06 August 2026
Between the years 1555 and 1556, John Calvin wroked on the fifth book of Moses. He selected 200 sermons which he holds up as mirrors to his congregation: Like God’s people, Israel, so you – the community in Geneva – live by the freedom God has given you.
And just as God led the Jews then, so He leads and preserves His believers today. It is the path between liberation and order – and like a central idea is the memory: Do not squander away this gift, live like His people – God has extended His hand to you.
Although often considered rather incidental, preaching is the reformer’s main activity. He moves between the biblical text and his parish. All of this takes place amid tensions afflicting the sixteenth century: the main issue is the influx of refugees, which in turn causes tensions with the local inhabitants. Calvin’s sermon strives to be more than a statement about the current political climate; it seeks guidance in God’s Word.
This volume is the first critical edition of Calvin’s original text (Calvini Opera denuo recognita).
