Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (Shepherd's Notes. Christian Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Don't forget your mother!
Review: I bought this little book to help me teach a class on Book IV of the Institutes. But guess what? It only covers Books I-III. Book IV basically deals with Calvin's concept of the Church and Sacraments, so this little book will not be found too helpful if you're in the same position as me. However, the book is an excellent help on Books I-III. Very graphically oriented; it teaches just by means of its formatting! I'd like to know why the editors didn't include Book IV. Would it be that they are Baptists and Calvin's views challenge theirs?

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, as far as it goes!
Review: I bought this little book to help me teach a class on Book IV of the Institutes. But guess what? It only covers Books I-III. Book IV basically deals with Calvin's concept of the Church, so this little book will not be found too helpful if you're in the same position as me. However, the book is an excellent help on Books I-III. Very graphically oriented; it teaches just by means of its formatting! I'd like to know why the editors didn't include Book IV.

Rating:
Summary: Huge Omission
Review: This book completely leaves out Calvin's fourth book, his treatment of the church. My suspicion is it was omitted because Calvin's doctrines didn't line up with those of the publisher.

Rating:
Summary: Don't forget your mother!
Review: This book completely leaves out Calvin's fourth book, his treatment of the church. My suspicion is it was omitted because Calvin's doctrines didn't line up with those of the publisher. This ignoring of the doctrine of the church reinforces the erroneous idea that the body of Christ is insignificant when Calvin himself considered the Church our Mother.

Rating:
Summary: excellent synopsis of Calvin's most important work
Review: This study guide provides an excellent synopsis of Calvin's magnum opus, written to set forth the basics of protestant theology as well as to defend Protestant beliefs as thoroughly scriptual. Mark Devries gives a very thorough and clear summary of each major section of this voluminous work along with a commentary which not only reinforces Calvin's main thesis for each section but also discusses how modern readers react to Calvin's position. Margin notes provide plenty of direct quotes from the original work as well as scripture supporting the main ideas of each section. The biographical sketch and commentary also lay out the historical context in which Calvin's work was written, deepening one's understanding of the Protestant Reformation and Calvin's seminal role in it. This is the first of the Shepard's Notes series I have read but I plan to read others. It is a great summary for those who want to understand the major points of a classic theological work without wading through the original text but would also enhance and facilitate the study of the original if read alongside it. By the way, Devries has also written the Shepard's Notes study guide for Augustine's Confessions.