Hugh & Eve Meeter Calvinism Awards for High School Seniors

The topic for 2012 is:

John Calvin and the Role of Providence in Human Suffering

Why do human beings suffer? Is suffering (illness, accidents, bereavements, etc.) random and arbitrary, or the work of Satan, or is it part of God's plan? If suffering is part of God's providence, what is its purpose? Papers should address how John Calvin dealt with the role of God's Providence in human suffering by analyzing primary sources (works by John Calvin) and secondary sources on this topic. Possible primary sources include Calvin's sermons on Job, his letters, and his Institutes of the Christian Religion, especially book III, chapter VIII. There are many secondary sources that are helpful on this topic, including John Leith, John Calvin's Doctrine of the Christian Life and Ronald Wallace, Calvin's Doctrine of the Christian Life. Papers should also discuss the issue of suffering today, and explain whether and in what ways Calvin's understanding of the issues is still relevant today.

Awards are given annually for research papers on a topic dealing with John Calvin or Calvinism. First Prize is $2,500 and Second Prize is $1,250. Awards are payable to student tuition accounts at the following colleges: Calvin, Dordt, King's (Canada), Redeemer (Canada), Kuyper, and Trinity Christian. Research Paper Format Guidelines Papers should be 8 to 12 pages long, typed double-spaced, and include footnotes or endnotes as well as a bibliography. Pages must be numbered. Papers must include a cover sheet with the following information:

• name
• address
• telephone number
• e-mail address
• high school
• principal's name
• church (include address)
• pastor's name
• how you learned about the scholarship

No name or other identifying information should appear on any page except the cover. The Meeter Center will assign each entry a code number and write it on the pages of the paper. This assures impartial judging of the papers by the Calvinism Committee and allows for accurate identification.

The Calvinism Committee will judge the papers by the following criteria:

1. Thoroughness of research, including primary sources and quality secondary sources.
2. Coherence and originality of the argument.
3. Quality of writing.
4. Relatedness to contemporary situation.

Papers must be sent in on or before January 16, 2012. The Calvinism Committee will select winners by March 15, 2012, from applicants who will attend college in the fall of 2012. All participants will be notified of their status by mail.

Finding Sources

Suggested resources include libraries of churches, pastors, teachers, and schools. In addition public and university libraries may offer interlibrary loan service, which one may use to obtain books not available locally. Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the Beveridge translation of Calvin's Institutes can be found online in the Post Reformation Digital Library, accessible from the Meeter Center's homepage. Many of John Calvin’s works can be accessed online through the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at: http://www.ccel.org/index/author-C.html. Via the Center's homepage, the Hekman Library Catalog can be accessed to search for books on the topic. Also, search the Meeter Center’s online database entitled Calvinism Resources Database to find sources. This can be found on the Meeter Center’s homepage at: http://www.calvin.edu/meeter/

Submitting a Research Paper

Please send entries to the following address:

The H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies
Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary
1855 Knollcrest Circle SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402
USA

If you have any questions regarding the Hugh and Eve Meeter Calvinism Awards for High School Seniors, please feel free to contact the Meeter Center at the above address or at the following numbers and e-mail address:

Telephone: 1-616-526-7081
Fax: 1-616-526-7687
meeter@calvin.edu