John Calvin on the Sacrament of Baptism: Sign, Seal, and Covenant Union with Christ

John Calvin on the Sacrament of Baptism: Sign, Seal, and Covenant Union with Christ

In this carefully curated volume, John Calvin’s doctrine of baptism is presented in full, drawn from the Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book IV, chapters 14–16), his treatise against the Anabaptists, and the Geneva Catechism. Calvin confronts the claims of the Anabaptists with rigorous Scripture and theological reasoning, while setting forth a positive understanding of baptism as God’s appointed sign and seal, confirming the forgiveness of sins, union with Christ, and entrance into the covenant community. He demonstrates the continuity of the covenant sign from circumcision to baptism and explains why believers and their children alike belong within the visible church. Throughout, Calvin shows how Word and sacrament together serve as instruments of the Holy Spirit for the strengthening of faith, directing believers away from mere outward rituals and toward Christ Himself. This volume offers one of the most thorough and accessible presentations of Calvin’s baptismal theology available in a single work, making it essential reading for pastors, students, and lay Christians seeking to understand historic Reformed teaching on baptism directly from its foremost source.