2 - French Christianity in the Early 1500s

Summary

The French religious universe of John Calvin’s youth was complex and powerful. Calvin retained and strengthened many of its central beliefs and practices. Others he modified and realigned to reflect his understanding of an authentic scripturally based Christianity. Finally, Calvin emphatically rejected and sought to suppress a third group of religious views and behaviors that he regarded as unfounded, superstitious, and, in some instances, dangerously idolatrous. Whatever Calvin’s assessment, late medieval religious practices and the beliefs that undergirded them were elaborate and pervasive. They held great appeal for a substantial number of people from all social strata, extending from the broad oral culture of the unlettered majority to the elite ranks of the learned and privileged.