Una ética para los cristianos: el fundamento bíblico de la moral calvinista

In this paper, I discuss the protestant contribution to the modern concept of autonomy on the basis of an analysis of John Calvin’s moral theology. I show that Calvin affirms our incapacity to know and want what is morally good, as expressed by natural law. Such incapacity is compensated by the biblical mandates that, according to Calvin, should be incorporated into the positive legislation of Christian republics. In view of all this, I conclude that Calvin is far from the Kantian idea of autonomy which defines out Modernity.