Fides 20 N1 - Revista do Centro Presbiteriano Andrew Jumper

FIDES REFORMATA XX, Nº 1 (2015): 89-105
Covenant Theology in the Thought of
John Calvin: From the Covenant of Works
to the Abrahamic Covenant
Breno Macedo *
Abstract
Covenant theology has always had a special place in the Reformed branch
of theology. It is the ground for several other doctrines and also functions as a
hermeneutical key to reading and interpreting the Scriptures. Although the great
systematizations of this doctrine only appeared in the seventeenth-century and
onward, it is possible to find it present in the thought of the early Reformers.
This article investigates some of the main works of John Calvin in the attempt to
organize his thought regarding this doctrine and aims to formulate what would
be the view of the Genevan reformer on each dispensation of the divine covenant
with man. The article analyses the following covenants: works, Noahic,
and Abrahamic. Several articles have been published investigating Calvin’s
covenantal thought as a whole, in terms of the covenant of grace in general. It
was not possible to find an academic contribution that would investigate each
of the dispensations in Calvin’s thought.
Keywords
John Calvin; Theology; Covenant; Works; Noahic; Abrahamic.
Introduction
John Calvin certainly is one of the most influential theologians of the Reformation,
if not the most influential. His commentaries on the Bible, his letters,
* The author earned a M.Div. from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and is a doctoral candidate (Ph.D.) at the University of Free
State, South Africa, with concentration in historical theology. He teaches at Seminário Teológico Presbiteriano
do Nordeste (Northeast Presbyterian Theological Seminary), in Teresina, Brazil.
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