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Against judiciary astrology

Astrology is said to be judiciary when observations of the heavens are interpreted to allegedly distinguish between right and wrong, in order to judge individuals. The practice was very highly thought of in the 16^th century.

Warning against judiciary astrology

Comète de Hale Bopp avril 1997 © Photo N. Biver (Observatoire de Paris)

In 1548, Calvin dictated, in French, a Warning against judiciary astrology.

Calvin’s text was published in Geneva, by the publisher Jean Girard, in 1549, with the title Treatise or warning against so called judiciary astrology and other oddities ruling today’s world. It was published again in 1842, (by the Charles Gosselin publishing house), in a volume devoted to Calvin’s writings in French, along with a bibliography by P.L. Jacob. More recently, Olivier Millet produced an annotated edition (Droz, 1985).

Progress in the exhibition

Previous noteCalvin’s letter
to the “Paris prisoners”
(September 1557)

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Following note The aim of the Warning

Associated notes

Jean Calvin (1509-1564)

A generation after Luther, the Frenchman Jean Calvin became the organiser of the Reformation : he organised the Church, shaped the doctrine and defined the role of the Church in state government.