07-10-2010, 07:05 PM
Hi,
Reformed believers have tried to do a whitewash on Calvin but some testify otherwise.
One can see Calvin, merely as a man of his time, perhaps that view is too generous? Today excommunication or disfellowshipping is the tool of religious extremists authorities claiming they are Christ's instrument.
"Did Calvin Murder Servetus?",
Robert James Weiss
One reader reviewed the book as follows?
The purpose of this book is to examine the legality of the trial of a Spanish physician Michael Servetus. Servetus was burned at the stake in the protestant city of Geneva for the crime of heresy. His trial was organized and manipulated by the protestant theologian John Calvin, the father of reformed theology. Proponents of Calvinist theology have long maintained the innocence of Calvin in claiming that he had acted well within the bounds of Geneva's legal jurisdiction. It is also proposed that John Calvin's motives in seeking the death of the Spaniard were the benevolent and pious desire to defend the true faith against the errors of heresy. Almost 500 years after the martyrdom of Michael Servetus the facts have been obscured by well-meaning apologetics. Standford Rives takes on the monumental task of uncovering the historical truth underneath the centuries of misrepresentation and tailored research.
Although Rives approaches the task from the vantage point of a lawyer, his writing is never bogged down by highly technical language or legal jargon. He writes his book for the layperson, taking care to always explain theological or legal concepts. While "Did Calvin Murder Servetus?" clocks in at around 600 pages, the writing is never redundant or verbose. I found that Rives maintained a brisk pace while moving through a daunting amount of material and always kept me interested in the progression of the narrative.
One of the first things the reader will note is the huge amount of footnotes and cross-references. Far from being a detraction, I was thrilled to see such an effort put into allowing the reader to research and verify Rives' claims. The citations are well organized and the material referenced could often times be easily accessed on the internet. As mentioned before, the book is written for the average individual so Rives often offers explanatory notes or elaboration for those who are interested in a more thorough analysis.
Stanford Rive's well written and meticulously annotated work will find appeal to a very broad audience. The religious minded will find an engaging narrative of one the formative events of the Protestant reformation and get to know some of the leading figures of church history. The historian will find a comprehensive examination of the civil and legal systems of 16th century European world and their role in creating disillusionment with the theocratic system. The student of sociology will find a detailed analysis of a world where civil liberties have been replaced by religious institutions and free expression is conducted at the risk of ones life. I will conclude by saying that just about any reader can find something rewarding in the compelling true story of a man who stood up alone against a ruthless and malevolent tyrant and suffered death rather than accept a lie.
Reformed believers have tried to do a whitewash on Calvin but some testify otherwise.
One can see Calvin, merely as a man of his time, perhaps that view is too generous? Today excommunication or disfellowshipping is the tool of religious extremists authorities claiming they are Christ's instrument.
"Did Calvin Murder Servetus?",
Robert James Weiss
One reader reviewed the book as follows?
The purpose of this book is to examine the legality of the trial of a Spanish physician Michael Servetus. Servetus was burned at the stake in the protestant city of Geneva for the crime of heresy. His trial was organized and manipulated by the protestant theologian John Calvin, the father of reformed theology. Proponents of Calvinist theology have long maintained the innocence of Calvin in claiming that he had acted well within the bounds of Geneva's legal jurisdiction. It is also proposed that John Calvin's motives in seeking the death of the Spaniard were the benevolent and pious desire to defend the true faith against the errors of heresy. Almost 500 years after the martyrdom of Michael Servetus the facts have been obscured by well-meaning apologetics. Standford Rives takes on the monumental task of uncovering the historical truth underneath the centuries of misrepresentation and tailored research.
Although Rives approaches the task from the vantage point of a lawyer, his writing is never bogged down by highly technical language or legal jargon. He writes his book for the layperson, taking care to always explain theological or legal concepts. While "Did Calvin Murder Servetus?" clocks in at around 600 pages, the writing is never redundant or verbose. I found that Rives maintained a brisk pace while moving through a daunting amount of material and always kept me interested in the progression of the narrative.
One of the first things the reader will note is the huge amount of footnotes and cross-references. Far from being a detraction, I was thrilled to see such an effort put into allowing the reader to research and verify Rives' claims. The citations are well organized and the material referenced could often times be easily accessed on the internet. As mentioned before, the book is written for the average individual so Rives often offers explanatory notes or elaboration for those who are interested in a more thorough analysis.
Stanford Rive's well written and meticulously annotated work will find appeal to a very broad audience. The religious minded will find an engaging narrative of one the formative events of the Protestant reformation and get to know some of the leading figures of church history. The historian will find a comprehensive examination of the civil and legal systems of 16th century European world and their role in creating disillusionment with the theocratic system. The student of sociology will find a detailed analysis of a world where civil liberties have been replaced by religious institutions and free expression is conducted at the risk of ones life. I will conclude by saying that just about any reader can find something rewarding in the compelling true story of a man who stood up alone against a ruthless and malevolent tyrant and suffered death rather than accept a lie.
