79: Why So Many Churches?: Calvinism and the Rise of Presbyterianism – Part 11

In this episode, we explore the rise of Calvinism and its lasting influence on the Reformed tradition. From Zwingli’s early reforms in Switzerland to Calvin’s vision in Geneva and Knox’s fiery work in Scotland, discover how Calvinism shaped Presbyterianism and spread worldwide.

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Episode Transcript

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I'm Eddie Lawrence and this is the Ready
for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog
exploring biblical truths
for inquisitive Bible students.
Out of the fire of the Reformation came
Calvinism, a theology that reshaped

(00:21):
nations, divided
believers and built new churches.
In this episode, we uncover its story.
The Reformation began in the early 16th
century when Martin Luther challenged the
authority of the Catholic Church.
His 95 thesis of 1517 protested

(00:44):
indulgences and called for a return to
Scripture's authority.
Luther's defiance inspired movements
across Europe, but the Reformation
quickly developed multiple branches.
One of the most influential movements
arose in Switzerland, eventually
producing Calvinism, the Reformed

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tradition and the Presbyterian Church.
In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli emerged as
the first major reformer.
A priest in Zurich, Zwingli denounced
indulgences, clerical corruption and
unscriptural practices.
He insisted that Christians must follow

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the Bible alone, rejecting fasting
regulations, veneration of saints and
other Catholic traditions.
His reforms were not a result of
Luther's, but arose
as a parallel movement.
Zwingli's boldness inspired followers,
but his career ended suddenly.

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In 1531, he died in battle between
Catholic and Protestant forces.
His death left the Swiss Reformation
leaderless, yet his ideas prepared the
way for another reformer who would
systematize the movement.
John Calvin, a French lawyer turned

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theologian, soon emerged
as Zwingli's successor.
Deleying Catholic persecution in France,
he settled in Geneva.
There Calvin established himself as the
mastermind of a new order, combining
civic discipline with
his theological system.
Calvin drew heavily from the writings of

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Augustine, the 5th century church bishop
who emphasized a peculiar
view of God's sovereignty.
Building on Augustine and Zwingli.
Calvin developed a rigorous theology that
placed God's will at the center of
salvation and human history.
His most famous work, Institutes of the

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Christian Religion, presented a
systematic account of faith that shaped
generations of Protestants.
Calvin's teaching became known as
Calvinism and was later
summarized in the acronym TULA.
These five points provide a concise
outline of his views.

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Sin corrupts every aspect of human nature
according to total
depravity, that's the T in TULA.
It leaves people incapable of turning to
God of their own free will.
According to unconditional election, the
U in TULA, God chooses whom he will save
without regard to human will or input.

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Ephesians 8 and Atonement, L, teaches
that Christ's death was never intended
for all people but only for the elect.
I is for irresistible grace, which
teaches that those whom God has chosen
will respond in faith, having no ability
to resist God's call.

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And P is for perseverance of the saints,
which teaches that those God has chosen
will never reject Him
or lose their salvation.
This theology placed salvation entirely
in God's hands, leaving mankind with no
ability to choose or reject God.

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Calvin redefined sovereignty to mean that
God governs every detail of existence and
stands as the ultimate cause of all
things, including human sin
and history's darkest atrocities.
Modern teachers such as John Piper echo
this view of sovereignty.

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In other words, it isn't just that God
manages to turn the evil aspects of our
world to good for those who love Him.
It is rather that He Himself brings about
these evil aspects for His glory.
This includes as incredible and as
unacceptable as it may currently seem,
God's having even brought about the
Nazis' brutality at Birkenau and

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Auschwitz, as well as the terrible
killings of Dennis Rader and even the
sexual abuse of a young child.
Calvin transformed Geneva into what many
called the Protestant Rome.
The city became a training ground for
reformers across Europe.
Calvin ruled Geneva with iron discipline,

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blending civic and church authority.
He imposed strict moral codes, regulating
dress, entertainment, and worship.
Society operated under his watchful eye,
and disobedience often
carried severe penalties.
Critics and rivals faced banishment,

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imprisonment, or worse.
The most notorious case was Michael
Cervitas, a Spanish
theologian who denied the Trinity.
Calvin had written to his colleague,
William Farrell, in 1546 stating,
"Cervitas has just sent me a

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long volume of his ravings.
If I consent, he will come here, but I
will not give my word.
For should he come, if my authority is of
any avail, I will not
suffer him to get out alive."
When Cervitas did arrive in Geneva in
1553, the authorities arrested him, tried

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him, and executed him
by burning at the stake.
Calvin supported Cervitas' execution, an
act that secured his reputation as a
ruthless enforcer of orthodoxy.
Geneva demonstrated both the strength and
the severity of Calvin's vision.

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Despite controversy, Geneva attracted
exiles who carried
Calvin's ideas back home.
Among them was John Knox,
a fiery Scottish preacher.
Knox studied in Geneva, embraced Calvin's
theology, and returned, determined to
reform Scotland's Church.

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Knox preached against Catholic practices
and rallied support for change.
He pushed for a Church governed not by
bishops, but by elders
chosen from the people.
This Presbyterian model reflected
Calvin's emphasis on
accountability and shared authority.
In 1560, the Scottish Parliament

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officially adopted Protestant reforms,
establishing the Church of Scotland as a
Presbyterian body rooted in Calvinism.
As Presbyterianism spread, confessional
documents gave it stability and clarity.
The Westminster Confession of Faith,

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written in 17th century
England, codified Reformed doctrine.
This confession remains a cornerstone for
many Presbyterian churches today.
From Scotland, Presbyterianism spread
widely throughout migration and
missionary activity.

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Irish, English, and Scottish immigrants
carried their faith to North America,
where Presbyterians
helped shape colonial society.
They valued education, discipline, and
representative governance, reflecting
Calvin's concern for
both order and liberty.

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The Reformed tradition began with
Luther's spark, grew
through Zwingli's bold preaching,
and matured under Calvin's systematic
leadership in Geneva.
John Knox then carried Calvin's legacy
into Scotland, where Presbyterianism took
firm root and spread worldwide.
Calvin's influence remains undeniable.

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He combined Augustine's theology with
Zwingli's reforms and enforced a vision
of relentless discipline and authority.
His legacy is complex, marked by
brilliance, severity, and a tendency to
prioritize control as
much as scholarship.
The Presbyterian Church stands today as a

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living witness to this Reformed heritage.
From Geneva's crucible to global
expansion, the Reformed tradition
continues to influence Christian life,
often carrying with it the weight of
rigor and strict
oversight over religious thought.