Christian doctrine as interpreted by John Calvin and adopted in Scotland, parts of Switzerland, and the Netherlands; by the Puritans in England and New England, US; and by the subsequent Congregational and Presbyterian churches in the US. Its central doctrine is predestination, under which certain souls (the elect) are predestined by God through the sacrifice of Jesus to salvation, and the rest to damnation. Although Calvinism is rarely accepted today in its strictest interpretation, the 20th century has seen a neo-Calvinist revival through the work of Karl Barth.
The theological system of John Calvin and his followers emphasizing omnipotence of God and salvation by grace alone.