A Year with the Institutes, Day 3

Calvin summarizes the charges leveled against him:

"They call it 'new' and 'of recent birth.' They reproach it as 'doubtful and uncertain.' They ask what miracles have confirmed it. They inquire whether it is right for it to prevail against the agreement of so many holy fathers and against most ancient custom." (p.15)

So the theologian must show that his work is not novel, that it is air-tight certain, and that it does not fly in the face of ancient authority and custom. Novelty, ambiguity, and incredulity toward authority are things postmoderns are much more comfortable with than were those scholars and churchmen at the beginning of the modern age.