Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.
John CalvinRead
It would be the height of absurdity to label ignorance tempered by humility "faith"! (Institutio III.2.3)
Interpretation
What this quote means
Faith should not be confused with mere ignorance; true faith requires understanding and humility.
In this quote, John Calvin emphasizes the importance of combining knowledge with humility when it comes to matters of faith. He argues that simply accepting beliefs without understanding, under the guise of faith, is misguided and shows a lack of depth in oneβs spiritual journey. True faith encompasses both a respectful acknowledgment of one's limitations and a striving for deeper understanding.
Themes
FaithHumilityIgnoranceUnderstandingWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of critical thinking in religious beliefs.
More from John Calvin
All quotes βThe pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.
John CalvinRead
Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty.
John CalvinRead
Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil.
John CalvinRead
For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written, are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.
John CalvinRead
When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.
John CalvinRead
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