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Knowing God and Ourselves
The goal of Knowing God and Ourselves is to help students, especially beginning students, of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion to better understand what they are reading and to encourage them to persist in working through this important but challenging book.
Calvin intended the Institutes to be a guide in reading Scripture and a theological companion to his commentaries. Above all, he wanted his readers to respond to biblical truth with love for God and obedient lives. The subtitle of this book is Reading Calvin's Institutes Devotionally . Reading the Institutes devotionally is not merely one way of reading Calvin's book. It is the only way to read it.
The sections in the Institutes to be read with each chapter of this book are clearly indicated. The reading assignments are from the McNeill-Battles edition of the 1559 Institutes ; but if one prefers to use the briefer but ample 1541 French edition of the Institutes , translated by Robert White (and also published by the Banner of Truth Trust), the relevant chapter and page numbers for that edition have also been added to the 'Read' section at the head of each chapter in this guide.
'By nature I love brevity', Calvin wrote. The length of the Institutes may not seem to justify Calvin's claim, but compared with many theologies, past and present, Calvin's book is remarkable for its lucid brevity. David Calhoun has sought to follow Calvin's advice in Knowing God and Ourselves . It is a short and lucid guide to Calvin's stitutes , which, in turn, is a guide to the Bible.
Calvin intended the Institutes to be a guide in reading Scripture and a theological companion to his commentaries. Above all, he wanted his readers to respond to biblical truth with love for God and obedient lives. The subtitle of this book is Reading Calvin's Institutes Devotionally . Reading the Institutes devotionally is not merely one way of reading Calvin's book. It is the only way to read it.
The sections in the Institutes to be read with each chapter of this book are clearly indicated. The reading assignments are from the McNeill-Battles edition of the 1559 Institutes ; but if one prefers to use the briefer but ample 1541 French edition of the Institutes , translated by Robert White (and also published by the Banner of Truth Trust), the relevant chapter and page numbers for that edition have also been added to the 'Read' section at the head of each chapter in this guide.
'By nature I love brevity', Calvin wrote. The length of the Institutes may not seem to justify Calvin's claim, but compared with many theologies, past and present, Calvin's book is remarkable for its lucid brevity. David Calhoun has sought to follow Calvin's advice in Knowing God and Ourselves . It is a short and lucid guide to Calvin's stitutes , which, in turn, is a guide to the Bible.
341 pages, Hardcover
Published December 21, 2016
19 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
David B. Calhoun
23 books10 followersDavid B. Calhoun is Emeritus Professor of Church History at Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, Missouri. He has taught at Covenant College and Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) and served as principal of Jamaica Bible College. Prior to his appointment to Covenant Seminary in 1978, he was the overseas director of Ministries in Action.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 12, 2018
Agree or disagree, my understanding of Reformed theology came from the old fashioned method of looking up lots and lots of Bible passages. Yes, it was from books written by men that I was getting the listings of Bible verses. Loraine Boettner caused me lots of angst, joy, irritation, joy, unbelief, joy, belief, and then more joy. Then along came the book The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Documented, and Defended by David Steele and Curtis Thomas. With a minimum amount of defining and defending, the bulk of the book was Bible verses supporting each contention.
Before Reformed theology, I never really understood how to read, study, and work through the Bible. Reformed theology made me a student of the Bible. For a time, I thought all Calvinists agreed on everything. (Pause for a minute or two of laughter.) In time, I realized that all true Calvinists or Reformed folk really just centered on one narrow, limited, restricted doctrine–the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible Alone–Sola Scriptura–was the hallmark. Yes, we (the Reformed) fall short of our principle; yes, we interpret; yes, we put spiritual blinders on; yes, we sometimes inadvertently use old creeds, confessions, and “words of men” to bolster some weak arguments. But the touchstone still stands: Scripture Alone.
Now, back to John Calvin. First of all, Calvin was the last person who would have wanted a whole movement to be named after him. Second, he didn’t devise the handy-dandy TULIP or 5 Point Summary of Salvation. Third, he was not a Johnny Calvin-One Note who found predestination and election in every verse.
He wrote a simple Bible study guide for young believers. Keep in mind, he was given the gift of teaching and writing, and he was compelled by circumstances to teach, speak, preach, or write to fellow believers about doctrines of the Bible. Throughout his ministry, much of his work was focused on verse by verse teaching of the Bible. From those lectures, sermons, and writings, we have a huge corpus called Calvin’s Commentaries along with collections of sermons that are still be translated into English.
But his initial theological work was the study guide for major Christian beliefs, commonly known as Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. This book started out as a short treatise of a few hundred pages, but throughout his life, Calvin continued to revise this book. In the English editions, Calvin’s Institutes appears as a thick one volume or two still hefty volumes of some 1000 pages. The two best known translations is the older Henry Beveridge translation and the 20th century Ford Lewis Battles translation. (I like both and have used the Beveridge for teaching because it was more affordable.)
My favorite translation is the Banner of Truth edition. Called “Calvin’s Own ‘Essentials’ Edition, this beautiful volume was translated by Robert White and was made from the French edition in 1541. This book is 842 pages and is hard bound with the quality that Banner of Truth fans know quite well.
Although Calvin’s Institutes, taken as a whole, is a massive work, it can be read as a series of shorter books. Overall, it follows the outline of the Apostles’ Creed. The book is surprisingly readable and understandable. Calvin was writing to his congregations and readers; he was not writing for a theological text for theological academics (not that they cannot read it profitably as well).
Over the years, quite a number of guide, helps, outlines, and commentaries have been written for use alongside of Calvin’s book. I have picked up at least four or five of these types of books through the years. Having a guide, a mentor, a teacher is always helpful. The Ethiopian eunuch asked the question that all real students ask repeatedly: How can I understand what I am reading unless someone guides me?”
Knowing God and Ourselves: Reading Calvin’s Institutes Devotionally by David B. Calhoun is a recent publication by Banner of Truth. How can I say this without exaggerating? Here goes: This is a great book. It ministers to mind and soul. It guides the reader through the main headings of Calvin’s Institutes while giving delightful quotes from other Calvin scholars and writers, supplying Bible verses, and heart-directed comments.
While designed as a book to accompany the reading of the Institutes, it can be read as a stand alone volume. Whether the readers is looking for history, biography, theology, Bible teachings, and key topics regarding Calvin’s theology, it is here.
Notice the key words in the subtitle: Reading Calvin’s Institutes Devotionally. Calvin’s mission statement on life was having a heart centered, empowered, propelled, and driven by a love for God. His key objection to the many theological enemies of his time was that they were not Christ-centered. Church work was all about making people believe, trust, love, and obey Jesus more and more.
Quite frankly, Calvin often reads more like a pietistic mystic than like a Calvinist. He is like the praise and worship part of modern worship services, except that instead of loud amplified music and repeated (too many times) choruses, there is strong theological, Biblical truth. His writings are Christ-centered and Christ-consumed. And along with, before, or after reading Calvin, read Knowing God and Ourselves.
Additional recommendation: I first became aware of David Calhoun’s writings when I read the first of his two volume story of Princeton Seminary. This two volume history of Princeton Theological Seminary, also published by Banner of Truth, is a great read on the history of theology in America. It could have been said, "As Princeton goes, so goes the nation." The story of Princeton as a theological bastion and then battleground is well told in these two moving volumes.
Knowing God and Ourselves is a completely different type of work from the historical and biographical writings of Calhoun. Now a professor emeritus of church history from Covenant Theological Seminary, he continues to write and share his wisdom during his remaining years. This book grew out of courses he taught on John Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion.
Before Reformed theology, I never really understood how to read, study, and work through the Bible. Reformed theology made me a student of the Bible. For a time, I thought all Calvinists agreed on everything. (Pause for a minute or two of laughter.) In time, I realized that all true Calvinists or Reformed folk really just centered on one narrow, limited, restricted doctrine–the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible Alone–Sola Scriptura–was the hallmark. Yes, we (the Reformed) fall short of our principle; yes, we interpret; yes, we put spiritual blinders on; yes, we sometimes inadvertently use old creeds, confessions, and “words of men” to bolster some weak arguments. But the touchstone still stands: Scripture Alone.
Now, back to John Calvin. First of all, Calvin was the last person who would have wanted a whole movement to be named after him. Second, he didn’t devise the handy-dandy TULIP or 5 Point Summary of Salvation. Third, he was not a Johnny Calvin-One Note who found predestination and election in every verse.
He wrote a simple Bible study guide for young believers. Keep in mind, he was given the gift of teaching and writing, and he was compelled by circumstances to teach, speak, preach, or write to fellow believers about doctrines of the Bible. Throughout his ministry, much of his work was focused on verse by verse teaching of the Bible. From those lectures, sermons, and writings, we have a huge corpus called Calvin’s Commentaries along with collections of sermons that are still be translated into English.
But his initial theological work was the study guide for major Christian beliefs, commonly known as Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. This book started out as a short treatise of a few hundred pages, but throughout his life, Calvin continued to revise this book. In the English editions, Calvin’s Institutes appears as a thick one volume or two still hefty volumes of some 1000 pages. The two best known translations is the older Henry Beveridge translation and the 20th century Ford Lewis Battles translation. (I like both and have used the Beveridge for teaching because it was more affordable.)
My favorite translation is the Banner of Truth edition. Called “Calvin’s Own ‘Essentials’ Edition, this beautiful volume was translated by Robert White and was made from the French edition in 1541. This book is 842 pages and is hard bound with the quality that Banner of Truth fans know quite well.
Although Calvin’s Institutes, taken as a whole, is a massive work, it can be read as a series of shorter books. Overall, it follows the outline of the Apostles’ Creed. The book is surprisingly readable and understandable. Calvin was writing to his congregations and readers; he was not writing for a theological text for theological academics (not that they cannot read it profitably as well).
Over the years, quite a number of guide, helps, outlines, and commentaries have been written for use alongside of Calvin’s book. I have picked up at least four or five of these types of books through the years. Having a guide, a mentor, a teacher is always helpful. The Ethiopian eunuch asked the question that all real students ask repeatedly: How can I understand what I am reading unless someone guides me?”
Knowing God and Ourselves: Reading Calvin’s Institutes Devotionally by David B. Calhoun is a recent publication by Banner of Truth. How can I say this without exaggerating? Here goes: This is a great book. It ministers to mind and soul. It guides the reader through the main headings of Calvin’s Institutes while giving delightful quotes from other Calvin scholars and writers, supplying Bible verses, and heart-directed comments.
While designed as a book to accompany the reading of the Institutes, it can be read as a stand alone volume. Whether the readers is looking for history, biography, theology, Bible teachings, and key topics regarding Calvin’s theology, it is here.
Notice the key words in the subtitle: Reading Calvin’s Institutes Devotionally. Calvin’s mission statement on life was having a heart centered, empowered, propelled, and driven by a love for God. His key objection to the many theological enemies of his time was that they were not Christ-centered. Church work was all about making people believe, trust, love, and obey Jesus more and more.
Quite frankly, Calvin often reads more like a pietistic mystic than like a Calvinist. He is like the praise and worship part of modern worship services, except that instead of loud amplified music and repeated (too many times) choruses, there is strong theological, Biblical truth. His writings are Christ-centered and Christ-consumed. And along with, before, or after reading Calvin, read Knowing God and Ourselves.
Additional recommendation: I first became aware of David Calhoun’s writings when I read the first of his two volume story of Princeton Seminary. This two volume history of Princeton Theological Seminary, also published by Banner of Truth, is a great read on the history of theology in America. It could have been said, "As Princeton goes, so goes the nation." The story of Princeton as a theological bastion and then battleground is well told in these two moving volumes.
Knowing God and Ourselves is a completely different type of work from the historical and biographical writings of Calhoun. Now a professor emeritus of church history from Covenant Theological Seminary, he continues to write and share his wisdom during his remaining years. This book grew out of courses he taught on John Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion.
November 11, 2019
A Helpful Devotional Guide for Reading Calvin’s Institutes
Knowing God and Ourselves: Reading Calvin’s institutes Devotionally by David B. Calhoun fulfills the promise of its subtitle. This book is an excellent companion and guide to making your way through Calvin’s Institutes, which is no easy task and not for the faint of heart.
The following ten components are included for each chapter:
1. A title using imagery from Calvin himself.
2. A sentence from Calvin that contains the imagery.
3. A quote by others that sums up the topic.
4. The chapters in the Institute to be read - including both the 1559 McNeill-Battles and the shorter, easier-to-read translation of the 1541 French first edition.
5. A key Scripture from the ESV.
6. A notable quote by Calvin from his various writings.
7. A prayer by Calvin from his many published prayers.
8. A look back and look ahead to show the progression of thought.
9. Various quotes and summaries in text boxes along the way.
10. A concluding devotional meditation entitled “Knowing God and Ourselves” for application.
You don’t have to agree with everything Calvin teaches in order to benefit from him. But there are many spiritual nuggets and theological insights to be gained from reading his Institutes. It also gives you the chance to hear from Calvin himself instead of merely listening to his defenders or detractors. Finally, it will give you insight into a man who played in important role in Reformation history in particular and Church history in general down to the present day.
I highly recommend using this guide if you choose to read Calvin’s Institutes and suggest starting with the shorter 1541 first edition that is highly readable.
The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Calvin's Own 'Essentials' Edition) Translated by Robert White
https://www.amazon.com/Institutes-Chr...
From Amazon - The Institutes of the Christian Religion is Calvin's single most important work. Yet, as many who have purchased an English translation of the final Latin edition of 1559 know only too well, the sheer size of the work and the proliferation of technical details and polemical themes do not make for easy reading. It has left many wishing for an edition that avoided such things but yet kept intact the very heart and soul of Calvin's teaching.
Such an edition is now available, and it is not the work of an editor or an abridger, but of Calvin himself. The present translation is newly made from the French of 1541. It has been designed and annotated with the needs of a wide readership in mind.
Knowing God and Ourselves: Reading Calvin’s institutes Devotionally by David B. Calhoun fulfills the promise of its subtitle. This book is an excellent companion and guide to making your way through Calvin’s Institutes, which is no easy task and not for the faint of heart.
The following ten components are included for each chapter:
1. A title using imagery from Calvin himself.
2. A sentence from Calvin that contains the imagery.
3. A quote by others that sums up the topic.
4. The chapters in the Institute to be read - including both the 1559 McNeill-Battles and the shorter, easier-to-read translation of the 1541 French first edition.
5. A key Scripture from the ESV.
6. A notable quote by Calvin from his various writings.
7. A prayer by Calvin from his many published prayers.
8. A look back and look ahead to show the progression of thought.
9. Various quotes and summaries in text boxes along the way.
10. A concluding devotional meditation entitled “Knowing God and Ourselves” for application.
You don’t have to agree with everything Calvin teaches in order to benefit from him. But there are many spiritual nuggets and theological insights to be gained from reading his Institutes. It also gives you the chance to hear from Calvin himself instead of merely listening to his defenders or detractors. Finally, it will give you insight into a man who played in important role in Reformation history in particular and Church history in general down to the present day.
I highly recommend using this guide if you choose to read Calvin’s Institutes and suggest starting with the shorter 1541 first edition that is highly readable.
The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Calvin's Own 'Essentials' Edition) Translated by Robert White
https://www.amazon.com/Institutes-Chr...
From Amazon - The Institutes of the Christian Religion is Calvin's single most important work. Yet, as many who have purchased an English translation of the final Latin edition of 1559 know only too well, the sheer size of the work and the proliferation of technical details and polemical themes do not make for easy reading. It has left many wishing for an edition that avoided such things but yet kept intact the very heart and soul of Calvin's teaching.
Such an edition is now available, and it is not the work of an editor or an abridger, but of Calvin himself. The present translation is newly made from the French of 1541. It has been designed and annotated with the needs of a wide readership in mind.
May 25, 2021
I enjoyed two wonderful church history classes with Dr. Calhoun at the beginning of my time at Covenant Seminary, who recently went home to be with the Lord. For twenty-five years he taught a course on Calvin’s Institutes at Covenant Seminary. The Institutes of the Christian Religion is a manual, a book of basic instruction in the Christian religion. It is a book about Christian piety, about Christian discipleship, about loving and serving God.
The goal of the book is to help students, especially beginning students of Calvin’s Institutes to better understand what they are reading and to encourage them to persist in working through that important, but challenging book. Overall, Dr. Calhoun’s goal is to help the reader understand Calvin. Each chapter begins with the pages in the Institutes to read, a scripture text, a notable quote and a prayer. Each chapter ends “Knowing God and Ourselves”, a short application and meditation on Calvin’s content. Dr. Calhoun tells us that reading the Institutes devotionally is not merely one way of reading Calvin’s book, it is the only way to read it. Calvin intended his book to be a guide and a theological companion to the Bible.
I didn’t get a chance to take Dr. Calhoun’s class on Calvin’s Institutes, but reading this book may be the next best thing. Below are 25 of my favorite quotes from book:
• For Calvin the attributes of God are simply the sum of what the Bible tells us about God.
• Calvin knows that all is not right with the world. It is not the way it is supposed to be. It is full of sin and evil, suffering and death. The tragedies of life are real calamities. We weep over the trouble of the world, just as Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus.
• A true understanding of God's providence enables us to exercise ‘patience in adversity’
• Because of God’s restraint, human wickedness is not as total as it could possibly be. Sin, however, does radically affect every part of every person’s nature and life.
• Fallen people can still choose but they cannot choose good. In that sense they do not have free will; their wills are bound by their sin. But in another sense, people’s wills are ‘free’ because they act wickedly by their own choice and not because they are compelled to do so.
• God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loves us.
• Union with Christ is the priceless possession of the Christian. Let us strive to experience (feel) it continually in all our thoughts and express it by our words and actions.
• The foundation of assurance is not our works but God’s love for us in Christ.
• Repentance is Calvin’s favorite word for the whole process by which a sinner turns to God and progresses in holiness. For Calvin, it is not merely the start of the Christian life; it is the Christian life.
• Both sanctification and justification come from our union with Christ. Both are received by faith. Justification is based on what Christ has done for us; sanctification, upon what he does in us.
• Justification is accomplished once for all by Christ’s work on the cross; sanctification is accomplished day by day through the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
• He recommended special times of prayer throughout the day and wrote sample prayers for people to use on those occasions: in the morning, when rising; before school or work; before eating; thanksgiving after eating; and before going to sleep at night.
• True prayer is the casting away of all thought of our own glory and worth and in humility giving glory completely to God.
• God chose some to holiness and sonship because it pleased him to do so. Why it pleased him to do so, it has not pleased him to reveal.
• We must never use the doctrine of election to obscure or weaken the freeness of the gospel invitation. People must hear from us what will draw them to Christ, not what will discourage them.
• God’s decree to elect some to salvation cannot rest on their good works, because the decree was made before the foundation of the world and so before the existence of individuals.
• Rather than producing fear and uncertainty in the believer about his or her ultimate destiny, predestination encourages confidence.
• Calvin uses the illustration of the mirror in a double way. God looks in the mirror and sees Christ; the believer looks in the mirror and sees Christ.
• Calvin believed in a literal, physical second coming of Christ, but he had no interest in predicting its date or in describing in detail its nature
• Calvin encourages us to move beyond the pictures of heaven to the reality they point to, that is, our being forever with the Lord and with each other.
• Calvin teaches that there will be different degrees of glory in heaven as there are different gifts on earth. In this way God is simply crowning his own gifts.
• If heaven is fellowship with God, hell is the opposite. It is not a location but the condition of living estranged from God.
• The church is both school and mother. It is the place where we are shaped, taught, and corrected. It is also the place where we are accepted, loved, and nourished.
• Calvin stresses that caring for the poor and needy was the responsibility of all Christians. The deacons are the church’s officers in overseeing this ministry of love to which all are called.
• The Lord’s supper supports, clarifies, and strengthens our union with Christ.
The goal of the book is to help students, especially beginning students of Calvin’s Institutes to better understand what they are reading and to encourage them to persist in working through that important, but challenging book. Overall, Dr. Calhoun’s goal is to help the reader understand Calvin. Each chapter begins with the pages in the Institutes to read, a scripture text, a notable quote and a prayer. Each chapter ends “Knowing God and Ourselves”, a short application and meditation on Calvin’s content. Dr. Calhoun tells us that reading the Institutes devotionally is not merely one way of reading Calvin’s book, it is the only way to read it. Calvin intended his book to be a guide and a theological companion to the Bible.
I didn’t get a chance to take Dr. Calhoun’s class on Calvin’s Institutes, but reading this book may be the next best thing. Below are 25 of my favorite quotes from book:
• For Calvin the attributes of God are simply the sum of what the Bible tells us about God.
• Calvin knows that all is not right with the world. It is not the way it is supposed to be. It is full of sin and evil, suffering and death. The tragedies of life are real calamities. We weep over the trouble of the world, just as Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus.
• A true understanding of God's providence enables us to exercise ‘patience in adversity’
• Because of God’s restraint, human wickedness is not as total as it could possibly be. Sin, however, does radically affect every part of every person’s nature and life.
• Fallen people can still choose but they cannot choose good. In that sense they do not have free will; their wills are bound by their sin. But in another sense, people’s wills are ‘free’ because they act wickedly by their own choice and not because they are compelled to do so.
• God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loves us.
• Union with Christ is the priceless possession of the Christian. Let us strive to experience (feel) it continually in all our thoughts and express it by our words and actions.
• The foundation of assurance is not our works but God’s love for us in Christ.
• Repentance is Calvin’s favorite word for the whole process by which a sinner turns to God and progresses in holiness. For Calvin, it is not merely the start of the Christian life; it is the Christian life.
• Both sanctification and justification come from our union with Christ. Both are received by faith. Justification is based on what Christ has done for us; sanctification, upon what he does in us.
• Justification is accomplished once for all by Christ’s work on the cross; sanctification is accomplished day by day through the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
• He recommended special times of prayer throughout the day and wrote sample prayers for people to use on those occasions: in the morning, when rising; before school or work; before eating; thanksgiving after eating; and before going to sleep at night.
• True prayer is the casting away of all thought of our own glory and worth and in humility giving glory completely to God.
• God chose some to holiness and sonship because it pleased him to do so. Why it pleased him to do so, it has not pleased him to reveal.
• We must never use the doctrine of election to obscure or weaken the freeness of the gospel invitation. People must hear from us what will draw them to Christ, not what will discourage them.
• God’s decree to elect some to salvation cannot rest on their good works, because the decree was made before the foundation of the world and so before the existence of individuals.
• Rather than producing fear and uncertainty in the believer about his or her ultimate destiny, predestination encourages confidence.
• Calvin uses the illustration of the mirror in a double way. God looks in the mirror and sees Christ; the believer looks in the mirror and sees Christ.
• Calvin believed in a literal, physical second coming of Christ, but he had no interest in predicting its date or in describing in detail its nature
• Calvin encourages us to move beyond the pictures of heaven to the reality they point to, that is, our being forever with the Lord and with each other.
• Calvin teaches that there will be different degrees of glory in heaven as there are different gifts on earth. In this way God is simply crowning his own gifts.
• If heaven is fellowship with God, hell is the opposite. It is not a location but the condition of living estranged from God.
• The church is both school and mother. It is the place where we are shaped, taught, and corrected. It is also the place where we are accepted, loved, and nourished.
• Calvin stresses that caring for the poor and needy was the responsibility of all Christians. The deacons are the church’s officers in overseeing this ministry of love to which all are called.
• The Lord’s supper supports, clarifies, and strengthens our union with Christ.
November 22, 2020
Twas a devotional experience. A good companion while reading the Institutes. Rich with secondary resourcea from Calvin [and Calvinist] scholars. A must read if you want a good introduction/ summary of the Institutes.
December 13, 2021
Excellent companion as you read through the Institutes.
July 22, 2025
The best analysis of the Institutes that I have ever read. Highly recommended. If you don't have the time to work through Calvin's weighty tome, then be sure to at least pick this up.
December 21, 2025
A must read and aid to understanding Calvin's Institutes.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews