At the recent Desiring God 2009 National Conference, an excellent panel of speakers took up many interesting questions from the audience, beginning with Calvin’s involvement with Servetus’ execution. They explain that Servetus was “a bad man,” who sought out trouble in an age when everyone believed heresy was criminal and should be punished harshly. That led to a discussion about what Christians in contemporary government should try to accomplish: should they try to outlaw heresy like they did in the past?
One speaker noted that, while Calvin was an extraordinary man, he did not stand above other men of his day on the issue of executing heretics. That’s a black mark on his record from our point of view, but it isn’t the charge against him as some who like it to be. (Thanks to Loren Eaton)
Servetus was free to leave Geneva; in fact Calvin pleaded with him to do so. People often claim Calvin was directly responsible for the death of Servetus, but as I understand it, there was a vote on the issue, and his was only one of the votes.
– ironically Calvin himself had to flee for his life as the Catholic authorities had handed him a death sentence.
p.s. all this by way of a less than perfect memory. (Correct me if I’m wrong.)
I didn’t think Calvin even had a vote. He wasn’t a civil magistrate, and the authorities had other objections to him so he may not have carried much weight with them at the time. The speaker in the panel said Calvin wanted Servetus to be convicted in order to inspire him to repentance, but it didn’t work. He also said those who had bones to pick with Calvin on theological or other issues jumped on this execution as just one more thing to rant against.