"It has been my attempt to lay bare Calvin's own thought and to present it as far as possible in his own way and in his own words. Traditional Calvinism I have studiously avoided, and have made no reference to works on Calvin, ancient or modern, so that this presentation might be free from the imputation of partisanship in any of the different schools, such as that of the Dutch Calvinists, or that of W. Niesel and the late Peter Barth. Consequently, the bulk of the book consists of citations gathered from all over Calvin's works, and arranged together with as little explanatory material of my own as was necessary. I am conscious that in the very arrangement of this material, as also in the exposition, interpretation has been unavoidable, but it is, I believe, in the direction in which Calvin's own thought moves as it is drawn out, particularly in its relevance to the modern theological debate."--Preface, page 7

A right understanding of who God is and who man is the foundation for the proper view of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without an accurate understanding, we can never fully comprehend or appreciate the awesome sovereign grace of God. Does the Bible really teach the doctrines known as Calvinism? Are the concepts of total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistable grace, and perserverance of the saints based merely on the speculations of theologians or are they actually found clearly revealed in Scripture? In this essential book, the reader is led through a fundamental study of Scripture to scrutinize what God declares concerning these vital doctrines. Whether lay Christian or clergy, we each need to struggle through these difficult questions with the assurance that the Holy Spirit of God will not reveal something in the Scriptures that is not important for God's people to understand, embrace, and benefit from. Come along and learn about the incredible sovereign grace of God!

This is the extended and annotated edition including * an extensive biographical annotation about the author and his life The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Institutio Christianae religionis) is John Calvin's seminal work on Protestant systematic theology. Highly influential in the Western world and still widely read by theological students today, it was published in Latin in 1536 (at the same time as the English King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries) and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some previous knowledge of theology and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone and Christian liberty. It vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism to which Calvin says he had been "strongly devoted" before his conversion to Protestantism. The Institutes is a highly regarded secondary reference for the system of doctrine adopted by the Reformed churches, usually called Calvinism. (from wikipedia.com)