John Calvin disliked democracy and supported which type of regime, with authority concentrated in the church?

• A. Absolute monarchy
• B. Pure democracy
• C. Republic with elected bishops
• D. A mixed regime blending aristocracy and democracy; church authority

Answer: (D)

Calvin’s political thought centers on aligning civil authority with church leadership to maintain order and doctrinal unity. He did not trust rule by the people alone or unrestrained royal power; instead he favored a regime where a morally educated elite governs, with the church’s authority shaping laws and discipline.

That leads to a mixed regime: power shared between a principled aristocratic magistracy and church governance, with the church holding substantial authority to oversee morals and doctrine. In practice, Geneva operated with civil leaders working closely with church elders and ministers, enforcing laws that reflected Reformed religious norms. This arrangement keeps rulers accountable to religious authority while avoiding both pure democracy and absolute monarchy.

The other models don’t fit this vision. Absolute monarchy concentrates power in one person without a strong, guiding church authority; pure democracy places sovereignty in the masses without the stabilizing influence of a church-guided elite; a republic with elected bishops suggests a different church structure than Calvin endorsed and lacks the described blend of aristocratic rule plus church leadership.