Calvin: Another postscript
Thursday, 13 October, 2005
Something interesting I learnt yesterday about Calvin's Institutes: There are two translations that are most commonly used: the Beveridge edition (which is available online and in cheap paperback form because it was done in the 19th century) and the Ford Lewis Battles edition (which was done in the 1960's and is more vernacular and therefore is easier to read and they're urging us, if we're continuing and therefore have to do the compulsory reading of the Institutes over the summer break, we should invest in that one). However, apparently Calvin used to put Bible verses in the margins of his Institutes. They were to point to his commentaries where he might have a more extended discourse on the subject at hand and to show where his views had Scriptural support. In subsequent translations/printings, people have taken them out of the margins and put them into the text however, because some of the verses didn't make sense in the context of the Institutes, they would either leave them out or change them altogether to something which they felt better suited the topic at hand. Sometimes they would just go in and change the Institutes themselves. The long and short of it is is, you cannot always trust that what is quoted is actually what Calvin wanted quoted.
According to Mark Thompson, in scholarly circles, there is now a call for a new edition of the Institutes which preserves Calvin's original text.
Blinks:
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according to 2nd year, I’m the one who should be preparing it.
Yeah good luck with that. I made it through 1 and 1/2 books. Not always the most thrilling reading! I got hold of an abridgement that was really good though.
Here’s a suggestion - read the abridgement, then study the chapter summaries in the text. I bet you would end up knowing the Institutes better than any of your peers.
Otherwise I’d wait for the DVD to come out…
Do you want to, Seamus?
P.S. I don’t have to read the Institutes. Ben does though.
i wouldn’t mind. i just have a bazillion other things to do in life….
Reminds me of a joke Victor forwarded to us:
Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: “Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed.”
“OH NO!” the President exclaims. “That’s terrible!”
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, “How many is a brazillion?”