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Abstract
This study examines the influence of popular religion and religious devotion on the development of John Calvin's theological vision. For the purposes of this dissertation, “popular religion” is understood to mean the entirety of religious experience (spirituality, theology, associative life, personal mentalities), when informed by the perception of social marginalization. Specifically, it is argued that religion on the eve of the Reformation exhibited numerous elements which “popular” forces could easily appropriate for antiauthoritarian or individualistic purposes. Furthermore, it is argued that such elements were among John Calvin's principal concerns and that these concerns exercised a formative influence on his theological evolution.
In early life Calvin was distrustful of “the masses” and advocated strong, authoritarian leadership in church and state. Much like prominent late medieval Catholic Reformers (particularly Jean Gerson), he opposed the apparent lawlessness and individualism of late medieval devotional life. However, in joining the new Protestant cause, he embraced a movement that was seemingly just as lawless and individualistic. After moving to Geneva, Calvin encountered stiff opposition from populist forces (both Protestant and Catholic), which drew on the spiritual heritage of the late Middle Ages in order to advocate more egalitarian visions of reform. Calvin's response, particularly from 1543, was to advocate increasingly authoritarian answers to theological and social problems.
Three major conflicts are examined: Calvin's battle with recidivist Catholicism, his battle with native Genevans over French immigration, and his conflict with Jerome Bolsec (and supporters) over the doctrine of predestination. In each case, Calvin decried the “superstition” of his opponents and proposed an authoritarian theology. His detractors, by contrast, generally drew on elements of traditional piety in order to articulate egalitarian alternatives.
