Jean Calvin

Born in Noyon, France, in 1509, Jean Calvin trained in the humanities and law before becoming one of the central thinkers of the Reformation. Forced to leave France, he eventually settled in Geneva, where his preaching, teaching, and writing made the city an important center of Protestant life.

His most famous book, Institutes of the Christian Religion, began as a compact defense of reforming beliefs and grew into one of the most influential works of Christian theology. Calvin also wrote biblical commentaries, letters, and church documents that showed both his sharp mind and his desire to organize a disciplined, educated church.

Calvin spent much of his later life in Geneva, where his ideas spread far beyond Switzerland into France, the Netherlands, Scotland, England, and North America. He died in Geneva in 1564, but his thought continued to shape what became known as the Reformed tradition.