The Cultural Impact of John Calvin and Charles Darwin on Western Civilization
by Sophia Smithe, June 12, 2009
The goal of the Vision Forum Ministries Reformation 500 Essay Contest was to ensure that the next generation is equipped to defend the faith and to learn the great hope that comes when we adhere to the principles of God’s word as they are faithfully applied and to show the disastrous results that occur when they are set aside — to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope” (I Peter 3:15).
The topic for this year’s contest was: “Calvin vs. Darwin: How Their Contrasting Worldviews Birthed Hope and Hopelessness.” Contestants were expected to compare and contrast the impact of John Calvin and Charles Darwin’s worldviews on Western culture, giving specific examples of how their ideas have led to hope and hopelessness. We received forty-seven submissions and there were many great essays. However, there can only be one winner and we are pleased to announce that Miss Sophia Smithe is the winner of Vision Forum Ministries “Calvin vs. Darwin: How Their Contrasting Worldviews Birthed Hope and Hopelessness” for writing the best essay in answer to the question.
If we were to reflect back on the history of western civilization, and the lives of the many men who affected it, we would notice two men that stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of their generational impact, and the legacy they have left to their children and grandchildren. Although separated by more than 300 years, these two men could arguably be considered the most influential in all of history. Both stood firmly on a faith based foundation, the out workings of which changed the world. But the messages they have sent are so completely removed from each other that they are in direct conflict, supporting two opposite points of worldview, and enlarging the great divide we see in the world today. While one man sought to advance the kingdom work of God, bringing hope and salvation to a darkened world, the other only plunged it deeper into the recesses of humanism and utter hopelessness. These men are John Calvin and Charles Darwin.
The antithesis between these two men can ultimately be traced to one critical point: What did they base their world and life views on? For Calvin it was the Word of God. He held to a literal interpretation of Genesis 1:1, which states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” He said in his commentary on Genesis, “Let this, then be maintained in the first place, that the world is not eternal, but was created by God.” However, Darwin’s belief sprung from humanism and an attempt to deny the existence of God. He wrote of Genesis as a “manifestly false history of the world.” Consequently, they arrived at totally different conclusions on virtually every subject, the one birthing hope, and the other hopelessness. Some of the more prominent areas wherein this antithesis is clearly illustrated would be:
An Intelligent Creator vs. Random Chance- This point is really at the outset of the whole discussion, because if you do not believe in a sovereign, intelligent creator, who providentially governs and directs the affairs of life, but believe rather that we are descended from a lower order of animals, what purpose is there in life? What could be more hopeless than Darwin’s perspective that we are nothing more than animals, here to live for ourselves and die? But if you contrast that with Calvin’s perception of the human as being made in the image of God, here to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, which is our chief end, it automatically brings hope, context, and meaning. We were created for a noble purpose. Genesis 1:27, 28 says “Thus God created the man in his image: in the image of God created he him.”
Law and Order vs. Chaos- This issue stems directly from their views of authority. Author David W. Hall said:
‘Calvin’s interpretation of the Ten Commandments as ethical pillars was widely influential for generations of character development. In his discussion, Calvin argued that this moral law was necessary; for even though man was created in God’s image, natural law alone could only assist in pointing toward the right directions.... Calvin’s followers regarded their own native abilities with such low esteem and God’s revealed law with such high esteem that they became the creators and supporters of constitutionalism and law as positive institutions.’
Calvin influenced our founding fathers with his biblical analysis of law and order, who in turn gave us our constitution, and established the political system we still abide by today. He firmly believed that “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7).
What Darwin and the theory of evolution proposes is the direct opposite of this. Man is the ultimate authority; there is no lawgiver, and therefore, there is no law. Since we are just evolved animals, who is to say that we should not steal, if we have need. And why should we not kill, if it is for the good of the many? Neo-Darwinist Richard Dawkins really summed it up when he said:
“In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”
This line of thinking leads to chaos: No law, no authority, and consequently, no order. God says of such people, “All they shall be ashamed, and also confounded: they shall go to confusion together...” (Isaiah 45:16).
Cultural Advancement vs. Cultural Ruin- During the time of the reformation, the city of Geneva experienced cultural advancement in a powerful way as a result of the ministry of John Calvin. We saw this displayed in the government, in the churches, and in the academies. We also saw the establishment of charities, and progression in businesses. In short, the city of Geneva flourished. Many refugees fled to Geneva seeking religious freedom, and the city became the underpinning for the advancement of the reformation. Calvin also established the Genevan Academy, which trained young men in the areas of pastoral ministry and civic leadership, ensuring that his ideas would survive beyond his generation.
But there is a flip side to the coin. Darwinistic ideas have crept into our Judeo-Christian culture, and are eating away at our nation. The legacy of our forefathers is being erased, and our freedom is being replaced by a darker and more violent vision. As the older, God-fearing generation is passing away, we see many young people rising up who have been educated to believe that they are simply another step in the evolutionary process. They have rejected God, thrown aside the values that Calvin and others worked to implement, and are looking to themselves for answers. After all, that’s what they learned from Mr. Darwin! The majority of Americans have become entertainment driven, government dependent, socialistic, God hating fools. Darwinism has achieved such a disastrous level of success in America today that we are well on our way to cultural ruin.
Freedom in Christ vs. Bondage to sin- Perhaps the clearest example of the antithesis between hope and hopelessness displayed in the lives of these two men is found in their dying testimonies. On their deathbeds, they both imparted their ultimate advice to the next generation, and many more to come. Despite his enormous impact, and the level of fame he had achieved, the humility of John Calvin at his death was truly remarkable, epitomizing the attitude that every Christian should have. He acknowledged himself as a vile sinner, leaning heavily upon the grace of God. In his farewell address he urged the Genevan church leaders with these words, “I pray that you would forgive me of the bad, but if there is anything good, that you conform yourselves to it and follow it.” And in his last will and testament he said, “I have written nothing out of hatred to anyone, but I have always faithfully propounded what I esteemed to be for the glory of God.”
In contrast, Charles Darwin wrote in a letter to his family to be read after his death:
“I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so the plain language of the text seems to show that the men who do not believe and this would include my father, brother and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished. And this is a damnable doctrine.”
In his desperate attempt to deny the existence of God, he drove himself, and generations to come, into hopeless despair and bondage to sin.
This year as we remember Calvin’s 500th birthday, and Darwin’s 200th, let us consider the enormous imprint they have left on our culture, the one for great good and the other for great evil. Ideas have consequences, and nowhere do we see that more clearly demonstrated than it the lives of these two men. We can be confident in knowing that God will not honor the legacy of ungodly men. He says in his Word “But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off their remembrance from the earth” (Psalm 34:16). We can go forward in hope, knowing that Christ will be victorious, and supported by the foundation in Christ that our great father of the faith John Calvin laid for us. We must, as faithful sons and daughters, advance the vision and the legacy of this incredible man, for herein lies the essence of hope. To God be the glory.
About the Author
Sophia is 16 and the oldest of 7 children (with another little brother on the way!). She has a passion for homemaking and the pursuit of biblical womanhood, and delights in ministering through her family ministry, City on a Hill Ministries, in the areas of music (violin and voice) and filmmaking. Sophia also enjoys studying and writing about the providential hand of God in history. She has written several other essays and poems.
”. . .they arrived at totally different conclusions on virtually every subject, the one birthing hope, and the other hopelessness.”
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