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Title Page of Calvin's Institutes, 1536 Edition

John Calvin · 1536

The title page of the first edition of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, printed in Basel in 1536.

This is the title page of Calvin's first major theological work, written and published by Calvin himself in 1536.

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Title page of a 1536 Latin book, Christianae religionis institutio, in black print on aged yellowed paper. Large heading CHRISTIANAE, followed by dedicatory text to the King of France, author named as Ioanne Calvino Noviodunensi autore, and printed at Basileae, MDXXXVI.
John Calvin, title page of Christianae religionis institutio, Basel, 1536.

About this source

What it is

This is the title page of the first edition of Christianae religionis institutio (the Institutes of the Christian Religion), written by John Calvin and printed in Basel in 1536. The page includes a dedication to the King of France and names the author as Ioanne Calvino Noviodunensi.

Why it matters

Calvin wrote this work as a young man, and it became the foundational statement of his theology, later expanded through many editions during his life. The title page shows how Calvin presented his ideas publicly, including addressing them directly to the French king at a time when Protestants faced persecution in France.

Look closer

  • Why might Calvin have dedicated this book to the King of France?
  • What does the Latin language of the title page tell you about who was expected to read it?
  • What can a title page tell you, and what can it not tell you, about the book's contents?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Calvin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Portrait of John Calvin

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