Open a Window into John Calvin’s Pastoral Heart and Brilliant Mind
Discover the timeless wisdom and spiritual insight of one of Christianity’s most influential theologians through this carefully curated collection of daily readings. Edited by Scott D. Manetsch, this devotional brings John Calvin’s profound theological reflections into conversation with contemporary readers, making his rich biblical exposition accessible for daily spiritual nourishment.
Drawing from Calvin’s vast collection of commentaries, sermons, and other writings, each daily reading opens a window into the Reformer’s pastoral heart and brilliant mind. Far from the stern theologian of popular imagination, readers will encounter Calvin as a dynamic teacher whose passion was helping ordinary believers understand and apply God’s Word to their lives.
The devotional follows the calendar year, with each day featuring a selected passage from Calvin’s works along with helpful context and reflection. Special readings are included for Easter Week, allowing readers to journey through Christ’s passion and resurrection guided by Calvin’s profound insights.
The volume opens with Calvin’s prayers for morning, work, meals, and evening, offering a glimpse into the reformer’s personal piety. Whether you’re new to Calvin’s writings or a longtime student of the Reformation, these daily readings will deepen your understanding of Scripture and strengthen your faith.
Calvin’s emphasis on God’s sovereignty and grace, his insistence on the clarity and authority of Scripture, and his vision of the Christian life as a response to divine mercy remain powerfully relevant for today’s believers.
Perfect for personal devotions or group study, this volume allows readers to walk alongside one of Christianity’s great pastor–theologians through the year. Experience how Calvin’s Christ–centered exposition of Scripture can enrich your daily walk with God and provide fresh insights for living faithfully in today’s world.
Endorsements
John Calvin: Daily Readings is a superb collection of readings drawn from Calvin’s commentaries, sermons, and treatises. Scott Manetsch’s choices cover everything one could want to see: Calvin’s thinking on God’s provision, the church, prayer, the brevity of life, the resurrection, suffering, temptation, heaven, etc. Whether one knows Calvin well or not at all, they will be delighted with this volume. In particular, for the novice who might feel intimidated about the prospect of picking up something as daunting as Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, Manetsch’s volume is perfect. But also for someone who’s been reading Calvin for decades, the book is such a pleasure to peruse. The readings do a fantastic job of showing why Calvin is regarded as such a blessing to the church. They are deeply thoughtful, accessible, crystal clear, and uplifting. Manetsch is to be commended for producing such a first-rate introduction to Calvin’s theology and spirituality.
Jon Balserak Author, 'Calvinism: A Very Short Introduction'
Daily devotionals are wonderful aids, ensuring that we stay close to our God and deep in his word. What better guide to lead us to the throne of God each day than the Reformer, John Calvin. Mostly taken from his commentaries, Scott Manetsch (a world-renowned Calvin scholar) has picked selective passages that highlight the scripture passage and urge us on to ‘run the race that is set before us’. Keep this book beside your favorite armchair and allow the sixteenth-century Reformer to guide and instruct you. I can promise that if you do, dipping in and out of this devotional as life’s business allows, you will be greatly blessed.
Derek W. H. Thomas Teaching Fellow, Ligonier Ministries; Retired Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church (ARP), Columbia, South Carolina
Dr. Scott Manetsch is a professor of Church History at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a specialist in John Calvin and the French Reformation. He and his wife Cathy live in Libertyville, Illinois, and have two adult daughters.
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