Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 65:2 (Jun 2022)
Article: Calling In Conflict: John Calvin’s Pastoral Theology During His Strasbourg Exile, 1538–1541
Author: David C. Quackenbos

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Calling In Conflict: John Calvin’s Pastoral Theology During His Strasbourg Exile, 1538–1541

David C. Quackenbos*

^* David C. Quackenbos is a PhD candidate at McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 0G4. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: John Calvin’s letters in 1538–1541 display a pastor struggling with the reality of exile. Despite his situation, Calvin remained steadfast in his conviction that pastors are to be called by God, to be confirmed by the church, and to remain at their post. Yet during these years he often had trouble aligning these convictions with the reality he faced. This struggle was made worse by his adversaries, chiefly Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto and Pierre Caroli. Tracing the trajectory of Calvin’s exile reveals his convictions about pastoral ministry being tested and clarified. To determine how Calvin’s understanding of pastoral calling developed, this essay examines his letters written during his three-year Strasbourg exile. It argues that Calvin’s pastoral theology was shaped both by his friends (Guillaume Farel and Martin Bucer) and his enemies (Sadoleto and Caroli). Specific attention is given to his correspondence with Cardinal Sadoleto. Finally, the influence and importance of Calvin’s community will be discussed.

Key words: John Calvin, pastoral ministry, Protestant Reformation, Geneva, Strasbourg

When one looks back upon the life of John Calvin, it can be tempting to see the emergence of the Genevan church as inevitable. In 1538, however, this was not a foregone conclusion. Calvin was exiled from Geneva for his stance on church discipline and the examination of parishioners before the Lord’s Supper.1 Calvin, along with his co-minister Guillaume Farel, was given only a few days to leave the city. Calvin vowed that he would never again take up church ministry and sought a quiet life of solitude in Basel. However, he was convinced by Martin Bucer and Wolfgang Capito to come to Strasbourg and pastor a congregation of French refugees in that city. At the same time, Farel was called to pastor in nearby Neuchâtel.2 Calvin consulted with his trusted friends and decided to go to Strasbourg.

Calvin’s correspondence during his time in Strasbourg displays the theological struggles of a young pastor in exile. One of Calvin’s chief theological struggles centered around the nature of pastoral ministry. Calvin taught, both prior to his exile

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and after his exile, that pastors ought to have a c...