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First Edition of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion

Type Event Region Basel Time 1535–1540

In March 1536, French theologian John Calvin published the first Latin edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion in Basel.

Timeline

  1. 1535Basel · BaselCalvin, pursued for his involvement in the French Protestant movement, left France and made his way to Basel in Switzerland seeking asylum, where he continued his theological writing and finalized the manuscript of the work soon to be published.
  2. 1536Basel · BaselIn March 1536, the first Latin edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion was printed in Basel, in six books, presenting the core doctrines of the Christian faith in a concise format, with a dedication to King Francis I of France.
  3. 1536–1540Protestant regions of Europe · Reformation regionsThe Institutes became one of the most influential systematic theological works of the Reformation, laying the theoretical foundation for Calvin's later pastoral and reform work in Geneva, and driving doctrinal debates and church organization among Protestant denominations.

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