Introduction

1. Prelude
To study Calvin in our time is to risk spending too much of ones life time on the
works of this controversial person.1 Even Barth himself had his difficulties with
Calvin, as indicated by Barths use of words like tyranny and Pharisaism,
which seem to be an apt and natural description of the Genevan system. No one
who has proper information would really have liked to live in this holy city,2
Barth asserted. On the other hand, Calvins presence is inevitable in the work of
nearly all contemporary theologians.
In this study, I propose a view of Calvins theological thought from the perspective of gloria Dei. Doxology or the praise of God will be included under the
concept of gloria Dei. I will examine this as a counterpart in the context of some
major doctrines. By counterpart I mean a kind of root doctrine (Stammlehre)
though identifying the central doctrine in Calvins theology is problematic, as is
acknowledged in recent scholarship, due to the organic character of Calvins
thought or a proscenium arch3 that frames the stage for the major doctrines
such as the doctrine of creation, anthropology, Christology, soteriology, eschatology, and ecclesiology.

2
3

Calvin ist ein Wasserfall, ein Urwald, ein Dmonisches, irgendetwas direkt vom Himalaja
herunter, absolut chinesisch, wunderbar, mythologisch; es fehlen mir gnzlich die Organe, die
Saugnpfe, dieses Phnomen auch nur in mich aufzunehmen, geschweige denn richtig darzustellen. Was in mich eingeht, ist nur ein dnnes Wsserlein, und was ich dann wieder hergeben kann, ist wiederum nur ein dnner Extrakt von diesem Wsserlein. Ich knnte mich gut und
gerne hinsetzen und nun mein ganzes ferneres Leben nur mit Calvin zubringen (Karl Barth to
Eduard Thurneysen, June 8, 1922 in: Karl Barth Eduard Thurneysen Briefwechsel, Vol. 2:
1921-1930, [Zrich: Theologischer Verlag, 1974], 80 [=Karl Barth Gesamtausgabe, Band 5/2]).
Karl Barth, The Theology of John Calvin, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids/Mich.:
William B. Eerdmans, 1995), 122.
Susan E. Schreiner, The Theater of His Glory: Nature & the Natural Order in the Thought of
John Calvin (Grand Rapids/Mich.: Baker Academic, 2001), 7.

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2. Research Report
Both in English and German-speaking world, a number of studies of different
length on doxology or the glory of God have been published in the last thirty
years.4 In addition, some historical and systematic-theological treatments on Calvins thought focused on a certain topic have been produced within long scholarly and theological tradition. Due to the flood of Calvin studies, I will limit myself to mention only a small number of selected examples from the last twenty
years in a chronological order:
John H. Leith, John Calvins Doctrine of the Christian Life, Louisville/Kent.:
Westminster Press, 1989;
Susan E. Schreiner, The Theater of His Glory: Nature & the Natural Order in
the Thought of John Calvin, Grand Rapids/Mich.: Baker Academic, 1991;
Dennis S. Tamburello, Union with Christ: John Calvin and the Mysticism of
St. Bernard, Louisville/KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994 (=Columbia
Series in Reformed Theology);
Eva-Maria Faber, Symphonie von Gott und Mensch. Die responsorische
Struktur von Vermittlung in der Theologie Johannes Calvins, Neukirchen-Vluyn:
Neukirchener Verlag, 1999;
Eva Harasta, Lob und Bitte. Eine systematisch-theologische Untersuchung
ber das Gebet, Nuekirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 2005;
Randall C. Zachman, John Calvin as Teacher, Pastor, and Theologian: The
Shape of His Writings and Thought, Grand Rapids/Mich.: Baker Academic,
2006.
Christoph Strohm, Johannes Calvin. Leben und Werk des Reformators,
Mnchen: Beck, 2009 (=C. H. Beck Wissen, Vol. 2469).
However, most of the latter studies focus more on Calvins theology with no
special emphasis on the notion of doxology or the glory of God. To the best of
my knowledge, until this day there is no study exclusively focused on the im-

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See, for example, Geoffrey Wainwright, Doxology: The Praise of God in Worship, Doctrine,
and Life (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980); Walter Brueggemann, Israels Praise:
Doxology against Idolatry and Ideology (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988); Hughes Oliphant
Old, Theme & Variations for a Christian Doxology: Some Thoughts on the Theology of Worship
(Grand Rapids/Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 1992); Walter Brueggemann, Ichabod Toward
Home: The Journey of Gods Glory (Grand Rapids/Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 2002); Rainer
Kampling (ed.), Herrlichkeit. Zur Deutung einer Theologischen Kategorie (Paderborn, etc.:
Ferdinand Schningh, 2008); Pamela Ann Moeller, Calvins Doxology: Worship in the 1559
Institutes With a View to Contemporary Worship Renewal (Allison Park/PA: Pickwick, 1997),
(=Princeton Theological Monographs, Vol. 44).

portance of the glory of God in Calvins thought.5 Though in contemporary landscape of Calvin scholarship caution is more needed in identifying the central
doctrine in Calvins theology, in this study I take the risk of arguing that the
majesty or glory of God is one of the central doctrines (plural) or, rather, one of
the loudest cantus firmi heard in Calvins theological composition.
Already in 1910 the significance of the thought of souvereignty and majesty
for Calvins doctrine of God had been stressed by Beyerhaus. The glorification
of Gods own honor through divine providence as the last goal of the world
regiment is the reason for serving him with the strictest obedience.6 That the sin
of pride is intensely condemned goes without saying for in Calvins religious
view God appears as the sovereign concerned about his self-glorification.7 Finally, the exclusivity of divine sovereignty deeply influences Calvins view of
the state: on the one hand the notion of Gods sovereignty means the denial of all
absolutistic endeavors; on the other hand it excludes an active revolutionary resistance of individual and the theory of people sovereignty.8
A newer study by John Leith represented Calvins ethic as being arranged in a
line with the gloria Dei. The sola gloria Dei is the lifeblood of Christian living.9 The fall has defaced the image of God; therefore its reconstruction in the
Christian life is the reorientation in the knowledge of God and reflection of
Gods glory. Yet, Leith also noted a number of inconsistencies in Calvinss interpretation of Christian life such as the comparison of the glory of (forgiving)
God to the honor of an earthly (unforgiving) prince and the assertion of the glory
of God as being the fulfillment of human welfare as well as its involvement in
the annihilation of humanity.10 For Leith, the contradictions resulted from the
tension between Calvin as the exegete of scripture and Calvin as the systematizer
of scripture.
In the conclusion of her study, Schreiner summarized that together with the
gradual restoration of human soul, nature will regain its revelatory function as a
mirror, a painting, and a theater of the divine glory.11 Providence as a proscenium arch in Calvins theology has the function to preserve nature as a presently
5

6
7
8
9
10
11

However there are at least two studies that dedicate a whole chapter to the importance of gloria
Dei which are: Gisbert Beyerhaus, Studien zur Staatsanschauung Calvins, Berlin: Trowitzsch,
1910 (=Neue Studien zur Geschichte der Theologie und der Kirche,Vol. 7) and the study by
John Leith mentioned above.
Gisbert Beyerhaus, Studien zur Staatsanschauung Calvins (Berlin: Trowitzsch, 1910), 62.
Ibid., 63.
Ibid., 145.
John H. Leith, John Calvins Doctrine of the Christian Life (Louisvielle/Kent.: Westminster
Press, 1989), 213.
Ibid., 217-218.
Susan E. Schreiner, The Theater of His Glory, 121.

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empirical revelation of Gods glory. Though nature cannot offer salvation or fulfillment, believers are encouraged to study the book of nature, be active in the
ordering of society, and the edification of the church because those activities
express the glory of God within his created order.12
Different perspective of the glory of God was construed in the conclusions of
Tamburellos study on the comparison between Calvin and Bernard on the idea
of unio mystica. Tamburello criticized Kolfhaus, who wrongly understood unio
mystica as fundamentally involving a union of essences or passing over the barrier between Christ and Christian believers thereby running the risk of irreverence.13 If the Christian always desires nothing than that God alone, who should
receive the glory, then Calvin agreed with Bernard that only when God is loved
unselfishly, i.e. when God is loved for Gods own glory, will God be loved
properly.14
In her habilitation, Faber used a musical terminology to interpret the theology
of John Calvin.15 In the conclusion which was titled Gleichklang und Symphonie
she referred to two concepts of responsorial being-mediated and harmony
(Zusammenklang) between God and human being. The harmony reigns through
the angel-like choir of all creatures established in the obedience to God, the
melody of the church existing of different tones, and the symphony of angels and
human beings.16 From the obedience to God this concert of creatures originates
to the praise of the Creator. Thereby the symphony of God and creation is completed. The harmony is realized through God who begins singing a song with the
creation to bring human beings to sing of his praise.17 The obedience of Christ,
the first choir leader, who through his will sets up the obedience and thus the
harmony of God and human being anew. Such accord with God arises specifically in the responsorial structure of promise and faith.18
In her recent dissertation on prayer, Harasta summarized Calvins theology of
prayer as the relation between praise and petition viewed from the perspective of
12
13

14
15
16
17
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16

Susan E. Schreiner, The Theater of His Glory, 122.

Dennis S. Tamburello, Union with Christ: John Calvin and the Mysticism of St. Bernard
(Louisville/KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994), 103 (=Columbia Series in Reformed
Theology); cf. Wilhelm Kolfhaus, Christusgemeinschaft bei Johannes Calvin. Beitrge zur
Geschichte und Lehre der Reformierten Kirche, Vol. 3 (Neukirchen: Buchhandlung d. Erziehungsvereins, 1938), 127-28.
Tamburello, Union with Christ, 105.
Eva-Maria Faber, Symphonie von Gott und Mensch. Die responsorische Struktur von Vermittlung in der Theologie Johannes Calvins (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 1999).
Faber, Symphonie von Gott und Mensch, 466 (translation by me); cf. Calvin, CO 37, 645;
Comm. Ps. 22:24; Comm. Eph. 4:11-14; Comm. Is. 6:3).
Faber, Symphonie von Gott und Mensch, 467; cf. Calvin, Serm. Ps. 148.
Faber, 148; cf. Calvin, CO 23,689.

the first.19 Penitence and adoration are the two aspects of a Spirit-effected prayer.
The glorification of God is the goal of a penitent prayer. There are four characteristics of a Spirit-effected prayer: the reverence of Gods majesty, the sincerity
and urgency, the humility as devotion in the will of God, and the assurance. With
regard to prayer of penitence, confession of sin stands in the midst of the movement from lamentation to petition; with regard to prayer of adoration, confession
of sin provides the movement from praise to thanksgiving. The petition gives
God glory from the perspective of the foretaste of Gods action.20 The praise of
God receives a double position: on one hand it stands in the form of adoration at
the beginning; on the other hand, it forms the goal of prayer as an immediate articulation of Gods glorification.21 The connection of elements of prayer is interpreted by Calvin all together as a praise of God. Harasta closed her study on
Calvins theology of prayer with the relation between Gods glory and union
with Christ: union with Christ shows the believers their glory by giving God the
glory, while giving God the glory means receiving ones own justified glory.22
The first quote from Calvins letter above was used by Martin Leiner in his
lecture on Introduction to the Theology of Calvin in summer 2005 at the University of Jena as a proof for Calvins fanaticism.23 He pointed out that in important points Calvin had transcended Luthers thought such as on ethics, his refusal of a problematic sacrament-metaphysics, his position to the Old Testament
and to Judaism, and finally in the notion of Soli Deo gloria as a central thought.
In the context of the Renaissance, the majesty of God in Calvins thought corresponds to the majesty of the worldly rulers which develops increasingly during
the period.
In his short essay, Busch divided his article on the term glory in Calvins theology into three sections: the heavenly glory of God; the glory of the mediator;
the glory of the children of God. He concluded Calvins understanding of gloria
with the following sentence: Sie ist die Herrlichkeit Gottes, die zu seinem Wesen gehrt, aber sie ist die Herrlichkeit des Gottes, der sich in Christus seiner
Geschpfe heilsam und gndig annimt, der gerade darin seine Herrlichkeit fr

19
20
21
22

23

Eva Harasta, Lob und Bitte. Eine systematisch-theologische Untersuchung ber das Gebet
(Nuekirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 2005), 137-42.
Harasta, Lob und Bitte, 141.
Ibid.
Die Gemeinschaft mit dem Erhhten zeigt den Glaubenden ihre Ehre darin, Gott die Ehre zuzusprechen: Gott die Ehre zu geben bedeutet, die eigene gerechtfertigte Ehre zu empfangen
(Ibid., 142).
Einfhrung in die Theologie Calvins. January 15, 2010.
<www.uni-jena.de/unijenamedia/Downloads/faculties/theo/ls.../Calvinc.ppt>.

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