Knowledge Leading to Godliness
According to my understanding, knowledge about God is not merely the acknowledgment of His existence. It is a comprehension of how knowing God contributes to His glory and benefits us greatly. (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion)
Piety (Pietas)
In the second chapter of Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin delves into the knowledge of piety. Calvin was a person devoted to pursuing God’s glory. As John Piper stated,
“The essential meaning of John Calvin’s life and preaching is that he recovered and embodied a passion for the absolute reality and majesty of God.”
Calvin’s theology can be encapsulated by the concept of “piety,” which he defined as the union of reverence and love for God—love born from an understanding of His grace (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religio).
This concept of piety encompasses both the knowledge of God and a response of worshipful conduct.
Calvin asserted that the ultimate goal of blessedness is knowing God, and this knowledge is not merely rational or emotional but is the knowledge of faith (notitia fidei).
Hence, Calvin’s understanding of God is not just a theoretical endeavor but an integrated aspect of soteriology, ecclesiology, pneumatology, and Christology, with each doctrine building upon and mutually reinforcing the doctrine of God.
When reading Calvin’s works, one is immediately struck by his focus on God as the center of all doctrine, emphasizing a reverent fear of God.
Therefore, piety is essential in Calvin’s epistemology, and true knowledge of God is rooted in a recognition of both God’s attributes and our own misery.
God’s Name and Knowledge
Invoking God’s name is a fruit of true knowledge and evidence of piety. According to Calvin, sinners cannot truly know God without piety, which is essential for achieving correct knowledge through the inner illumination of the Holy Spirit.
For Calvin, true knowledge of God is not limited to understanding His nature and attributes but extends to recognizing His benevolence toward us in Christ.
This knowledge underscores his theocentric and soteriological focus, highlighting God and the hope of the hereafter as central to his theology.
Thus, Calvin defines divine knowledge as a deep-rooted awareness of God’s gracious will towards us (cognitio divinae benovelentiae erga nos).
Joel Beeke notes that Calvin’s concept of piety is rooted in knowledge of God, which is reflected in a worshipful attitude and behavior.
It also includes sincerity in human relationships, respecting others as the image of God.
Calvin’s piety manifests in experiential faith, acknowledging believers’ acceptance into Christ and their grafting into His body through God’s grace.
Therefore, for Calvin, the knowledge of God is “knowledge leading to godliness.”
The Practical Nature of Calvin’s Theology
In Calvin’s view, each of God’s works, particularly the entirety of His works, represents an actual portrayal of God’s power, inviting humanity to know Him and leading them to true and complete happiness.
This power is most evident in His works and calls us to humbly reflect on how God has shown His life, wisdom, and power within us and how He has acted in righteousness, goodness, and mercy for our sake (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion).
While Institutes of the Christian Religion does not have a specific chapter devoted to piety, the entire work is dedicated to it. Calvin even subtitled the first edition, “Containing Almost the Whole Sum of Piety and Whatever It Is Necessary to Know in the Doctrine of Salvation.”
This reveals that the ultimate pursuit of his theology and teachings was godliness, rooted deeply in scripture.
True Knowledge of God Through Scripture
Scripture corrects our confused understanding of God, dispelling our ignorance and revealing the true God.
Calvin emphasized that without becoming disciples of Scripture, no one can obtain even a fraction of sound doctrine.
He argued that the human mind is powerless to reach God without the guidance of God’s holy Word. (Institutes of the Christian Religion).
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