Best Version of Calvin's Institutes

[Davidius]

Is there a translation/edition which is considered the "best"?

 

[wsw201]

the Battles edition is the most popular but I like the Beveridge version.

 

[CDM]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Institutes-Christian-Religion-2-Set/dp/0664220282/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196282973&sr=8-1"]John T. McNeil[/ame]

open....shut

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

John T. McNeil

open....shut

 

[greenbaggins]

Muller's reply is well worth pondering.

 

[Davidius]

Uh oh...do I need to start a poll?

 

[etexas]

I am glad David started this thread! It is something I was thinking about. There was an edition that came out around 95? my Pastor mentioned, I forgot the Publisher and Translator anyone here know of one done around that time???

 

[Casey]

Is there a republished hardback Beveridge Edition? If so, what's the ISBN?

Good question.

 

[greenbaggins]

Not that I know of. There are plenty of the hardback editions available used. And, of course, the whole thing is available for free here. I know that wasn't what Josh wants (I don't like reading on a computer screen either!). However, it is at least available.

 

[VaughanRSmith]

Battles. I struggled through the first volume in the Beveridge translation, and then purchased the newest John McNeill edition. Breath of fresh air!

 

[VaughanRSmith]

I believe that Battles is the preserved text

 

[greenbaggins]

HOW CAN YOU SAY SO? WHY, YOU MODERNIST ANTI-19TH CENTURY-IST ANTI-BEVERAGE (HMM, SPELLING ANYONE?) ELITIST!!!!!! (Chokes on own bile).

 

[VictorBravo]

Is there a republished hardback Beveridge Edition? If so, what's the ISBN?

Here you go, Josh. Found it from a link on Greenbaggins's blog!

Amazon.com: Institutes of the Christian Religion: Books: John Calvin

 

[greenbaggins]

OK, that's REALLY embarassing! To tell poor Josh that a new hardback doesn't exist, and then someone finds it because of a link on my own blog.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

You'd be surprised how much of my reading has been online for the last few months. It's not too bad...just the migraines...a small price to pay for priceless reading.

Looks like you been reading online again by your avatar.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Man that looks like it hurts. I guess my services will be free now. Charges dropped. I feel a need to relieve your eye strain.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

I believe that Battles is the preserved text

 

[lwadkins]

Josh I believe that this isbn is for the Bev. Trans. as published by Jay P. Green in 2 vols. isbn 1589603168

 

[lwadkins]

This seems to be the ISBN for vol 2 1589603176

 

[lwadkins]

Also they seem to have these new on Amazon. Kinda pricey though.

 

[Dieter Schneider]

Is there a translation/edition which is considered the "best"?

Battles is obtainable on CD - and a lot cheaper than hardback (2 vols.), but I guess you ought to have both. Here in the UK the CD can be purchased; not sure about where to get it in the US. You may also like my blog on Calvin, et al. If you are keen you ought to get the 1536 edition; do not forget Battles' excellent analysis. Best wishes.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Josh I believe that this isbn is for the Bev. Trans. as published by Jay P. Green in 2 vols. isbn 1589603168

I would buy anything but the Green set. Maybe even a good 19th century printing.

 

[Davidius]

You may also like my blog on Calvin, et al. If you are keen you ought to get the 1536 edition; do not forget Battles' excellent analysis. Best wishes.

Thanks for the link. What do you mean by the 1536 edition? A copy in the original Latin?

 

[greenbaggins]

Calvin's Institutes went through 5 editions, including immense expansion. The 1536 edition is the first edition, which is considerably smaller than the final edition of 1559.

 

[Casey]

Is there a republished hardback Beveridge Edition? If so, what's the ISBN?

Here you go, Josh. Found it from a link on Greenbaggins's blog!

Amazon.com: Institutes of the Christian Religion: Books: John Calvin

Thanks, Vic. It's revised, though. About 210 pages less. Hmm...I gues I'll have to print out the plain text version from CCEL.

Actually, I don't believe this Hendrickson version on Amazon is revised (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) -- it's been re-typeset, not revised (like what they did with the Keil-Delitzsch OT commentaries). What that means is they've changed the font and reformatted it, which would of course change the total number of pages, but that doesn't mean they've changed the text itself. Although, this Hendrickson edition isn't out yet, and with the low price, I'm not so sure the binding will be good (hopefully they don't do what Eerdmans did with poor old Berkhof!).

 

[R. Scott Clark]

Of the Institutes, the modern critical edition is the Battles edn, but Muller prefers the Allen and there are advantages to the Beveridge. For citation purposes, however, the Battles edn is to be used.

The critical Latin edn is in vols 1-3 of the Opera selecta. This is available in most academic libraries or via ILL or via ABE et al. Scholars also cite the ediiton in the Corpus Reformatorum, esp. for the earlier editions. There is a 19th century Latin text, ed. Tholuck, which one might find used, but it's been supersceded by the Opera Selecta.

rsc

 

[MW]

Wouldn't Tholuck's Latin edition be the pure text? Ad fontes. For English translations, the 1561 (authorised) version must have some claim on the purists. Nevertheless, I would say Beveridge is best for reliability and Battles for readability and scholarly notes.

 

[VictorBravo]

Of the Institutes, the modern critical edition is the Battles edn, but Muller prefers the Allen and there are advantages to the Beveridge. For citation purposes, however, the Battles edn is to be used.

The critical Latin edn is in vols 1-3 of the Opera selecta. This is available in most academic libraries or via ILL or via ABE et al. Scholars also cite the ediiton in the Corpus Reformatorum, esp. for the earlier editions. There is a 19th century Latin text, ed. Tholuck, which one might find used, but it's been supersceded by the Opera Selecta.

rsc

Interesting. Do you know of any editions in the old French?

 

[R. Scott Clark]

Yes, they are also in the CR.

rsc

 

[R. Scott Clark]

Wouldn't Tholuck's Latin edition be the pure text? Ad fontes. For English translations, the 1561 (authorised) version must have some claim on the purists. Nevertheless, I would say Beveridge is best for reliability and Battles for readability and scholarly notes.

Well, Tholuck's is easier to use but I don't know why a 19th century critical text is more ad fontes than an early 20th century criticial text. The OS has line numbers and that's the edn that most scholars cite most frequently for the '59 Latin text.

If one wants to go ad fontes then one wants to use one of the 16th century editions. I'm not sure it's worth the effort, but Muller argues in his 2000 Calvin volume (a must read) that this is the way Calvin scholars should read Calvin. For most of us that means rolling through microfiche or print outs from fiche readers and the like.

rsc