# Calvin's Institutes (1536)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1536-calvin-s-institutes
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Themes: Reformation

John Calvin publishes the Institutes of the Christian Religion. At this point in the timeline (1536), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Paul III (13 October 1534 – 10 November 1549).

## Why it matters
Calvin's Institutes mattered because it helped divide and reshape Western Christianity into the Protestant and Catholic traditions.

Pope at the time: [Pope Paul III](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-paul-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Institutes of the Christian Religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutes_of_the_Christian_Religion)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Calvin's Institutes](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Calvin%27s+Institutes)
- [Wikipedia — Reformation (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation)