Calvinism: A History

“Calvinism covers its imposingly diverse subject with scholarly precision and the kind of charity and balance one hopes for in any historian....In Calvinism, Mr. Hart skillfully combines political and institutional history, on the one hand, and theological developments and the history of ideas, on the other.”

“Hart is good at explaining how political factors as well as theological ideas influenced the spread of Calvinism [...] This is a good survey of the history of Calvinism but readers need to be aware that the same opinions that have made hart a trenchant commentator on American religion are on display here.”

“This sweeping overview of the spread of Calvinism in Europe and lands beyond is most welcome. Hart helpfully describes the ways this understanding of Christian faith, associated with John Calvin and others, spread internationally and since the sixteenth century has become the faith of millions. Succinct, clearly-written, and showing conversance with historical and theological developments, this book will be a valuable guide for students and scholars.”

“Darryl Hart has written a very useful book on a very big subject. For a religious tradition that has been both lionised and despised, Hart provides a nuanced sense of internal developments, internal differences, and (more recently) worldwide expansion. His ability to document the surprising adaptability of Calvinism - alongside the steady focus of Calvinists on divine sovereignty, salvation in Christ, and the transformation of creation - is the most striking of the book's many virtues.”

“Brimming with insight and expansive in treatment, Darryl Hart's account of Calvinism briskly tells the story of a tradition that emerged in the Reformation, one with a distinctive vision of God, creation, and humanity. The pages are populated by reformers and refugees, Princeton professors and contemporary Asian congregations, offering a movingly human narrative of a branch of Christianity that transformed and was transformed by history while resolutely holding to cherished beliefs. A great read.”

“One of the best introductions to the history and ideas of Calvinism, packed with insight and wisdom.”