The Calvinism Experiment in Geneva: When One Man Created a Theocratic Nightmare

In 1541, Protestant reformer John Calvin was invited to rule Geneva, Switzerland, and he created one of history's most extreme theocracies. For decades, Calvin imposed strict religious laws that controlled every aspect of life - what people wore, what they ate, how they spoke, even their entertainment. Dancing was banned. Card games were forbidden. Swearing could result in public humiliation or execution. Geneva became a surveillance state where informants reported neighbors for minor infractions, and Calvin's hand-picked council executed anyone who challenged his authority.

Calvin's Geneva was presented as a "New Jerusalem" - a model Christian society where Reformed theology would be perfectly implemented. In reality, it was a totalitaria ...