# T. H. L. Parker on Calvin Translations



## bookslover (Feb 26, 2007)

Last week, I read somewhere on the web (I've forgotten where) the Calvin scholar T. H. L. Parker's opinion of the two best-known translations of Calvin's _Institutes of the Christian Religion_ - the ones by Beveridge and Battles.

Parker's opinion of the translations:

Beveridge - an accurate translation, but in stodgy English
Battles - an inaccurate translation, but in flowing, readable English

I thought that was interesting, somehow.


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## Theoretical (Feb 26, 2007)

What is the one used in the in the John T. Neil edition?


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## crhoades (Feb 26, 2007)

Theoretical said:


> What is the one used in the in the John T. Neil edition?


 
Battles


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## daveb (Feb 26, 2007)

bookslover said:


> Parker's opinion of the translations:
> 
> Beveridge - an accurate translation, but in stodgy English
> Battles - an inaccurate translation, but in flowing, readable English
> ...



Interesting to me as well since my recommended text for a course is the Battles translation while I have the Beveridge one.


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## bookslover (Feb 26, 2007)

Theoretical said:


> What is the one used in the in the John T. Neil edition?



That's the Battles translation, published in 1960.

Translator: Ford Lewis Battles (1915-1979)
Editor: John Thomas McNeill (1885-1975)

As a matter of fact, McNeill died 32 years ago this month, aged 89.

Battles also published an _Analysis of the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin_ (Baker, 1980). It was republished by P&R in 2001. It's basically a 421-page outline (in actual outline form) of the entire work.

While I'm at it, an interesting book for studying the origins of Calvin's writings is: _The Writings of John Calvin: An Introductory Guide_ by the Dutch scholar Wulfert de Greef; Dutch original published in 1989, English translation (by Lyle D. Bierma) published by Baker Academic in 1993.


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## DaveJes1979 (Feb 26, 2007)

Is anyone ever going to publish the Latin version of the Institutes? I can't find one anywhere!

Or preferably someone should just go all the way and publish at Latin-French-English polyglot!


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## MW (Feb 26, 2007)

DaveJes1979 said:


> Is anyone ever going to publish the Latin version of the Institutes? I can't find one anywhere!



CCEL has a digital facsimile. I have an old edition but it is falling apart.


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## R. Scott Clark (Feb 26, 2007)

David,

There are three critical Latin texts:

That found in Corpus Reformatorum vols 29-30 (or Calvini Opera 1-2) from the 1830s. We have this in our reference section. The CR is also available on CD from the Netherlands for a few hundred $. It's also available in a DOS based CD from the Calvin Theological Seminary library.

You might also look for Joannes Calvinus, Institutio Christianae Religionis, 2 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1874).

The modern critical edition is: 
P. Barth, and W. Niesel, eds. Joannis Calvini Opera Selecta, 5 (Munich: Christian Kaiser, 1926).

I would be surprised if none of these show up on book finder etc

rsc


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## Dieter Schneider (Feb 26, 2007)

I wish - someone in Germany, probably. Meanwhile what about Latin vol. 1 and 2 on http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutio1.html and http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutio2.html ?

Please keep me posted if you know - I am most interested, too.


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## crhoades (Feb 26, 2007)

I just picked up the 2 vol. Allen translation of Calvin's Institutes from Ebay for $15.50 that includes an introduction by Warfield.  

From the McNeil edition



> The next English translation of the entire work was that of John Allen (1771-1839):​_Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, translated from
> the Latin and collated with the author’s last edition in French.
> London: J. Walker, 1813.
> _​_
> ...


​


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## DaveJes1979 (Feb 27, 2007)

I did find Institutio Christianae Religionis, and hopefully Dr. Clark can loan me $1,638.64: http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=dBo8xOJ4e3MxoP3Y,92lQoyvKb4_3521114334_1:43:66  



R. Scott Clark said:


> David,
> 
> There are three critical Latin texts:
> 
> ...


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## crhoades (Feb 27, 2007)

DaveJes1979 said:


> I did find Institutio Christianae Religionis, and hopefully Dr. Clark can loan me $1,638.64: http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=dBo8xOJ4e3MxoP3Y,92lQoyvKb4_3521114334_1:43:66


 
Loan means you have to pay back..._Give_ - now that's a word that you should've used!


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