Calvin and the Holy Spirit as fons vitae

Abstract

John Calvin described the Holy Spirit as fons vitae, the fountain of life. Moltmann and others deduce from this statement that, according to Calvin, every experience in life can be a discovery of the Spirit’s power. This article explores Calvin’s understanding of the notion of the Spirit as giver of life. A closer reading of the Institutes of the Christian Religion reveals that, according to Calvin, the Spirit operates in three different ways to make God’s gift of life a reality to humanity. These ways include the Spirit as the fountain of life in creation, in Scripture and in salvation. Only when human beings submit themselves to the Spirit’s work in these areas will we know true life. This article argues that Calvin’s pneumatology, unlike that of theologians such as Moltmann, does not follow a panentheistic approach.