CALVIN’S SUDDEN CONVERSION ( SUBITA CONVERSIO ) AND ITS HISTORICAL MEANING

In Calvin research of the Twentieth Century, different approaches towards the ques- tion about Calvin’s ‘conversion’, as mentioned in the introduction to his commentary on the Psalms, have been followed. In this article a number of these approaches are discussed, as well as certain other issues, which should be taken into account. After a discussion of these issues the conclusion is drawn that Calvin’s conversion was not the product of a gradual recognition and human decision, but an event of a decisive regeneration, resulting in true and evangelical faith under the sovereign guidance of God. Calvin’s thought on the sovereignty of God provided the guiding principle for the Reformed faith. Therefore, Calvin’s conversion was more than the conversion of an individual. It was rather a matrix for the formation of the Reformed faith and the Reformed and Presbyterian Churches. It was also the guidance and special providence of God, completing the Reformation.


INTRODUCTION: 'COR MEUM TIBI OFFERO, PROMPTE ET SINCERE'
The above saying of Calvin was his personal motto dedicating himself to God. Calvin lived a life completely devoted to a completion of the Reformation and the birth of the Reformed Church. Many Calvin scholars have expressed a special concern for the decisive event signalling a beginning in his remarkable career as a Reformer. In the Preface to the Commentary on the Psalms he made a brief comment on his subita conversio without referring to a specific year. This has been a source of considerable controversy among Calvin scholarship. 2 The reason why many Calvin scholars try to de-Lee Calvin's sudden conversion (subita conversio) termine the date of his conversion may be related not only to a better understanding of his personal life, but also to the meaning and importance of this event for the history of Protestantism.
If we try to figure out the date of his conversion based solely upon some chronological hints in his life and circumstances surrounding him, we will be faced with "a baffling problem out of our reach" as Emile Doumergue has pointed out a long time ago. 3 The question of different interpretations regarding the date of his conversion may perhaps be solved if it is considered at the same time from different perspectives. For a balanced evaluation of his conversion, it could be fruitful to consider it from both historical and theological perspectives.
In the current discussion on the date of Calvin's conversion, the fact that priority has been given to its theological perspective instead of a historical perspective has resulted in differing interpretations, according to the theological positions of the interpreters. For example, a Roman Catholic theologian, Alexander Ganoczy, argues that Calvin's conversion mentioned in his Commentary on the Psalms cannot be regarded as a sudden conversion in the sense of a complete and sudden withdrawal from the Roman Catholic Church. Ganoczy rather understands it as a gradual realization of Calvin's calling to the ministry while remaining in the Roman Catholic Church until 1539. 4 Ganoczy concludes his biography of Calvin with a plea for ecumenism, based upon the illusion that Calvin received his call to the ministry within the boundary of the Roman Catholic Church. 5 In his argument Ganoczy painstakingly attempts to reduce the meaning and significance of Calvin's conversion. Karl Barth in his Commentary on Romans interprets Calvin's conversion -from the perspective of the dialectical theology of crisis -as an event of existential encounter with God by the act of God commanding and demanding, but not as a specific historical event occurring in time. 6 There-fore, the date of Calvin's conversion as a historical event cannot be a matter of concern to Barth. But Calvin's conversion was not the conversion of just another individual in the history of church. His conversion was a decisive and historical event controlled by God's sovereignty in order to recover a true Church. Also it was a significant event for the completion of the Reformation in the history of the Church. If we cannot be convinced of its historical significance and its importance, we will lose the historical horizon of our Reformed faith and Church, and of the birth and orthodoxy of the Presbyterian Church as well.

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Calvin's sudden conversion (subita conversio) Such a repentance has an effect which leads to a change of the soul itself as well as to a change in external actions 10 and brings a desire to live a holy and devout life. 11 Calvin also identified repentance with regeneration and explained its goal as a recovering of the image of God in us: Therefore, in a word, I interpret repentance as regeneration, whose sole end is to restore in us the image of God that had been disfigured and all but obliterated through Adam's transgression […] Accordingly, we are restored by this regeneration through the benefit of Christ into the righteousness of God; from which we had fallen through Adam. 12 The result of regeneration is the recovery of the righteousness of God in us. Also the process of recovery was identified with sanctification, a process which is gradually accomplished. 13 But it is important to take note of the fact that conversion not only has the characteristic of gradual change, interconnected with repentance and sanctification, but that it is also related to regeneration as the first step in the order of salvation (ordo salutis), as it is commonly employed in systematic theology.
In the past, conversion was mainly understood as the process of gradual sanctification by means of repentance, including the mortification of the flesh and the vivification of the spirit. 14 Accordingly, the decisive character of 10 Inst., 3.3.6. 11 Inst., 3.3.3. 12 Inst., 3.3.9. 13 Ibid.
And indeed, this restoration does not take place in one moment or one day or one year; but through continual and sometimes even slow advances God wipes out in his elect the corruptions of the flesh, cleanses them of guilt, consecrates them to himself as temples renewing all their minds to true purity that they may practice repentance throughout their lives and know that this warfare will end only at death. (Cf. Inst., 3.6.5.) Comm. II Cor. 3:18, Jer. 31:18: We turn, as I have already said, by little and little to God, and by various steps; for repentance has its progress. Inst., 3.3.2: Obviously, that giddy spirit brings forth such fruits that it limits to a paltry few days a repentance that for the Christian man ought to extend throughout his life.
regeneration was minimized. But Calvin argued that, with the second creation, which we attain in Christ, in the commencement of conversion (conversionis originem), God begins his good work in us. 15 He does that by arousing love and desire and zeal for righteousness in our hearts; or, to speak more correctly, by bending, forming, and directing our hearts to righteousness. Such transformation and renewal of man is possible only by the help of God. In such a conversion a new spirit and new heart are given. 16 In terms of the perspective of a new creation or second creation, regeneration was understood as the beginning of spiritual life. 17 And Calvin understood repentance, which is the recovery of God's righteousness, as beginning with regeneration, by which believers are born again at once and which continues throughout their whole life. 18 Furthermore, the vivification of the spirit, which is an aspect of repentance, means a desire to live in a holy and devoted manner, a desire arising out of rebirth. 19 Repentance originates from new birth (renascentia), which is regeneration. 20 In order to clarify the fact that regeneration is not the result of human work, but of God's sovereign work alone, Calvin affirmed that the new creation of the heart or the will is the work of God. Subsequently, he made God the author of spiritual life from beginning to end. 21 And in his commentary on Acts 5:31 Calvin argued: ment. This was a reflection of the eschatological character in his anthropology. At the same time, it was a warning given to the Anabaptists who believed regeneration could solve all the following problems associated with salvation. Cf. Inst., 3.3.14. From all these arguments, it is clear that Calvin must have thought of regeneration as an event occurring at a certain decisive point in time, as it would constitute a first step toward life-long repentance or sanctification. 23 Therefore, when we try to understand what Calvin means by his "sudden conversion" in his Preface to the Commentary on Psalms we should interpret "conversion" as referring to a decisive event brought about at once by God.

THE SUDDENNESS OF CALVIN'S CONVERSION
In the Preface of the Commentary on the Psalms (1557) Calvin described his sudden conversion as follows: When I was as yet a very little boy, my father had destined me for the study of theology. But afterwards when he considered that the legal profession commonly raised those who followed it to wealth this prospect induced him suddenly to change his purpose. Thus it came to pass, that I was withdrawn from the study of philosophy, and was put to the study of law. To this pursuit I endeavored faithfully to apply myself in obedience to the will of my father; but God, by the secret guidance of his providence, at length gave a different direction to my course. And first, since I was too obstinately devoted to the superstitions of Popery to be easily extricated from so profound an abyss of mire, God by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more hardened in such matters than might have been expected from one at my early period of life. Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true godliness I was immediately inflamed with so intense a desire to make progress therein, that although I did not altogether leave off other studies, I yet pursued them with less ardor. I was quite surprised to find that before a year had elapsed, all who had any desire after purer doctrine were continually coming to me to learn, although I myself was as yet but a mere novice and tyro. Being of a disposition somewhat unpolished and bashful, which led me always to love the shade and retirement, I then began to seek some 22 Comm. Acts 5:31. Cf. Comm. Acts 3:18 :"but that conversion whereof I have spoken is a notable work of God's mercy". Comm. From this preface we can make some deductions regarding Calvin's understanding of his conversion. First of all, he believed that the sovereign providence of God and the teaching of God's Word made his conversion possible. 25 In a sovereign way God opened a new way and seized his heart by the Word. 26 God, by a sudden conversion, subdued and brought his mind to a teachable frame. Calvin confessed that after his conversion he had such a strong urge and desire for piety: God begins his good work in us, therefore, by arousing love and desire and zeal for righteousness in our hearts. 27 Along with such a change in heart, Calvin was at last able to possess the purer doctrine and some taste and knowledge of true godliness apart from the superstitions of popery which was like a profound abyss of mire. 28 And he described himself as a mere novice and tyro (novitius et tiro) with a strong desire for true godliness. In other words, in true godliness and doctrine, which is in evangelical faith, his new life as a novice has begun. The new and clear situation that Calvin describes, demonstrates that his conversion occurred at a specific point in time as a decisive event, made possible by the sovereign work of God. This is the first step of conversion which Calvin described and the event of his sudden regeneration in evangelical faith.
F.L. Battles identifies Calvin's restatement or theological reflection regarding his experience of conversion in Calvin's earlier works. In a Preface (written between 1534-1535) to the French New Testament (translated by his cousin, Pierre Robert Olivetan) Calvin stressed that the true way of salvation is possible only in Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant. This he repeats in the first chapter of the Institutes (1536). Also in his Reply to Cardinal Sadolet's Letter (1539) Calvin explained the reason why he had to be converted from the false faith and the false religion, divorced from true salvation and evangelical faith. Here Calvin stated that the Roman Catholic Church, which hid the light of the Word of God, did not teach him how to worship God with his whole heart and the way to true hope for salvation. He also stated Lee Calvin's sudden conversion (subita conversio) that the Roman Catholic teaching on the redemption and resurrection in the Cross, was false. 29 Near the end Calvin confessed that he had been thrown into a state of deep despair and chaos. But led by God and the Word of God, he experienced a decisive event of regeneration once and for all. Now he confessed with a promise to God that he would wholly dedicate himself to Him: Being exceedingly alarmed at the misery into which I had fallen, and much more at that which threatened me in the view of 1:21 and 25. 31 Therefore, it is clear that Calvin experienced true piety, that is conversion from a false religion of superstition to pure doctrine, which worships creatures rather than the Creator of all things. This conversion, which he experienced, was indeed regeneration.
As was mentioned in his Reply to Cardinal Sadolet, Calvin made it clear that he renounced his past life, filled with superstitions of Popery, and pleaded for the salvation of God in the midst of his misery arousing out of his sinful nature and of immanent threat of eternal death. We cannot view his sudden conversion as an inner experience of gradual recognition, hidden for several years. It would be illogical to think that the Reformer lived for several years with such a heavy conflict and an agony, while he was gradually moving away from the false religion. Such an argument is the result of a theological standpoint which regards conversion merely as a product of human efforts of long reflection and realization. But in his Commentary on the Psalms Calvin tells us that his conversion was a historical event made possible by God's sovereign providence and the work of the Word. Indeed it was a historical event occurring in Calvin's life.

GRADUALNESS OF CALVIN'S CONVERSION
Recently many Calvin scholars emphasized the gradual character of Calvin's conversion, since it looks almost impossible to locate its exact date. Calvin's conversion cannot be seen apart from the surrounding situation. However, if one -from a theological viewpoint -emphasizes the gradual nature of Calvin's conversion as a process throughout his whole life, the questions regarding the date as well as the historical nature of his conversion do not have to be taken into account.
In other words, while ignoring the element of regeneration, which is the starting point of new spiritual life, one can merely emphasize the gradual character of sanctification. This would result in an intentional attempt to interpret Calvin's conversion without relating it to historical events. In

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Calvin's sudden conversion (subita conversio) at that time, but that there was no change in his loyalty toward Roman Catholicism. 32 Thus Bouwsma does not acknowledge Calvin's sudden conversion, mentioned in the Preface to his Commentary on the Psalms, as a historical event which guided his new life or conversion of faith, but rather as "a change in concern". 33 Many scholars, emphasizing the gradualness of Calvin's conversion, argue that the word subita should be taken as subie, meaning "experienced". They argue that the phrase subita conversio should be interpreted as "experienced conversion". 34 They also attempt to simplify or minimize the meaning of conversion by taking Calvin's sayings on conversion as "conversion to teachableness [i.e. ability to learn]" (conversio ad docilitatem). 35 Taken literally or in context of the Preface, however, such interpretations seem to be an unnatural reading of the text. Thus there is no reason not to translate subita as "sudden". 36 Accepting the gradualness of Calvin's conversion, others argue that a seed for conversion was already inseminated by the influence of Pierre Robert Olivetan in 1528 and that it was completed after many years. But Calvin regarded the completion of conversion possible only at the moment of death. 37

THE DATE OF CALVIN'S CONVERSION
For a better estimation of the date of Calvin's conversion, we shall review the problems inherent in the argument for an earlier date of his conversion. Regarding the date of his conversion, most biographers of Calvin can be divided into two groups. First, some of them believe that it occurred during the early period of his studies at University in Paris. Secondly, others argue that it took place at a much later stage. Hence a precise date could vary from 1528 to 1539. Theodore Beza and Nicolas Colladon stated that Calvin experienced his conversion while studying law at Orleans under the influence of Olivetan around 1528. 38 Similarly, T.H.L. Parker dates Calvin's conversion at the end of 1520s or at the beginning of 1530s, while Calvin was studying law at Bourges, under the scrutiny of the Preface to his Commentary on the Psalms. 39 There are scholars who believe the beginning of his conversion must have occurred at an earlier time: John Cadier, 40 Paul Henry, 41 A. Lefranc, 42 E. Doumergue, 43 and Wilhelm Neuser. 44 But there are some problems associated with this early dating.
First, Parker estimates the date of the conversion to be rather early (1529-1530). He believes that the context of the Preface to the Commentary on the Psalms can provide us with the conclusion that it had occurred during the period of his studies at Bourges. But Calvin left Paris and went to Orleans in order to finish his studies of law in the May of 1532, and stayed there until June 1533. 45 Also the context of the Preface to his Commentary on the Psalms reveals that within a year after the experience of the conversion, Calvin sought freedom to find a quiet place to hide himself. This fact indicates that he already had finished studying law, which allowed him freedom. Therefore, there is no persuasive reason to limit the date of the conversion to the period of his stay at Orleans. 46 If Calvin had converted himself to evangelical faith around 1528, we should be able to encounter clear evidence of his conversion from All these conditions -internal, as well as external -prepared him for conversion. However, the conversion itself was sudden and abrupt in its nature. 52 On May 1531, Calvin heard that his father Gerard Cauvin had passed away while he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. On 1 November 1533 Calvin was forced to leave Paris on account of the rectoral address, given by his friend Nicolas Cop, the rector of the University of Paris. Finally, Calvin went to Noyon in order to give up all his ecclesiastical rights on May 4 th 1534. This event not only signifies Calvin's official break from the Roman Catholic Church, but indicates that his conversion had already taken place. We can, therefore, conclude that Calvin was converted to the evangelical faith by the work of the Word and the Spirit, while experiencing regeneration in the period between 1533 and 1534.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CALVIN'S CONVERSION
Before his conversion Calvin was captivated by his adherence to a superstitious and false faith, as well as by his academic ideal and ambition of humanism. It was only the work of the sovereign providence of God that brought him to the world of true faith and eternal truth. If he had not been led by the sovereign hand of God, Calvin could have never escaped the tyranny of Popery. Because of the difficulty and fear to confess his ignorance and fallacy, he had an unwilling ear in the beginning and strenuously and passionately resisted the doctrine of the Reformation. 53 But under God's forceful guidance Calvin was finally liberated from all the restraints and embraced the evangelical faith and its truth. Thus Calvin repeatedly emphasized the fact that his conversion was made possible not by the human power and will, but by the sovereign grace of God. The fact that Calvin had such a strong faith concerning the sovereignty of God is confirmed by his life after his conversion. For example, when he was staying at Geneva, he could not refuse God's hand of sovereign providence leading him into the wilderness of the Reformation. When Martin Bucer forced him to cooperate with the Reformation of Strasbourg, Calvin had to obey God's sovereign will. And in 1541 he was for a second time called to participate in the cause of the Reformation at Geneva, this time Lee Calvin's sudden conversion (subita conversio) by Guillaume Farel. Calvin once again submitted himself to God's sovereign will. 54 Throughout the rest of his life the sovereignty of God always worked as a guiding principle in Calvin's theology and faith, as well as in his thought and life. The event of his conversion, which also was regeneration into evangelical faith, was a fruit of the work of the Word of God. In his Reply to Cardinal Sadolet, Calvin says: I heard from thy mouth that there was no other light of truth which could direct our souls into the way of life, than that which was kindled by thy Word. 55 After experiencing regeneration, Calvin devoted himself wholly to the study of Scriptures, because he firmly believed that the sole source (principium unicum) of all theological writings, including sermons and commentaries, was always Scripture alone.
The conversion of Calvin, as testified by his own words, was not the product of a gradual recognition and human decision, but the event of a decisive regeneration, resulting in true and evangelical faith under the sovereign guidance of God. Calvin's views on the sovereignty of God provided the guiding principle to the Reformed faith. Therefore, Calvin's conversion was more than the conversion of an individual. It was rather a matrix for the formation of the Reformed faith and the Reformed and Presbyterian Churches. It was also the guidance and special providence of God, completing the Reformation.