THIS VOLUME - UNIQUE IN THE FELD OF CALVIN STUDIES - introduces
readers to Calvin's little-known Psychopannychia, showing how this early, generally neglected book serves as the essential starting point for understanding Calvin's entry into the Reformed way of thought that he transmitted to posterity.
Composed in 1534, Psychopannychia is an inquiry into the immortality of the soul.
Against the Anabaptist idea of "soul sleep" spreading in his day, Calvin took up the pen to defend the orthodox doctrine of immortality on the basis of Scripture.
As George Tavard shows, this initial foray into Christian polemics gave shape to Calvin's deep conviction that it was his duty to defend the true Christian re velation. Tavard analyzes the structure and ideas of Psychopannychia and then relates some major features of Calvin's theological system to this early investigation into the immortality of the soul. Psychopannychia emerges as relevatory of the young Calvin's thought. First, it captures Calvin's essential humanism against its Renaissance backdrop. Second, it shows how Calvin departed from the standard humanist methodology in a revolutionary way - by grounding his arguments on Scripture and the testimonies of the early church. Psychopannychia also illustrates Calvin's rootedness in the medieval mystic tradition and his deep catholicity, even as he took the steps that would define him as a Reformer. Finally, it shows the intricate relationship between Calvin's earliest theological concerns and the themes he would later develop in his magnum opus, Institutes of the Christian Religion.
The only study of Psychopannychia in English, Tavard's work contributes vitally to a historical understanding of Calvin's thought and, just as important, helps demonstrate the "catholic" scope of his reforming intentions. These twin concerns will make this volume equally valuable to students of theology, church history, and contemporary ecumenical dialogue.