

this book honestly reminded me how easy it is to assume the church doesn’t need reform anymore, as if sanctification is an individual project only. calvin’s like: “actually the whole church is sanctified over time—keep going.” and i found that strangely comforting.

also, whoever told me reformed authors were dry has clearly never watched john calvin roast an entire political-religious system for 100 pages straight. this is peak theological drama.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

favorite quotes
“true religion is not to be sought in the opinions of men, but in the word of god.”

“the safety of the church depends on the condition, that pastors be diligent in their duty.”

“the whole substance of christianity is contained in the knowledge of god and of ourselves.”

“the worship of god ought to be pure and simple, and free from the ostentation of outward display.”

“no one is a true pastor who does not faithfully feed the flock with the pure doctrine of the gospel.”

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a better book on the heresies of the Roman Catholic church — or of the modern evangelical church, which has adopted many of these lies.

[Peter Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to Calvin’s arguments for the reformation and responses to some Catholic critiques

[Gabriel Magill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historically important book for church history, this book is Calvin’s explanation and defense of the Protestant movement in attempting to reform the church apart from the support of the Catholic leadership. His typical brilliance and clarity shines through in this work as he systematically looks at each of the grievances against the church and shows biblically why he and the other reformers must stand in good conscience by working to correct these issues. I’d recommend this work for anyone looking for an introduction to the Reformation and the theological disagreements that led to it.

[Eric Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

*This review is my own thoughts and opinions that have been put into and re-written by AI.
Jean Calvin's "The Necessity of Reforming the Church" (1544) remains a significant treatise for both Protestants and Catholics today. In this powerful call for reform, Calvin critiques the Roman Catholic Church's practices, especially in worship and the sacraments, and calls for a return to biblical purity. His insistence on the primacy of Scripture, the simplification of worship, and the spiritual presence of Christ in the sacraments highlights his desire to restore the church to what he believed was its true, apostolic foundation.

For Protestants, Calvin’s work encourages ongoing reflection on how worship, leadership, and doctrine align with biblical teachings. His emphasis on Scripture and faith challenges the church to avoid empty ritual and focus on spiritual integrity. Catholics, especially in light of the reforms of Vatican I and II, can engage with Calvin’s critique to renew their own liturgical practices and deepen the laity's engagement with Scripture.

This treatise also serves as a potential bridge for ecumenical dialogue, emphasizing areas of mutual concern like moral integrity, spiritual renewal, and reform in response to contemporary challenges. While Calvin’s polemics were rooted in his 16th-century context, his vision for continual reform and focus on the essentials of Christian faith resonate deeply across denominational lines, making this work relevant to Christians of all traditions today.

[alex creel · Rating 4 out of 5]

there’s a lot in this of his view of worship in contemporary Roman catholicism, and the necessity that the laity understand the Scriptures/preaching/sacraments & engaging with it in their heart rather than following rote rituals or being distanced from them.

Some of it overlaps with modern troubles with Roman doctrine or, interestingly, in a way could combat mysticism in the New Age movement in the church. I.e., he talks about how one should understand what one is doing when worshipping and not just watch a show or get emotionally involved without substance. The same with sacraments.

Interesting quotes which I thought were worth noting down (these are both from the letter to Sadoleto):
“From nowhere else is there a danger more harmful to our salvation than from the devised and twisted worship of God.”

“Where is the Word of the Lord? Especially that clear mark in which the Lord himself, in appointing the church, so often commends to us? Indeed because he foresaw how dangerous it would be to claim the Spirit apart from the Word, he declared that the church must be governed by the Holy Spirit, but he bound that governance to the Word, lest a wandering, unstable entity be believed. For this reason, Christ announced that those who hear the words of God are from God, and they are his sheep, who acknowledge his is the voice of the shepherd, and that any other voice belongs to a stranger.”

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is actually a collection of two letters by Calvin . The first is to Charles V. Wanting to quiet down rebellion and schism in his empire. Calvin writes a letter saying what this new sect of Christian believers was holding to. So in a sense it is a way of saying we are orthodox. Stop killing us. The second is to Cardinal Sadoleto. He had poached the leg and trying to get them to return to RCC. Calvin was employed to write a response where he very much says that you have charged us with teaching new doctrine and separating from the faith but in reality you abandoned it long ago. It is a great read, esp since though the specifics have changed, much of the issues are still very much alive today. If you thought of Calvin as the ivory Tower scholar who does not get personal and passionate, reading these two letters will change your mind.

[Kyle Bartsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s sad that so many Christian’s will deprive themselves of one of the greatest hero’s of our faith simply because they have had bad encounters with arrogant Calvinists. He has so much more to offer than just TULIP. If nothing else you gotta study his history and see his impact on the Christian world, bringing the Gospel out of the clutches of the Holy Roman Empire and teaching it to the masses in such a wild and pastoral way. Real theology, sound doctrine, a deep desire for people to see God’s holiness, its a tragedy so many Christian’s will never even try to read his works. If John Calvin were alive today, he’d have some choice words for those who call themselves “Calvinists” (and also Catholics).

[Matt Daq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was cool hearing Calvin’s thoughts on the reformation.

[evelyn siegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely enjoyed this more than the Institutes!! 😳😂