John Calvin

===Calvin and the Jews===
Scholars have debated Calvin's view of the Jews and Judaism. Some have argued that Calvin was the least antisemitic among all the major reformers of his time, especially in comparison to Martin Luther.<ref>Elazar, Daniel J. (1995). ''Covenant and Commonwealth: Europe from Christian Separation through the Protestant Reformation, Volume II of the Covenant Tradition in Politics''. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.</ref> Others have argued that Calvin was firmly within the antisemitic camp.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pater|1987|pp=256–296}}; {{Harvnb|Baron|1972|pp=343–344}}</ref> Scholars agree that it is important to distinguish between Calvin's views toward the biblical Jews and his attitude toward contemporary Jews. In his theology, Calvin does not differentiate between God's covenant with Israel and the New Covenant. He stated, "all the children of the promise, reborn of God, who have obeyed the commands by faith working through love, have belonged to the New Covenant since the world began."<ref>{{Harvnb|Lange van Ravenswaay|2009|p=144}} quoting from Calvin, Institutes II.11.10</ref> Nevertheless, he was a covenant theologian and argued that the Jews are a rejected people who must embrace Jesus to re-enter the covenant.<ref>Pak, G. Sojin.'' John Calvin and the Jews: His Exegetical Legacy''. Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington, 2009, p. 25.</ref>

Most of Calvin's statements on the Jewry of his era were polemical. For example, Calvin once wrote, "I have had much conversation with many Jews: I have never seen either a drop of piety or a grain of truth or ingenuousness—nay, I have never found common sense in any Jew."<ref>Calvin's commentary of Daniel 2:44–45 translated by Myers, Thomas.''Calvin's Commentaries''. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1948, quoted in {{Harvnb|Lange van Ravenswaay|2009|p=146}}</ref> In this respect, he differed little from other Protestant and Catholic theologians of his day.<ref>{{Harvnb|Detmers|2006|p=199}}; {{Harvnb|Lange van Ravenswaay|2009|pp=143–146}}; {{Harvnb|Pak|2010|p=177}}</ref> Among his extant writings, Calvin dealt explicitly with issues of contemporary Jews and Judaism in only one treatise,<ref>{{Harvnb|Pak|2010|p=3}}</ref> ''Response to Questions and Objections of a Certain Jew''.<ref>''Ad Questiones et Obiecta Iudaei cuisdam Responsio Ioannis Calvini'' in [[Corpus Reformatorum|CR]] 37:653–674 and translated by R. Susan Frank in M. Sweetland Laver, ''Calvin, Jews, and Intra-Christian Polemics'' (PhD diss, Temple University, Philadelphia, 1987), pp. 220–261.</ref> In it, he argued that Jews misread their own scriptures because they miss the unity of the Old and New Testaments.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pak|2010|p=27}}</ref>