John Calvin, his life, and works are widely known. His very name is embodied in the Calvinist Doctrine. He broke away from the Roman Catholic church in 1530. It was a time of deep religious turmoil, there being severe persecution against the Protestants in France which caused Calvin to flee to Basle, Switzerland. It was there in 1536, that he published the Institutes of the Christian Religion. He was asked to join the Reformation at that time in conjunction with Farel, but the city council expelled both. In 1538 to 1541, Calvin was in Strasbourg, where he ministered to 400-500. Calvin was next back in Geneva from 1541-1549, during which he married a widow who had two children of her own. In this time, Calvin preached over 2000 sermons. Much of Calvin’s time of ministry were marked with conflict but his later years were less volatile. Among the important writings of Calvin, are the revised Institutes of Religion.