John Calvin Like You've Never Seen Him Before

Most people imagine John Calvin to be either the biggest snore or most heartless man in the world.  If you are such a person, you need to read Douglas Bond's recent book, The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin.  This work will undoubtedly alter any such view, and cause your soul to be warmed a hundred times over.

Bond fantastically utilizes the historical fiction genre to faithfully portray the amazing life and unique doctrines of this oft despised Protestant leader.  Yet he does it in a way that causes Calvin not only to be personally known, but also felt--and even witnessed in a "real time" kind of way.

Much of what makes this work so intriguing is its welding of biography and novel.  Those who always slept through history class or preferred the drama of the History Channel to a textbook will find Bond's book to be perfect for them.  For in Betrayal Bond blends the captivating storyline of a fictitious work with the unadulterated accuracy of a university level biography.  The product is page turning entertainment that ends up being radically educational.

I received the book as a Christmas present and devoured it in no time flat.  My wife even teasing that I never get into a book like I did with this one--picking it up any spare moment I had.  (Because of its historical accuracy I could kid myself by saying that I was doing research!).  And in walking away I felt that I had come to know Calvin in a much more intimate way that I had through my other study of his life.

As you glide through the pages you will find that all of your preconceptions of the man will come crashing down.  You will be charmed by his generosity, emboldened by his evangelical zeal, and overawed by his academic scholar (Calvin had a stellar memory, that may be characterized as photographic--this all comes across beautifully in the book).  More importantly, you will see the balance of Calvin's doctrine and the enthusiasm he had for the pure preaching of the gospel. 

These later two items are perhaps two of the greatest features when it comes to the content of the book.  As for Calvin's preaching, excerpts of real sermons are sprinkled throughout.  So you get a feel for his true pulpit eloquence and fervor.  At the same time it does not having that "preachy" feel that most Christian fiction works have.

The doctrines most associated with Calvin (i.e. predestination) are certainly put forth in the book.  However, they are put in the context of their gospel warmth--which is frequently missing among his contemporary adherents.  If you are one who has been so scandalized by an overzealous Calvin Crusader, and find predestination to be a chilling and damnable doctrine, through this book you will find that it really is "the doctrine of grace" and most invariably drawn from the pages of Scripture.

Certainly, not having a stomach for Calvinism should not prevent you from reading this book though.  If anything, it will give you an accurate depiction of what life was like in the age known as the Reformation.

(You can purchase Bond's book by clicking on the icon provided above)