John Calvin was a famous French theologian and a major leader of the Protestant Reformation. He helped popularize the belief in the sovereignty of God in all areas of life, as well as the doctrine of predestination. The theological approach advanced by Calvin has come to be known as 'Calvinism.'
Calvinism has five essential tenets, or 'points.' To explain this complex doctrine, theologians often make use of the acronym T.U.L.I.P., which stands for total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. We'll get into these points in more detail a bit later.
Calvin was born in France in 1509 into a devout Catholic family. Although born into a family of Catholic faith, he converted to Protestantism in 1533 after studying philosophy, humanism and law.