John W. de Gruchy 
John Calvin 
Christian Humanist and Evangelical Reformer

2009 is the 500th anniversary of the birth of Calvin, the Reformed theologian whose legacy has played such an important role in the shaping of modern South Africa.

The popular understanding of him as grim moralist, proponent of predestination and a tyrannical God is a caricature, but one that does spring from aspects of Calvin’s legacy.

In this book, De Gruchy attempts to restate the Reformed tradition as a transforming force, one that opposed slavery and apartheid and that participated in the struggle for liberation and transformation in this country.

De Gruchy considers Christian humanism to be an alternative to both Christian fundamentalism and secularism, as ‘being a Christian is all about being truly human in common with the rest of humanity’, and has come to the conclusion that there is much to retrieve and celebrate in the Reformed tradition that is of importance for the ecumenical church and global society in the 21st century.

The ‘evangelical’ element in the title refers to the literal meaning of the word – ‘good news’ – which is at the heart of being both Christian and human.

About the author

One of South Africa’s most celebrated theologians, John W. de Gruchy is also a woodworker, with pieces in many churches, schools, and homes throughout the country and abroad. Among his recent books are Confessions of a Christian Humanist and Led into Mystery. He and his wife, Isobel, are members of the Volmoed Christian Community near Hermanus, South Africa, where he writes, gives seminars, and does woodworking, while Isobel paints and writes poetry.