Calvin's 500th anniversary!

Yes! It must be an achievement of sorts: there was a letter in The Times yesterday, taking issue with something I have written. A badge of honour, surely?

There is a small and eccentric world, in which tomorrow is a big day: it's the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.

Last Saturday, I wrote a brief article for The Times, attempting to correct the exceptionally negative view most people have of this hero in the Christian tradition. It's online at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6632482.ece. I admit, this is an unashamed piece of theological journalism - but most people accept such a caricature of Calvin that redressing the balance by emphasising his positive achievements seems like a worthwhile exercise to me.

However, I have provoked the ire of someone in Belfast - where presumably there are some pretty toxic associations with the name of Calvin. The letter is also online, and in the interests of fairness, I feel I ought to point you towards it: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article6661675.ece.

The issue is the extent to which Calvin may be, should be, regarded as a severe persecutor of heretics (and in particular how far he was responsible for the death by burning of Michael Servetus in 1553).

My critic quotes passages in Calvin's writings in which he rejoices gleefully in Servetus' death and takes personal credit for it. I don't dispute that there are ugly passages in Calvin's writings. From the point of view of the 21st century, it's hard to find a 16th century theologian in whose writings there are not ugly bits.

My argument is a) that Geneva was a relatively bloodless place in 16C Europe; b) that Servetus fled there after having already been condemned by a Roman Catholic court; c) that he was put to death by the secular authorities, and not by Calvin; and d) that Calvin intervened to request his sentence be commuted from death by burning to execution by the sword.

All this I stand by. Did Calvin believe heretics should be killed? Yes. Did he rejoice in the death of Servetus? Yes. Did he take pride in his own part in that process? Yes. Does this make him a villain? Not by the standards of the day. On the basis of their collusion in, even support for, the death of heretics by burning, you can't condemn Calvin as a bigot and then honour Elizabeth I, say, as 'Good Queen Bess'.

My stance is, that Calvin's theology is altogether more life-affirming, world-affirming and true to the grace of God than the contemporary caricature suggests, and I think the 500th anniversary of his birth is a date worth celebrating.

So, happy birthday John!