Calvin and the Rhetoric of Piety

Serene Jones takes a fresh look at the Institutes of the Christian Religion as she draws a compelling portrait of Calvin as a Christian teacher engaged in the classical art of rhetoric. According to Jones, this art was used knowingly and skillfully by Calvin to persuade and challenge his diverse audiences. Thus, she offers a theological-rhetorical reading of the first three chapters of Calvin's Institutes. What emerges is a truly original interpretation of Calvin as a theologian concerned to craft Christian character and piety. Jones thereby places Calvin's theology on the growing edge of contemporary discussions of the uses of doctrine in Christian community.