Aspects of Salvation: Some Unscholastic Themes from Calvin's Institutes

The difference of mood between Calvin and the scholasticisms that preceded and succeeded him derives from a more flexible approach to theology and its biblical basis. This thesis is tested by an exploration of the christological determinants of Calvin's doctrine of the atonement and the pneumatological mediation of sanctification and justification. Both treatments are argued to present careful defences of the Reformation against misunderstanding. Calvin's theocentrism and pastoral orientation mark his treatment, which steers clear of the perils of scholasticism. A final observation seeks to identify the undertow that always threatens Calvin's theology with shipwreck.