Early Life.

John Calvin was one of the primary reformers and theologians of the Protestant Reformation. Born in 1509 in Noyon, France, the son of a notary, attorney for the Church, and secretary for the local bishop, John Calvin was destined for a life in religious service. Noyon was the site of a cathedral and thus had a rich episcopal history. Calvin spent his first university years in Paris, supported by the generosity of the bishop of Noyon. His intellectual life was cultivated by spending time with the large circle of scholars at the court of King Francis I. He was studying for the priesthood until his father argued with the local bishop and sent his son to study law in Orleans. After earning his doctor of laws degree in 1531, Calvin went to Paris to study politics and theology. His humanistic studies led him...