Posting Large sections of Calvin's Institutes

[H]

I have been toying with the idea of posting large sections of Calvin's Institutes on a separate thread in the Bible section of the Board. Not because I agree with everything he says, but because this is one of the most influential books in history, apart from the Bible, and there is a lot of good material in it. Since it would be on its own thread, those who don't want to read what Calvin had to say could easily ignore it. But before I decide whether or not to go ahead and do so, I thought I would take a poll and see what others think of this idea. If a lot of people object to it, I will consider dropping it. But if only a few object, then I may go ahead and do it.
Thanks!
H

[brian]

i'm against it, because this is a place for interaction, not a compendium of literature. i would have no problem with you posting links to this material. there are lots of free websites you could setup with this info if you can't find it online somewhere else. but i don't want to open the door to people posting large posts of soley published texts. reference them, post snippets from them, link to them, but don't publish them here. maybe the irons would be willing to publish it on their site? their site has more of an article publishing bent.

this is just my take, and i'm open to other perspectives. if enough people really want this i won't fight it very much.

brian

[sfortescue]

The following web site has a lot of stuff:

http://www.ccel.org/

Including Calvin's Institutes:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.toc.html

[M2]

i'm against it, because this is a place for interaction, not a compendium of literature. i would have no problem with you posting links to this material. there are lots of free websites you could setup with this info if you can't find it online somewhere else. but i don't want to open the door to people posting large posts of soley published texts. reference them, post snippets from them, link to them, but don't publish them here. maybe the irons would be willing to publish it on their site? their site has more of an article publishing bent.

this is just my take, and i'm open to other perspectives. if enough people really want this i won't fight it very much.

brian

H,

I agree with Brian on this.

It would be great to continue the discussion on the topic of Calvinism. I am reading though I do not contribute to the discussion.

Lord bless,
Marcia

[al Hartman]

H,
     The last thing i'd want is to curb your enthusiasm, but i do agree with Brian & Marcia.  This forum is the place for you to tell others what it is about Calvin that inspires, encourages & helps you.  As Stephen has, you can provide links & references, and those who should follow them will do so.
     The fact is, we all have access to Calvin if we desire it.  It is you we need to hear from here.  Please keep posting!

Gratefully,
al Hartman

[Oscar]

H,

I really don't think much purpose would be served by posting big hunks of Calvin or any other author of his era.

The reason is that he is very difficult to read.  It just gets old fast, and I suspect that no one would read much anyway.

You have to dig through a lot of pages to find the good parts like, "I again ask how the fall of Adam involves so many nations with their infant children in eternal death without remedy unless it so seemed meet to God? .... The decree, I admit, is dreadful..."  (no kidding!)

I took a class in Historical Theology a while back, and I had to analize and summarize big hunks of Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Athanasius, and others.

None of them were easy reads, but Calvin was downright dreary.  

Just my .02.

Tom Maddux, V. D. with bronze oak leaf cluster

[outdeep]

Just a tip, Tom:  You may want to spell out "V.D." so we don't think that you are using the bronze oak leaf cluster to cover an embarrasing problem we currently call "S.T.Ds".  

[Oscar]

Just a tip, Tom:  You may want to spell out "V.D." so we don't think that you are using the bronze oak leaf cluster to cover an embarrasing problem we currently call "S.T.Ds".  

Dave,

If I were to have such a problem, could I claim innocence by saying that it was my destiny?

Thomas Maddux
Virulent Dog 1st class with bronze oak leaf cluster.

[H]

Dear friends,

thanks so much for voting in this poll and providing your honest and helpful comments! Even though only 7 people have voted so far, the trend is clear and I have decided to drop the idea. I guess I'll have to try and find another way of making it in to the top ten posters! Or maybe I should just give up on the idea, since I am so far behind people like Tom and Verne and Marcia. Oh well.

I would especially like to thank al Hartman for his very friendly and helpful comments. Thanks to him, I am thinking about (maybe) starting a thread called "What it is about Calvin's teachings that inspires, encourages & helps me" where I would post short comments of my own instead of long quotes from Calvin, along with links to the relevant sections of the Institutes.

Thanks again for your input, and may the Lord bless you all!

H

P.S. Tom, the answer to your question is "No, you couldn't claim innocence." The fact that God "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11) does not mean that men are not free moral agents who are accountable to God for their actions. On the contrary, they are clearly "without excuse" (Rom. 1:20).

[al Hartman]

...I am thinking about (maybe) starting a thread called "What it is about Calvin's teachings that inspires, encourages & helps me" where I would post short comments of my own instead of long quotes from Calvin, along with links to the relevant sections of the Institutes.

H,
     Actually, i hold the copyright to that title, but i'm willing to sell it cheap to the right person...

P.S. Tom, the answer to your question is "No, you couldn't claim innocence." The fact that God "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Eph. 1:11) does not mean that men are not free moral agents who are accountable to God for their actions. On the contrary, they are clearly "without excuse" (Rom. 1:20).

Tom,
     Oh well, guess you might as well just go to church this weekend.

 ;Dal

[H]

al,
So how much do you want for the copyright to the title "What it is about Calvin's teachings that inspires, encourages & helps me"? I still haven't decided whether or not to go ahead and start a thread with that name, but I figure I should first find out how much it would cost me to obtain the copyright from you.  
Lord bless!
H