Calvinism

The theological tradition deriving from John Calvin — centered on the absolute sovereignty of God, double predestination, and covenant theology — which shaped Reformed Christianity across Europe and America.

TULIP (as systematized): Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, Perseverance of the saints. Double predestination: God elects some to salvation and reprobates others to damnation — a 'dreadful decree' but logically required by divine sovereignty. Covenant theology: salvation history organized through covenants (works, grace). Shaped Presbyterianism, the Puritans, the Dutch Reformed Church, and indirectly American political culture. Weber's Protestant Ethic thesis: Calvinist anxiety about election status drove worldly asceticism → capitalism.