Institutio Christianae Religionis, Das ist Underweisung inn Christlicher Religion [...]
Durch herrn Johannem Calvinum. Heidelberg: Johannes Meyer, 1572. Folio.
THE FIRST EDITION OF CALVIN’S INSTITUTES IN GERMAN. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT REFORMATION TEXT, IN A CONTEMPORARY BLINDSTAMPED VELLUM BINDING.
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This edition represents the first German translation of Institutio Christianae Religionis (Institutes of the Christian Religion), Calvin’s magnum opus, and a foundational work of Reformed theology. Issued in 1572 by Johannes Meyer in Heidelberg, the translation was produced by members of the theological faculty at Heidelberg University, one of the great centres of Protestant scholarship. Though the translators are unnamed, contemporary sources and scholarly consensus attribute the work to leading Reformed theologians of the Palatinate, including Caspar Olevianus (1536–1585), Zacharias Ursinus (1534–1583), Hieronymus Zanchius (1516–1590), and Pierre Boquin (ca. 1500–1582) [McNeill, pp.29, 288].
This edition opens with a 4½ page address An den Christlichen Leser by the theologians and church officers (Kirchendiener) of Heidelberg, which commends the work as an unparalleled “Summa Christlicher Religion” and affirms that the German version is a direct translation, not a paraphrase, of Calvin’s Latin original.
The timing and location of this edition are of historical importance. Though Reformed ideas had circulated in the Palatinate earlier, it was not until 1556 that the Elector officially authorised the Reformation. The Heidelberg Catechism followed in 1563, and under the Calvinist Elector Frederick III, Heidelberg emerged as a principal stronghold of Calvinism in the Holy Roman Empire. This 1572 translation is thus both a theological and political landmark, reflecting the maturing of Reformed identity in German speaking areas and the crucial role Heidelberg played in the international Calvinist movement.
The translation was reissued in 1582 (Heidelberg) and again in 1597 (Hanau), but the 1572 first edition is now exceedingly rare, particularly in a contemporary vellum binding. USTC records just 13 copies extant worldwide, with only 5 outside of Germany and no copies held in the UK. This is the only copy we can trace in commerce. A significant cornerstone of Reformation history.
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Size: 213 x 332 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[*4, **6, ***4, A-Z6, Aa-Zz6, Aaa-Ggg6, aa-zz6, AA-GG6, (2)]
Collates as complete. In the collation given above, the *, **, and *** gatherings are actually signed as '(:)', '):(', and '(::)' but have been replaced by asterisks for ease of reading. Text mildly toned with some minor dampstaining at leaf edges, text without loss of sense throughout. Two original blanks at rear, none at front.
Contemporary vellum binding finely stamped in blind, dated 1581 to front board. Binding rubbed with discolouration, white stain to front. Backstrip slightly loose but extant, a few small wormholes to boards not affecting page block. Upper clasp extant, lower clasp lacking. Both boards securely attached, binding secure, stands without shelf lean. An excellent copy of a very rare book.
[VD16 C292; USTC 666792].
McNeill, T. John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated and indexed by Ford Lewis Battles. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960. Reprint, The AGES Digital Library: Theology, 1998.
