John Calvin (July 10, 1509 - May 27, 1564) founded Calvinism, a form of Protestant Christianity, during the Protestant Reformation. In France, the 16th and 17th century followers of Calvinism were referred to as Huguenots.
He was born Jean Cauvin in Noyon, Picardie, France. Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses, in 1517, when Calvin was 8.
Calvin's father, an attorney, sent him to the University of Paris to study humanities and law. By 1532, he was a Doctor of Law at Orléans. His first published work was a commentary on the Roman philosopher Seneca.
In 1536 he settled in Geneva, halted in the path of an intended journey to Basel by the personal persuasion of the reformer William Farel.
He died in Geneva.
Writings by Calvin
Calvin also published many volumes of commentaries on the Bible. As much as his practice in Geneva his publications spread his ideas of a correctly reformed church to many parts of Europe. Calvinism became the religion of the majority in Scotland, the Netherlands, and parts of North Germany and was influential in Hungary and Poland. Mosy settlers in the midatlantic and New England were Calvinists as well, including the Puritans and Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (New York). South Africa was founded by mostly Dutch (though some were French and Portuguese as well) Calvinist settlers beginning in the 17th century, who became known as Afrikaners. Sierra Leone was largely colonised by Calvinist settlers from Nova Scotia. John Marrant had organised a congregation there under the auspices of the Huntingdon Connexion. The settlers were largely Black Loyalists, African Americans who had fought for the British during the American War of Independence.
