Calvin anniversary organizers say events challenged 'caricature'
Organizers of a year of celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary of the 16th-century Protestant reformer Jean Calvin say they hope the events will mark a new interest in the relevance of his legacy to issues such as economic justice.
"The results exceeded our expectations," says the head of the International Patronage Committee for the Calvin09 Jubilee, Clifton Kirkpatrick, in a 22 October statement.
"The focus on Calvin has led many Reformed Christians to a new appreciation of their heritage and their connections with one another."
The events launched in November 2008 to mark the anniversary included congresses, symposia and exhibitions in Geneva and in other parts of the world. Special events and publications marked the diffusion of Calvin's writing and ideas from China to South Africa to Argentina.
Organizers said they attracted worldwide attention, and drew a "far higher level of interest" from the general public than expected.
"This year has both re-connected Reformed Christians to their roots and to each other," says Kirkpatrick, an American Presbyterian who is president of the Geneva-based World Alliance of Reformed Churches. "We no longer felt the need to apologize for Calvin but rather found much in his thoughts, his actions and his legacy that is truly life-giving for our time."
Some historians have portrayed Calvin as a stern disciplinarian, but the 2009 events helped challenge the "caricature" of the Protestant reformer, said Roland Benz, who was responsible for Calvin events for the Protestant Church of Geneva.
Kirkpatrick noted that many members of the Reformed church movement in the United States saw similarities between Calvin's social agenda and political debates on immigration, health care, and economic justice.
The economic and financial crisis also helped spread the church reformer's ideas about economic and social ethics, said Thomas Wipf , president of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches.
Ecumenical News International
