Prayer as Participatory Agency in Calvin’s Doctrine of Sanctification: A Study of His Pastoral Correspondence

Scholars have increasingly agreed that, for John Calvin, the doctrine of sanctification cannot be reduced either to passive reception or to moralistic human effort. Calvin’s theology of union with Christ and the work of the Spirit shows that sanctification is both a divine gift and a reality in which believers actively participate. However, less attention has been given to how this theological pattern appears in Calvin’s pastoral theology, especially in his correspondence. This article addresses that gap by examining Calvin’s letters to believers facing persecution, weakness, uncertainty, and the demand for perseverance. It argues that Calvin presents prayer as a form of participatory agency in sanctification: through prayer, believers actively seek from God what God alone can give. By analyzing Calvin’s pastoral correspondence, this article shows how prayer allows Calvin to hold together divine agency and human responsibility in the lived process of sanctification.