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The History and Character of Calvinism
Author: John T. McNeill
John T. McNeill was a professor at Union Theological Seminary in NY.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, © 1954
ISBN: 0195007433
Pages: 470
List Price: $49.99
Category: Church History
Audience: Adult
Our Review:
This is a must read for anyone seriously interested in how Calvinism began and how it spread. The book is divided into four main parts: Part I – Huldreich Zwingli and the Reformation in German Switzerland; Part II – Calvin and the Reformation in Geneva; Part III – The Spread of Reformed Protestantism in Europe and Early America; IV – Calvinism and Modern Issues. It would be worth owning the book just for the first two parts - the overviews of Zwingli’s ministry in Zurich and Calvin’s ministry in Geneva are excellent. If you are primarily interested in the second half of the title (the character of Calvinism), you might be a little disappointed since this is primarily a history book. You must also keep in mind as you read that McNeill is primarily a historian, he is not an evangelical Christian.
Reviewer: Dean Good
