A Little Book on the Christian Life, Leaves

If you don't have time to read Calvins Institutes, try this little bite sized piece of work. Its a thoughtfully written work that encourages Christians in their walk with the Lord.

This little book is Chuck full of strong clear doctrine of the Christian faith. The modern translation is excellent and makes reading John, Calvin pleasurable and highly profitable.

Great principles to ponder and take to heart.

A great piece from an even greater body of work that has impacted Christianity forever!

I have been Christian for a long time. Noone explained to me Christian life as clearly as this translatiin from John Calvin!

This is a quick read and one worth reading and reflecting on! Although reading this was required for school, I know that it will be a book I return to again and again.

Just what I wanted. Thank you.

How did I not find this book until I was 80 years old? Will read often. Full of golden nuggets!

Magnífico libro. Corto y breve pero muy claro. Este famoso escritor explica las doctrinas cristianas de una manera fácil y a la vez contundente. Ampliamente recomendable.

A Little Book on the Christian Life is actually a chapter taken from The Institutes of the Christian Religion, book 3, chapters 6 to 10. It's also translated into modern English by both Aaron Clay Denlinger and Burk Parsons. They both did a terrific job translating John Calvin's work, because, admittedly, as much as I love reading John Calvin, a lot of it can be quite challenging to read, especially his Institutes book. This book is pocket sized and easy to carry, it's also very beautifully bound - high quality paper and everything. The book itself is very practical to Christian living, the sections are like mini-sermons. There's just so much truth and exposition squeezed into such few words, I often find myself re-reading a chapter! If you own Calvin's Institutes, should you purchase this book? Yes. For two reasons: 1) It's re-translated into modern English, and easy to understand. 2) We can't all carry the Institutes in our pockets or backpacks, and if we did, reading them in public transit or anywhere would be quite uncomfortable. This book is very easy to carry and read anywhere you go.

This is the first book I read of Calvin. This is not the first translation of this work of Calvin, but there was a need to have a new translation. The standard edition of this work of Calvin has been Van Andel's translation. However, according to the preface, if one compares it with Calvin's original work in French or Latin, it is noticed that Van Andel took considerable liberties with Calvin's text, both in terms of form and content. This edition by Denlinger and Parsons is based principally on Calvin's final and definitive Latin edition of Calvin's Institutes. Their aim "in completing this project has generally been to produce a translation that we believe Calvin himself would have been pleased with. We have, in other words, aimed at faithfulness not just to Calvin's meaning but, so much as possible, to his own words."This has been a Christian classic, concerning the Christian life. It answers the very basic and early question of believers: what does it mean to be a Christian? or What does a Christian look like? I was in my early teens when I asked that question at church, but there was no answer. I wished someone would have pointed me to this book, although at the time, this edition did not exist yet. So this is an excellent gift for new believers or as a baptismal gift.Learning from Tyndale, translating from Latin to English is not as easy or natural as from Greek to English. But this edition reads very clearly. This short book contains five chapters: Scripture's call to Christian living, Self-Denial in the Christian Life, Bearing Our Cross is a Part of Self-Denial, Meditation on Our Future Life, and How the Present Life and Its Comforts Should be Used. This treatise is first built on theology about our nature and then getting more practical, underlain by God's nature. The truths contained in the book are sharp and very quotable and therefore memorable to guide us. Here are a few examples:1) There is a world of vices hidden in the soul of man. (p.27)2) They enthrone man's reason alone as ruler, and they think it alone should be listened to. Indeed, they grant and entrust government of conduct to human reason alone. (p.24.)3) Stretch your mind to seek wholly those things that the Lord requires of you - and seek them because they are pleasing to Him.4) Everyone flatters himself and carries, as it were, a kingdom in his breast. (p.32)5) Those who order their lives according to their own counsel have a restless disposition. (p.46)6) The rule of godliness is to recognise that God's hand is the sole judge and governor of every fortune, and because His hand is not recklessly driven to fury, it distributes to us both good and ill according to His orderly righteousness. (p.54)7) Soak our minds in the sort of sensitivity and obedience to God that can tame and subdue every natural impulse contrary to His command. (p.81)8) Adverse circumstances will keep their bitterness, and we will feel their bite. But this will always be our conclusion: Nevertheless the Lord has willed it.(p.82)9) The Apostle Paul teaches that all God's children are appointed to this end - to be made like Christ. (p 58)10) We ought to realise that our souls will never seriously rise to the desire and contemplation of the future life until they've been soaked in scorn for this present life. (p.92)11) However, the contempt for this present life that believers should cultivate shouldn't produce hatred of this life or ingratitude towards God...We place this life among those gifts of divine kindness that shouldn't be disdained. (p.95-96)12) For the Lord has stationed us in an outpost,, and we must keep guard here until He calls us home. (p. 100)Like the Sermon of the Mount, it is not a list of things for us to do as such but a description of who Christians are. To Calvin, God is orderly. As He is sovereign and rules over life while we submit in obedience, our life is orderly too even if and when we go through storms, sorrows, turmoil, afflictions and persecution in this life. The eternal perspective according to Calvin is a trademark of a genuine Christian. It is not just a head knowledge but the perspective should steer our present life. The excitement in our anticipated departure is balanced against our gratitude for God's divine kindness to us in this life. I think Calvin has brought out this balance well. In this life, we are also to fulfill God's calling for us. His concept is similar to that of Luther, who does not distinguish between secular and clerical position in life.Discover more of the gems by reading the book yourself - it is a step in the right direction in getting our life sorted! "the one who directs himself toward the goal of observing God's calling will have a life well composed." (p.125)

I much prefer this short work as opposed to all the deep, complex theology in the Reformed tradition. Calvin really could just get straight to the point. This is what a lot of Theologians have trouble doing, such as charlatans like John Piper or Karl Barth. I would recommend this book, in the same sense I would recommend Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Its well written, direct, and holds up to todays standards of Christian apologetics, although its not quite apologetics as it is an introduction to the Reformed Faith.

There are some wonderful lines and thoughts in here. And the adaptation of the language makes it accessible to all. I got far more out of this book, than many a weightier tome.Calvin also shows hie pastor’s heart throughout with caring and practical device for the realities of our time on earth.The popular view of Calvinism as tough and unfeeling, is completely undermined by this book. Always let people speak for themselves and never trust the world to speak the truth.