A book called Out of the Flames. It’s actually a biography of a very rare book called Cristiano Restitutio written by Serverus. There are only 3 copies left to exist as Calvin had them burned alongside Servetus. The book is actually what allowed Calvin to charge Servetus with heresy though he had been trying to find a way to destroy him for 20 years. It also guessed at the function of the heart and how it might work.
The first section of Out of the Flames gives a history of Serverus' rise to acclaim, his work, and this resentment from Calvin brewing in the background of his life. Then, focuses in on the charge, trial, and execution. The second section part follows the course of the surviving books to their present locations.
Anyone caught with a copy would also be sentenced to death. But Calvin thinking himself above the law, kept a copy. I think his copy is the one now in New York, but maybe it was Glasgow. It’s been a while since I’ve read it.
Anyway, there was a small group during the middle ages who questioned the concept of the Trinity. Cristiano Restitutio did as well. The Catholic Church was not kind to this group. Calvin had developed his own theories around predetermination and was trying to promote them. They weren’t really popular because most people widely accepted the concept of free will. So, you have to perform some mental gymnastics for both those concepts to live side by side in your head. But, Calvin was a prolific writer and being closely associated with the Catholic church while also being a Reformer, his work survived and eventually gained a following. The Baptist church of today are probably the biggest adherents to Calvinist teachings.
The last section of Out of the Flames follows the history of the theology of Servetus, I guess you could say. The one that questions Trinity doctrine and the basic thought that faith is useless if not questioned and scrutinized. It follows that thinking down to the formation of the Unitarian church and notes that many of America’s founding fathers were influenced by, practiced, or were exposed to Unitarian thought. It also notes that as far as anyone knows the Unitarian church is the ONLY Christian church where violence has not been done in the name of God. It tells a story of 2 passionate young men from way back when who nearly came to blows debating some thought or other. But they "put the cross between them" and agreed to disagree.
It’s available on Amazon. Remarkable read. I got it at the library and couldn’t put it down. I have a digital copy now and it’s on my list, queued up for a reread. I’m reading another history right now.
