CHY 4U1 – Image Analysis
The Reformation – John Calvin
Discussing the illustration:
1. Luther wanted to end many Catholic rituals and practices. But soon, some reformers
began to say that Luther was not going far enough. One of them was the man standing in
the center in the painting. He grew up in France, but in 1541, he began to put his
religious ideas into practice in Geneva, Switzerland. Can you name him?
2. Calvin agreed with Luther about many things, but Calvin had far stricter ideas than Luther
did about what it meant to follow the Bible. He believed every part of society should be
set up just as the Bible directed. How does this painting suggest Calvin’s strict nature and
his belief that God’s laws must be followed just as described in the Bible?
3. Calvin’s strict form of Protestant religion spread to many parts of Europe. In England, his
followers were often called Puritans. Why do you suppose they were given this name?
Why were the Puritans so important in early history of the United States?