ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the aspects of Calvin's historical impact. In the field of economics, the involvement of the Calvinist tradition in the rise of modern capitalism has been the subject of considerable discussion, sparked off by the work of the German Max Weber. For Calvinists, Weber argued, sought an otherwise elusive assurance of their salvation and of God's blessing upon them. The relationship between Calvin, Calvinism and the rise of science seems clear and entirely positive. Across the Channel, the membership of Englands Royal Society for the Advancement of Science, founded in 1660, was heavily made up of men who belonged within Calvin's doctrinal legacy. While Calvinistic attitudes positively encouraged scientific work, there was no negative barrier placed against it by excessive scriptural literalism, or fundamentalism. The eventual discovery of the real age of the earth, for example, would not necessarily be impeded by any over-literalist approach sanctioned by Calvin.
