Mwalimu huyo aliandika kitabu akiweka mkazo kuelezea jinsi mapenzi ya Mungu yalivyokwishaamua juu ya maisha ya mwanadamu kabla ya huyo kuamua mwenyewe.
Kutokana na mapigano ya kidini yaliyozuka Ufaransa, alikimbilia Basel, Uswisi, alipochapa toleo la kwanza la kitabu chake maarufu zaidi, Institutiones Christianae Religionis mwaka 1536.
Mwaka huohuo William Farel alimualika Geneva, lakini halmashauri ya mji ilikataa kutekeleza mapendekezo yao ikawafukuza.
Hapo Martin Bucer alimuita Calvin huko Strasbourg, alipoongoza Waprotestanti waliokimbia Ufaransa, akiendelea kuhimiza matengenezo mjini Geneva, ambapo hatimaye alikaribishwa kurudi kama kiongozi wa dini.
Huko Calvin aliingiza miundo mipya ya uongozi na aina mpya za liturujia, akishinda upinzani wote.
Baada ya wakimbizi wengi kuhamia Geneva, uchaguzi mpya uliwezesha kufukuza toka mji huo waliompinga Calvin.
Miaka yake ya mwisho aliitumia kueneza matengenezo yake kote Ulaya, akiacha nyuma yake madhehebu ya Reformed, Congregationalists na Presbyterians, ambayo leo yana jumla ya waamini zaidi ya milioni 80, wengi wao wakiwa wameunganika katika "World Communion of Reformed Churches".
Calvin alitetea kwa ukali misimamo yake na kusababisha mabishano mengi.
Calvin aliathiriwa na Agostino wa Hippo hata kukazia mafundisho yake kuhusu uteule kutokana na imani ya kwamba wokovu wa binadamu unamtegemea Mungu tu.
Tathmini
Tofauti na Luther, Calvin alijaribu moja kwa moja kujenga kanisa jipya kwenye msingi wa Biblia.
Hakupenda kuchukua urithi wowote wa Kanisa Katoliki, akaunda kila kitu upya kufuatana na jinsi alivyoelewa Biblia.
Katika utawala alikataa cheo cha uaskofu akaona kanisa liongozwe na wazee wa kuchaguliwa. Kutokana na neno wazee katika lugha ya Agano Jipya (Kigiriki) "presbyuteroi", kanisa lake linaitwa pia la "Wapresbiteri". Wafuasi wake huitwa pia "Wareformati" (to reform = kutengeneza upya). Maana yake walikataa desturi zote wasizoziona katika Biblia, wakati Luther alizikubali zile alizoziona hazipingi Biblia.
Katika ibada zao, Wareformati wanakataa altari, picha za kupamba kanisa au kuimba liturujia, wakati ibada ya Kilutheri ni Misa ya Kikatoliki iliyobadilishwa kufuatana na mawazo ya Luther. Katika jambo hilo hawakupatana na ndiyo sababu kwa muda mrefu Walutheri na Wareformati walishindwa kuwa na ibada za pamoja, lakini siku hizi wanaelewana.
Mafundisho hayo kutoka Uswisi yalienea katika nchi kama Ufaransa, Uskoti na Uholanzi. Hata Wamoravia walichukua sehemu ya mafundisho ya Wareformati, hasa juu ya Chakula cha Bwana, wakimfuata Luther katika mambo mengine.
Afrika Kusini urithi wa kidini wa Makaburu ni wa Kireformati kwa sababu babu zao walitokea Uholanzi na Ufaransa.
Baron, Salo (1972), "John Calvin and the Jews", katika Feldman, Leon A. (mhr.), Ancient and Medieval Jewish History, New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, OCLC463285878 (originally published 1965).
Berg, Machiel A. van den (2009), Friends of Calvin, Grand Rapids, Mi.: Wm.B.Eerdmans Publishing Co., ISBN9780802862273
Bouwsma, William James (1988), John Calvin: A Sixteenth-Century Portrait, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN0-19-504394-4.
Calvin, John (1989) [1564], Institutio Christianae religionis (kwa latin), Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company{{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
Cottret, Bernard (2000) [1995], Calvin: Biographie (kwa French), Translated by M. Wallace McDonald, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, ISBN0-8028-3159-1{{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
De Greef, Wulfert (2004), "Calvin's writings", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
———————— (2008), The Writings of John Calvin: An Introductory Guide, Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN0-664-23230-2
Detmers, Achim (2006), "Calvin, the Jews, and Judaism", katika Bell, Dean Phillip; Burnett, Stephen G. (whr.), Jews, Judaism, and the Reformation in Sixteenth-Century Germany, Leiden: Brill, ISBN978-90-04-14947-2.
DeVries, Dawn (2004), "Calvin's preaching", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Gamble, Richard C. (2004), "Calvin's controversies", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Ganoczy, Alexandre (2004), "Calvin's life", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Gerrish, R. A. (2004), "The place of Calvin in Christian theology", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Graham, W. Fred (1971), The Constructive Revolutionary: John Calvin and His Socio-Economic Impact, Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, ISBN0-8042-0880-8.
Helm, Paul (2004), John Calvin's Ideas, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN0-19-925569-5.
Heron, Alasdair (2005), Lacoste, Jean-Yves (mhr.), "John Calvin", Encyclopedia of Christian Theology, New York: CRC Press.
Hesselink, I. John (2004), "Calvin's theology", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Holder, R. Ward (2004), "Calvin's heritage", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Lane, Anthony N.S. (2009), "Calvin's Institutes", A Reader's Guide, Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, ISBN978-0-8010-3731-3
Lange van Ravenswaay, J. Marius J. (2009) [2008], "Calvin and the Jews", katika Selderhuis, Herman J. (mhr.), Calvijn Handboek (kwa Dutch), Translated by Kampen Kok, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., ISBN978-0-8028-6230-3{{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
Manetsch, Scott M. (2013), Calvin’s Company of Pastors: Pastoral Care and the Emerging Reformed Church, 1536–1609, Oxford Studies in Historical Theology, New York: Oxford University Press
McDonnell, Kilian (1967), John Calvin, the Church, and the Eucharist, Princeton: Princeton University Press, OCLC318418.
McGrath, Alister E. (1990), A Life of John Calvin, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, ISBN0-631-16398-0.
McNeil, John Thomas (1954), The History and Character of Calvinism, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN0-19-500743-3.
Niesel, Wilhelm (1980), The Theology of Calvin, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, ISBN0-8010-6694-8.
Olsen, Jeannine E. (2004), "Calvin and social-ethical issues", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Pak, G. Sujin (2010), The Judaizing Calvin, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN978-0-19-537192-5.
Parker, T. H. L. (1995), Calvin: An Introduction to His Thought, London: Geoffrey Chapman, ISBN0-225-66575-1.
——————— (2006), John Calvin: A Biography, Oxford: Lion Hudson plc, ISBN978-0-7459-5228-4.
Pater, Calvin Augustus (1987), "Calvin, the Jews, and the Judaic Legacy", katika Furcha, E. J. (mhr.), In Honor of John Calvin: Papers from the 1986 International Calvin Symposium, Montreal: McGill University Press, ISBN978-0-7717-0171-9.
Pettegree, Andrew (2004), "The spread of Calvin's thought", katika McKim, Donald K. (mhr.), The Cambridge Companion to John Calvin, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-0-521-01672-8
Potter, G. R.; Greengrass, M. (1983), John Calvin, London: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd., ISBN0-7131-6381-X.
Steinmetz, David C. (1995), Calvin in Context, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN0-19-509164-7.
————————— (2009), "Calvin as Biblical Interpreter Among the Ancient Philosophers", Interpretation, 63 (2): 142–153, doi:10.1177/002096430906300204
Marejeo mengine
Balserak, Jon (2014), John Calvin as Sixteenth-Century Prophet, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN978-0-198-70325-9.
Backus, Irena; Benedict, Philip, whr. (2011). Calvin and His Influence, 1509–2009. Oxford University Press.
Gordon, Bruce (2009), Calvin, London/New Haven: Yale University Press, ISBN978-0-300-17084-9.
Muller, Richard A. (2001). The Unaccommodated Calvin: Studies in the Foundation of a Theological Tradition. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN978-0-19-515168-8.
Sewell, Alida Leni (2011). Calvin, the Body and Sexuality: An Inquiry into His Anthropology. Amsterdam: VU University Press. ISBN978-90-8659-587-7.