Vision Forum's Reformation 500 Celebration in Boston: Celebrating the Birth and Work of John Calvin and the Great Protestant Reformers
Not since the Jamestown 400 Celebration in Virginia two years ago have I enjoyed such a marvelous and God-honoring celebration as the Reformation 500 in Boston last week. Our family was greatly privileged to join many hundreds of individuals and families in Boston for a celebration of Calvin's 500th birthday, his contributions to the worldwide movement of biblical reform in the 16th century and beyond, the work of his associates in the Reformation, and the far-reaching impact of the Reformation on the founding of our nation, among other notable events of history.
In a conversation with one of the conference speakers Sunday morning, I concluded that the Jamestown Quadricentennial was most notable for its celebratory features. This year's Reformation 500 in Boston, although a glorious celebration in its own right, is better characterized as a springboard for a new generation of worldwide reformation, dominion, and discipleship endeavors among Christian families who stand self-consciously in the theology of the great Reformers who came before us. As Geoff Botkin noted in his important lecture on Semper Reformanda, we embrace the foundational point of doctrine and practice that the church must always be reforming by the Word of God.
The Vision Forum press release states the following:
Although the event included important presentations by church historians and Calvin scholars such as Dr. Joseph Morecraft, one mission was to make the great doctrines of the Reformation and the very lives of the Reformers themselves accessible to the man in the pew and to children. The week’s activities were designed for whole families to enjoy.
. . . “It was our desire to make Reformation history come alive for families,” Phillips commented. “And we are pleased with the enthusiastic response that young and old showed in participating in our Children’s Parade led by Gen. George Washington and our Fife and Drum Corps. Christians from dozens of states, including hundreds of homeschooling families, participated. The children came in costume and had a splendid time. And their active conversations with the formal reenactors were a thrill to behold.” One of the other features of the Reformation 500 was “Calvin vs. Darwin: The Boxing Match of the Millennium”, a vigorous head-to-head debate between two re-enactors representing John Calvin and Charles Darwin’s diametrically-opposing worldviews. Both Calvin and Darwin advanced their ideological positions using the most compelling arguments in their worldview arsenals.
. . . Acknowledging both Calvin and Darwin’s world-shaping influence, Phillips noted: “No two men of the millennium have done more to shape the thoughts of mankind or to effect the political and social destiny of nations than Calvin and Darwin — the former for great good and the glory of God, and the later for unimaginable evil. The children of Calvin and the Reformers gave us the rise of nation states that embraced republican representative government. The children of Darwin gave us Marxism and totalitarianism.”
Doug Phillips, in an insightful article appearing in the Washington Post about Calvin, stated:
Calvin, a humble scholar and convert to Reformation Christianity from Noyon, France, is best known for his influence on the city of Geneva. It was there that his careful articulation of Christian theology as applied to familial, civil, and ecclesiastical authority modeled many of the principles of liberty later embraced by our own Founders, including anti-statism, the belief in transcendent principles of law as the foundation of an ethical legal system, free market economics, decentralized authority, an educated citizenry as a safeguard against tyranny, and republican representative government which was accountable to the people and a higher law.
My life was greatly impacted by the fellowship with many like-minded families, the teaching from God's Word, and stories of the living legacies of our fathers and mothers in the faith who were disciple-makers, Kingdom builders, reformers, dominion-bearers, and faithful Christians. I enjoyed the tours of historic locations in Boston, the debate between "birthday boys" Calvin and Darwin, the parade and fireworks on Saturday, musical interludes, costumed reenactors, and the rejuvenation of my faith and walk as a disciple, disciple-maker, reformer, and dominion-bearer under Christ. Stay tuned for more pictures, descriptions, and notes from the Reformation 500 Celebration.
posted by C.S. Hayden @ 12:00 AM
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