Colossians Three Sixteen » Calvin’s Hands, Servetus’ Blood?

As you may or may not know, October 31st is not only Halloween, it is Reformation Day. It was on that day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses,” or points for debate to the castle church door at Wittenburg sparking what would become the Protestant Reformation. Though Luther is widely regarded as the spark of the Reformation, it was John Calvin whom many considered to be the theologian of the Reformation, codifying many of the doctrines that live on to this day in the Protestant Reformed tradition. Yesterday we examined Calvin’s relationship to the so-called “Five Points of Calvinism.” Today I want to examine one of the common charges that comes up with the mention of Calvin’s name.

Mention the name John Calvin to many and they picture a dry, dusty academic who was only concerned with esoteric doctrines removed from practical living. Others will tell you that he was the greatest theologian to have ever lived and still others will tell you with disgust that he was nothing more than a horrible murderer. Murderer? Really? The truth is that few incidents are open to as much speculation and contention as what took place between John Calvin and Michael Servetus.

Though a series of circumstances, Calvin found himself living in Geneva, a city he had originally only intended to pass through on his way to Strasbourg. By request from William Farel, Calvin soon found himself at the center of the religious and legal life of Geneva. Unlike Modern America, the separation of church and state was unknown at this time and though Calvin was part of the clergy, he was also trained as a lawyer and also exerted great civil influence. After being expelled from the city after the issue of excommunication came to a head with man of the city’s elite, Calvin returned to Geneva in 1541.

Upon his return to Geneva, one of Calvin’s first concerns was a series of ordinances that placed the government of the church in Geneva in the hands of the Consistory, whose members were the pastors and lay elders. Since there were give pastors, the lay elders held the majority of the positions in the Consistory, but Calvin’s influence was such that the Consistory usually followed his advice.

Over the next several years, the Consistory and the city government repeatedly clashed. The church, under Calvin’s promptings sought to influence the lives of the city’s citizens, who were also members of the church. By 1553, those who opposed Calvin’s authority in Geneva had come again to power in Geneva and Calvin’s political position was precarious at best.

It was during this time that the famous (or infamous) scene with Michael Servetus took place. Servetus was a Spanish physician whose physiological studies greatly contributed to medical science. But he was also the author of a number of theological treatises. Among other things, he argued that the union of church and state that happened after Constantine’s conversion was a great apostasy. He also vehemently argued against the doctrine of the Trinity and he was being tried as a heretic by the Catholic Inquisition in France. In fact, he had recently escaped from an Inquisition prison when he found himself passing through Geneva and was captured. The only reason he was not executed in France was because he escaped.

Servetus was quickly arrested and as the chief theological official, Calvin prepared a list of thirty-eight charges against him. Some who opposed Calvin’s authority sided with Servetus, arguing that since he had been condemned by the Catholics as a heretic, he should be seen as an ally in the Reformation. In response, the government sought the advice of various Protestant advisers from Switzerland. All who were asked agreed that Servetus was a heretic, not only by Catholic standards but also by Protestant standards. This put an end to the opposition’s case and Servetus was burned to death. Though it matters little to some, Calvin actually argued for a less cruel form of death: beheading.

At the time and now, Servetus’ death was severely criticized. His death has become for many, a symbol of the rigid dogmatism of Geneva under Calvin’s influence. Surely there are grounds to the argument that the judgment was harsh and that Calvin played a large role in the proceedings. However, we must not lose sight of the brutal fact that Geneva was acting no differently than were both Protestant and Catholics all over Europe. During that time, when church and state were often combined, there was little tolerance for heresy and it was often punished by death.

Servetus had already been condemned as a heretic by the French Inquisition which had not burned him only because he had escaped. Those wishing to condemn Calvin as a murderer must extend their criticism, for it is certainly applicable elsewhere. The Catholics had already condemned him to die and advisers from Switzerland were consulted on the matter. Calvin was certainly involved in Servetus’ execution, but to call it murder betrays a weak grasp on historical theology at best and outright slander at worst.

While we may not agree with what was done, Calvin was acting squarely within his tradition. It was commonplace, not just for church and state to blend together, but for those those deemed heretics to be put to death. While we no longer put heretics to death (we sell their books alongside everyone else’s), neither do we take doctrinal precision as seriously. Servetus’ death reminds us just how seriously Calvin, the French Inquisition and others took Scripture and their fidelity to it. While we may not defend their methods, we can commend their zeal, even if you feel it was overboard, misplaced or both.

But just as we cannot fully condemn Calvin for his role in Servetus’ death, neither can we gloss over it as though it is unimportant. The death of anyone must always be taken seriously and this incident ought to cause us to think deeply about the relationship between church and state, particularly in light of the New Covenant. But we must strive to be good students of history, actually looking at the facts rather than accepting opinions.

As we celebrate Reformation Day, me take both God and His Word seriously, learning from those who have gone before us, both from their successes and their mistakes.