"... they had all things in common": Calvin's exposition of the community of goods in some key texts in Acts
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Authors
Van Alten, Erik
Issue Date
2013-12
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Calvin , Community of goods , State , Church
Alternative Title
Abstract
In an interesting text that has survived as the result of one of their regular Friday meetings
(congrégations), the pastors of Geneva officially declared their position on the sensitive issue of
the community of goods. After close examination it is clear that Calvin’s own position on this
matter is completely in line with the pastors’ declaration. In this article Calvin’s commentary and
sermons on Acts 2:43–45, 4:32–37 and 5:1–6, in which he elaborates on his position, are
investigated. During the Reformation these passages were deemed key texts regarding this issue.
In his discussion of these passages, Calvin positions himself against the attitudes and
actions of four groups, namely the Anabaptists, the rich (of Geneva), the poor, and the monks.
These four groups, drawn from his own context, represent the extreme positions which Calvin
seeks to avoid. In order to find the via media between these extremes, Calvin identifies four
important concepts in Scripture that shape his own view on this matter. These are love, order,
ability and need. They are intricately connected and give Calvin’s position the balance he strived
for.
Description
Peer reviewed
Citation
Van Alten, Erik 2013, "... they had all things in common": Calvin's exposition of the community of goods in some key texts in Acts", Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, vol. 39, no. 2, pp 181-196.
Publisher
Church History Society of Southern Africa
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1017-0499