A critical analysis of soteriological themes in Calvin's early writings

Abstract

This dissertation will offer an analysis of conversion and its related themes in Calvin's early writings. It will include an introduction and five chapters. In the Introduction, I plan to accomplish five things. First, I will set forth a statement about and a definition of conversion. Second, I will explore the notion within the Reformed tradition that the ecclesia reformata is an ecclesia reformanda and its impact on the nature of conversion. Third, I will state what has led me to conduct a study of Calvin's view of conversion and its related themes in his early writings. Fourth, I will provide definitions of words that are used within the Reformed and the broad evangelical Protestant traditions in the United States to articulate an understanding of the notion of conversion. Fifth, I will pose two questions that need to be answered as a result of this study. Chapter 1 will describe cm-rent views of conversion that are represented in the Reformed and the broad evangelical Protestant traditions in the United States, as well as the evangelical Reformed subset of the broad evangelical Protestant tradition. Chapter 2 will provide a brief overview of Calvin's understanding of conversion in his writings in their entirety. Chapter 3 will analyze Calvin's view of conversion and its related themes as it is expressed in Psychopannychia (1534) and Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536). Chapter 4 will conduct a brief analysis to see what Calvin meant and the Reformed and the broad evangelical Protestant traditions mean, as well as the evangelical Reformed subset of the broad evangelical Protestant tradition, when they each speak of conversion. Chapter 5 will set forth answers to the two questions raised.