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Paperback / 175 pages

2009 marks the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth,
and throughout the year scholars from around the world are
gathering to discuss Calvin and his influence. Calvin's
Institutes is one of the great classics of Christian theology.
Here a leading Calvin expert offers an affordable guide to
reading the Institutes (keyed to the McNeill/Battles translation).

The book includes annotations to selected readings that offer
readers a streamlined introduction to the heart of Calvin's
theology. Dividing the Institutes into thirty-two portions,
the author has chosen an average of eighteen pages to be read
from each portion to cover the whole range of the Institutes
and provide readers with passages critical to understanding
Calvin's theology. The notes guide readers through the text,
concentrating on the sections chosen for reading, summarizing
the material, and drawing attention to the most significant
footnotes in the McNeill/Battles edition. An introduction
and questions at the beginning of each portion direct the
reader's attention to important points, and a brief guide
at the end of each portion suggests further reading. The book
will serve professors and students of the Institutes, courses in
Calvin, Reformed theology, and historical theology; and
readers seeking a guide to the Institutes.

Endorsements:

"A Reader's Guide to Calvin's Institutes" makes a first- time
read of John Calvin's Reformation classic more efficient by
highlighting its most important sections. Tony Lane provides
sufficient summaries, teasers, directions, and assessments
to make the study of Calvin's magnum opus stimulating and
enlightening. Though few will agree with all of Lane's
assessments of Calvin, even areas of disagreement can be
used as a springboard for further research. I, for one,
hope to keep this handy reference tool beside my McNeill-
Battles edition of the Institutes.

--Joel R. Beeke, president, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

A concise yet meticulous guide to the Battles translation
of the Institutes. Tony Lane admirably succeeds in identifying
its structure & in highlighting its arguments. This guide
will be an invaluable help to new readers of Calvin's great work.
--Paul Helm, teaching fellow, Regent College, Vancouver

"Tony Lane is one of the world's most well-respected Calvin scholars. In this book, he draws on his impressive knowledge of the Reformer to provide contemporary readers with a careful guide to the structure, argument, and content of the 1559 edition of the Institutes. After an introductory essay setting the work in context, the author guides the reader through the complexities of the text in a sure-footed and accessible way. This work clearly supersedes previous reading guides and is likely to become the standard overview.

--Carl Trueman, professor of historical theology and church history, Westminster Theological Seminary