HISTORY - continued

Reformed Church in America - continued

With a stress on sermon and sound doctrine, the Reformed Church in America is more rationalist than pietist. As with all churches in the Reform tradition there is a great stress on education. This naturally stems from John Calvin, the founding father of the Reform tradition. Calvin taught that the church is not just reformed but always reforming and therefore calls us always to learn anew the meaning of God within our individual and church life. This concept remains central in the Reform traditions to this day.

Calvin’s legal background gave him a new understanding of law. While most Christians of his day saw law only as a negative needed to reveal human depravity and serve as a restraint on sin, Calvin saw law also as a guide to the will of God. It was a positive view of law and the world, politics and public order. Our members find this emphasis at The United Church in our encouragement of public service.

Calvin is the theological mentor not only of the Reformed Church in America but also of the Presbyterians, the United Church of Christ, and The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It is unfortunate that today, when one thinks of Calvin, the words that come to mind are words such as legalistic, severe, strict, and cold. These words perhaps better suit the followers of Calvin than Calvin himself. John Calvin’s contributions to the Reformation, to Protestant thought and Christianity are momentous.