Born: 10 July 1509 · Died: 27 May 1564 · Age at death: 54
How old was John Calvin when he died?
John Calvin died aged 54. He was born on 10 July 1509 and died on 27 May 1564.
French theologian of the Protestant Reformation who led Geneva and wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion
Did you know?Originally trained as a lawyer, he fled France for Switzerland after his association with religious reformers put his life at risk.
Quick facts
Date of birth10 July 1509
Date of death27 May 1564
Age at death54
Cause of deathSepsis
NationalityFrench
BirthplaceNoyon, France
Occupationpastor, Protestant reformer, theologian
Editor's Take:
John Calvin shaped Protestant Christianity for centuries. A French lawyer turned theologian, he fled persecution and settled in Geneva. His Institutes of the Christian Religion set out a clear, demanding theology. He stressed God's absolute power and the idea of predestination. In Geneva he built a strict model of reformed Christian life. His ideas spread to Scotland, the Netherlands, France and America. Calvinism shaped attitudes to work, education and politics.
Key Milestones
1533: Conversion to reform
1536: Institutes – first edition
1538: Exile – leaves Geneva
1541: Geneva – returns
John Calvin (Middle French: Jehan Cauvin; French: Jean Calvin; 10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation.
