Welcome to five minutes in church history hosted by Dr Stephen Nichols, where we take a little

break from the present to go exploring the past. Travel back in time as we look at the people, events, and even the places that have shaped the story of Christianity.

This is our story, our family history. Let's get started.

Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history.

Last week we were looking at a church, a church in Rome, St. John Lateran Church.

This week we're going to Geneva to another church. This is St. Peter's

Cathedral or since it's in Geneva which is a French-speaking city let's call it

St. Pierre's. Geneva was a city that was under Roman rule from as early as 58

BC. Julius Caesar saw Geneva as a prime city and there was a Roman settlement there. By the fourth century there was a Roman settlement there.

By the fourth century there was a church built there in Geneva and this church underwent significant

renovations in the fifth and sixth century. As we fast forward a little bit in the 5th and 6th century.

As we fast forward a little bit in the end of the 1100s, they began to construct the cathedral

and it was finally completed in 1230.

And it is into this cathedral that in the 16th century,

John Calvin would step in as the pastor there

at St. Peter's Cathedral in Geneva. He would get there in 1541. He had his

exile to Strasbourg, but then he returned to Geneva and he stayed there in his adopted city until his death in 1564.

It was from this cathedral that John Calvin would preach his many sermons during the course of a week.

You can track these sermons down and some of the sermons of Calvin that have been published.

It was also in this cathedral that probably some of the most beautiful church music that has ever been sung

was inside the St. Peter's Cathedral. Now Calvin was an exclusive Psalm singer

and he did not believe there should be instruments in the church, but he did like the instrument of the human voice.

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