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Will you tackle the Institutes? This was quite enlightening and informative. 19 posted on 08/13/2003 11:11 PM PDT by CARepubGal

Thank you... but NO.

I can, if I have great time to spare, tackle the Institutes one chapter at a time -- if that. But not all at once. Not even one Book out of Four at once.

Remember what the Institutes are: a thousand-page version of the Apostle's Creed. That's really all that John Calvin wrote.

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
The third day he rose again from the dead:
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
I believe in the Holy Ghost:
I believe in the Holy Catholic Church: the communion of saints:
The forgiveness of sins:
The resurrection of the body:
And the life everlasting. Amen.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, and the Holy Catholic Church. That's the entire schematic of the Institutes, Books I through IV. That's all Calvin ever intended to do... The Institutes are nothing more (nor less) than a comprehensively holistic commentary on every possible aspect of the Apostle's Creed. Virtually every possible Scripture, and virtually every possible logical Argument, related to the Apostle's Creed is included therein. But since the whole of Scripture concerns the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and the Holy Catholic Church -- analyzing the Institutes amounts to a cross-referenced analysis of the entire Bible, all at once.

I think I am just about ready to take on a single book of Scripture -- the much-misunderstood Revelation of John. But take on the Institutes?? I might as well write a commentary on the Whole Bible. (don't tempt me...)

For the Institutes, being nothing more nor less than a thousand-page version of the Apostle's Creed, is already very nearly that, as it is. Maybe if I had a couple of days to spare, at least (grin).

best, op