recognition captures the second-order knowledge from which theo-
logical conclusions can be drawn. While the good works do not alter
the status of the Christian per se, the recognition of good works as
given by God may change the Christian self-understanding.
Some terminological observations concerning the French edition
ofInstitutiocan now be made, especially in view of later chapters and
Ricoeur’s observations (cf. section 1.2 in this volume). Calvin employs
the Latin wordsagnosco/agnitiofairly often, joining the earlier Latin
tradition in many ways. In the French translation, these words are
often given fairly general renderings likecognoistreor evencom-
prendre(to know, to understand). The wordsrecognosco/recognitio
are translated very consistently with recognoistre/recognoissance,
especially in the third book. In thefirst and second books, this
translation also occurs but not as consistently as in the third. While
we cannot rule out accidental factors, it is noteworthy that the
heteronomous and person-constituting introspection is especially
pronounced in the third book.
Almost the only time thatrecognoscois translated bycognoistre
occurs when God is the subject of this act.^228 The translator might
have thought here that God does not act in any upward or heteron-
omous manner. In any case, in Book 3 of theInstitutioboth the Latin
and the French term start to have a technical sense, depicting a
heteronomous person-constituting event that transforms the human
mind. While some aspects of this sense go back to the early Christian
Recognitions, this can basically be understood as an innovation of
Renaissance and Reformation thinkers. For Ficino, such meaning
entails a mutual personal recognition in love. For Calvin, this meaning
is not fundamentally mutual, but concerns the emergence of the new
self in religious recognition. At the same time, since Calvin teaches in
thefirst pages ofInstitutiothat there is no knowledge of God without
knowledge of the self, some epistemic mutuality is assumed.
This means, among other things, that Ricoeur’s history^229 of the
French termreconnaissanceneeds to be broadened. Much of what
Ricoeur says goes back to Calvin and has even considerably longer
roots in Latin terminology. Another relevant point is that the gradual
emergence of recognitio/recognosco in Latin theological sources
reaches a mature stage in Calvin. While these terms remain in the
(^228) Inst.3, 14, 20, cf. previous footnote. (^229) Ricoeur 2005.
106 Recognition and Religion