---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [John] Calvin is often identified with…"
description: "\"[John] Calvin is often identified with his account of predestination. Yet that appears in the third book of his Institutes, not the first.\" — Oliver D...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg"
---

#  \[John\] Calvin is often identified with his account of…

![“&#91;John&#93; Calvin is often identified with his account of predestination. Yet that appears in the third book of his Institutes, not the first.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg)

> “\[John\] Calvin is often identified with his account of predestination. Yet that appears in the third book of his Institutes, not the first.”

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Calvin’s view on predestination appears later in his work, not at the start.

**In simple terms:** Predestination is discussed in the third book, not the first.

Key Takeaway

Check the correct section when citing.

Themes

theology interpretation history

Mood

analytical academic

Type

theological historical

When to use this quote

- academic study
- sermon preparation
- religious education

Key Concepts

predestination scriptural analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- How does the placement affect interpretation?
- Why is context important?

A Different Perspective

The quote may oversimplify Calvin’s complex doctrine.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Institutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutes/) [Predestination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predestination/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/)

## Related quotes

> [ \[John\] Calvin's Institutes is often called a summary of Christian piety. You can't say that about many modern works of theology. You can say… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-institutes-is-often-called-a-summary-of-christian-piety/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [I think everyone who has an interest in Reformed theology, or just in Christian theology more generally, should read John Calvin Institutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/i-think-everyone-who-has-an-interest-in-reformed-theology-or-just-in/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ For those who have only ever read about \[John\] Calvin, reading the man himself is an invigorating experience. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/for-those-who-have-only-ever-read-about-john-calvin-reading-the-man/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ Reading \[John\] Calvin is a breath of fresh air. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/reading-john-calvin-is-a-breath-of-fresh-air/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [I am not superstitious, but the first time I saw this medal, bearing the venerated likeness of John Calvin, I kissed it, imagining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-am-not-superstitious-but-the-first-time-i-saw-this-medal-bearing/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> [“John Calvin said he constantly “studied to be simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-chapell/john-calvin-said-he-constantly-studied-to-be-simple/)

[Bryan Chapell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-chapell/)

> [“In his commentary on 1 John, however, Calvin saw more clearly than Packer did exactly where the issue must be joined. The issue is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-talbott/in-his-commentary-on-1-john-however-calvin-saw-more-clearly-than/)

[Thomas Talbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-talbott/)

> [“How, as John Calvin put it, “without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.” “For”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-morgan-cron/how-as-john-calvin-put-it-without-knowledge-of-self-there-is-no/)

[Ian Morgan Cron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-morgan-cron/)

> [“No man that ever lived, not John Calvin himself, ever asserted either original sin, or justification by faith, in more strong, more clear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/no-man-that-ever-lived-not-john-calvin-himself-ever-asserted-either/)

[John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/)

> [We talk about predestination because the Bible talks about predestination. If we desire to build our theology on the Bible, we run head on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-talk-about-predestination-because-the-bible-talks-about/)

[R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/)

> [ \[John Calvin's\] Humanist training makes him an excellent writer. What is more, he is as relevant today as he was 500 years ago. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-humanist-training-makes-him-an-excellent-writer-what-is/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ \[John\] Calvin is revered as a thinker of immense importance in Reformed thought, Jonathan Edwards could say in his preface to his treatise on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-is-revered-as-a-thinker-of-immense-importance-in-reformed/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ \[John Calvin\] writes clearly, directly, without artifice, and gets straight to the practical heart of the matter. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-writes-clearly-directly-without-artifice-and-gets/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ \[John Calvin's\] treatment of the person and work of Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, of prayer and liturgy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-treatment-of-the-person-and-work-of-christ-of-the-holy/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [Avant-garde means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/avant-garde-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/)

[Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/)

## More by Oliver D. Crisp

> [ \[John Calvin's\] treatment of the person and work of Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, of prayer and liturgy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-treatment-of-the-person-and-work-of-christ-of-the-holy/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [The alternative of hypothetical universalism, according to which Christ's work is sufficient for all but efficient only for the elect, was alive and well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/the-alternative-of-hypothetical-universalism-according-to-which/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ What I am trying to argue here \[Save Calvinism\] and in other works before this one is that the Reformed tradition as I have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/what-i-am-trying-to-argue-here-save-calvinism-and-in-other-works/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [I think everyone who has an interest in Reformed theology, or just in Christian theology more generally, should read John Calvin Institutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/i-think-everyone-who-has-an-interest-in-reformed-theology-or-just-in/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [Christ's work is a kind of deterrent to us, and a way of upholding the justice of God's divine government of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/christ-s-work-is-a-kind-of-deterrent-to-us-and-a-way-of-upholding-the/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [These days I'm often called a Deviant Calvinist, but I don't really think my views do deviate from the Reformed tradition, though in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/these-days-i-m-often-called-a-deviant-calvinist-but-i-don-t-really/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ \[John Calvin\] writes clearly, directly, without artifice, and gets straight to the practical heart of the matter. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-writes-clearly-directly-without-artifice-and-gets/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [I do think that I have been fortunate to make friendships with other scholars, and form reading groups where ideas are exchanged and papers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/i-do-think-that-i-have-been-fortunate-to-make-friendships-with-other/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ In the chapter on the nature of the atonement \[in the book saving Calvinism\] I argue that it is a mistake to think that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/in-the-chapter-on-the-nature-of-the-atonement-in-the-book-saving/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ Reading \[John\] Calvin is a breath of fresh air. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/reading-john-calvin-is-a-breath-of-fresh-air/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [There are constraints on what counts as "Reformed." It's more than a name or a label. It's about belonging to a particular theological stream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/there-are-constraints-on-what-counts-as-reformed-it-s-more-than-a/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ To my mind \[ Jonathan Edwards\] is an interesting figure because he is both a canonical Reformed thinker, and yet also someone that pushed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/to-my-mind-jonathan-edwards-is-an-interesting-figure-because-he-is/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ \[Jonathan\] Edwards definitely shows up in the book \[Saving Calvinism\]. He appears as one of the interlocutors in the chapter on free will, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/jonathan-edwards-definitely-shows-up-in-the-book-saving-calvinism-he/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [The best Reformed theology isn't just about careful arguments for theologically sophisticated conclusions. It is about how to live the Christian life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/the-best-reformed-theology-isn-t-just-about-careful-arguments-for/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

> [ Here is the interesting twist:\[McLeod\] Campbell came to his views through reading Jonathan Edwards who suggested at one point in his ruminations on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/here-is-the-interesting-twist-mcleod-campbell-came-to-his-views/)

[Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

[Explore all 53 Oliver D. Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/)

## More Accounts quotes

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-roman-waugh/i-had-a-very-blessed-journey-with-the-upbringing-i-had-when-you-re/)

[Ric Roman Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-roman-waugh/)

> [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/)

[Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/)

> [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/)

[Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/)

> [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/)

[Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/)

> [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/)

[Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/)

Browse all 2,677 Accounts quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[John] Calvin is often identified with his account of predestination. Yet that appears in the third book of his Institutes, not the first.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oliver D. Crisp"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his-account-of-predestination/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accounts"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his-account-of-predestination/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/oliver-d-crisp-12863_accounts_john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his_1116600.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[John] Calvin is often identified with his account of predestination. Yet that appears in the third book of…” — Oliver D. Crisp",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Oliver D. Crisp",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "[John] Calvin is often identified with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his-account-of-predestination/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-is-often-identified-with-his-account-of-predestination/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
