The Early John Calvin and Augustine : Some Reconsiderations

In recent research it has been argued that in his early career John Calvin developed an autonomous and independent Augustinianism, by means of direct readings, that was detached from any medieval background. Yet, this is problematic since a critical evaluation of Calvin’s first uses of Augustine reveals that he already cherished the African Father long before having read any of his works, while, in his very first writings, he appears to have been familiar with medieval Augustinian compilations. Reconsidering, therefore, the early Calvin’s relation to Augustine, the article argues that Calvin was an Augustinian long before engaging with Augustine, and that Late Medieval Augustinianism is all but an unlikely background for his first predilection of the African Father.