| Following Heiko Oberman's thesis on the Reformation of the Refugees, this paper explores to what extent John Calvin's experience of exile had influenced his ministry, theology, and hermeneutics. With the background of the unprecedented mass movement of vagrants and religious refugees during the sixteenth century, we demonstrate how Calvin as a refugee himself was especially keen on proving the abiding presence of God with his people in the same way the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was with the exiles of the Bible. Moreover, taking into account the rising tide of anti-immigrant feelings by local communities everywhere on the continent, we show various ways ---- for example, through his doctrine of election ---- how Calvin sought to bolster a sense of dignity and religious identity while refugees at large were being stigmatized as criminals and outside the grace of God. |
