‘As French as Wine’ – Sociological Indicators of Original Calvinism

The paper explores, identifies and analyzes the concrete sociological indicators of original Calvinism as the specifically French Protestant Reformation, as well-established in the historical literature yet overlooked or downplayed in much of the sociology of (Calvinist) religion and ideology. The paper classifies them into five specific sociological indicators or proofs of originally French Calvinism as a specific religion and ideology. The indicators are, first, the earliest national French Calvinists, second, the initial national or regional Calvinist French theocracy, third, France’s early national wars of religion between Calvinism and Catholicism, fourth, the first French Calvinist national council, and fifth, the first official recognition and toleration of Calvinism in France. The paper aims to contribute toward complementing the current sociological literature in which analyses of the societal origin and setting of original Calvinism are relatively rare compared with those of derivative Calvinism in other national settings.