PART 2: Catholicism vs Calvinism — and the Cultural DNA We Carry

What Calvinism Taught Me as a Latin-American Raised Catholic

I wasn’t taught about Calvinism in school. Or well — not in a way that made me notice. I went to a Catholic school in Chile, a country that was once part of the Spanish empire,and Calvinism wasn’t presented as something that transformed entire nations.

But living in the Netherlands, I started to notice: the most prosperous countries in the world today — the Netherlands, Switzerland, parts of Germany, the Nordic countries, even the U.S. in its early foundations — all had strong Calvinist or Protestant influences. That observation changed everything for me.

As a Latin-American woman raised Catholic, this contrast lit a fire in me: why did nations that broke away from the Catholic Church to follow Calvinism advance so rapidly — economically, politically, socially — while many Catholic-majority countries seemed to remain stuck in cycles of inequality, corruption or dependence?

Let’s compare.

Catholicism vs. Calvinism: A Short Overview

🔹 Catholicism teaches that salvation is found through faith, good works, and the sacraments of the Church. Authority lies in the Pope and church tradition. It emphasizes ritual, hierarchy, and confession.

🔹 Calvinism teaches that salvation is preordained — God chooses the saved (the “elect”), and good works are a reflection of grace, not a path to earn it. It rejects church hierarchy in favor of personal connection with scripture. It emphasizes self-discipline, simplicity, hard work, and responsibility.

5 Calvinist Ideas That Shaped the Netherlands (and Still Do)

1. Hard work is a virtue.Success isn’t just good — it’s a sign that you’re “on the right track” spiritually. This created a culture that values productivity and personal responsibility.
2. Simplicity is noble.Extravagance and luxury were frowned upon. Even the wealthiest merchants of the Golden Age built sober houses with modest façades. This idea still influences Dutch design and lifestyle today.
3. Time is sacred.Calvinists saw wasting time as nearly sinful. Punctuality and efficiency became moral values — not just social customs.
4. You answer to yourself.With no pope to tell you what’s right, you had to read scripture and think critically. This encouraged literacy, education, and personal responsibility.
5. Community over charisma.Calvinism distrusted flashy leadership. Decisions were made in groups, churches were plain, and collective harmony mattered more than ego.
   
   Catholicism taught us to obey.

• To trust priests more than our own minds.
• To wait for heaven, and endure suffering as holy.
• To carry guilt as a form of devotion.
• To silence doubt, and sanctify poverty.

Calvinism taught people to lead.

• To read and interpret scripture for themselves.
• To question religious authorities.
• To work hard, and measure success in this life.
• To value discipline, clarity, and sobriety.

That difference shaped nations.

Catholic countries preserved hierarchy. Calvinist regions empowered individuals. Literacy soared. Trade expanded. Institutions became more transparent. People lived not for the next world, but for this one — and made it better.

So what happened to Catholic cultures?

Many Catholic societies remained tied to hierarchical structures — the Church, the nobility, the idea of “divine authority.” Innovation was often suppressed in favor of tradition. Questioning too much could get you punished.

Where Calvinists were building merchant republics and inventing stock markets, Catholic nations were still prioritizing loyalty to the crown and church.

Let’s talk about guilt.

Both Catholicism and Calvinism use guilt — but in different ways.

👉 In Catholicism, guilt is often linked to confession and penance. You sin, you feel guilty, you confess, and the priest absolves you. It becomes a cycle, and sometimes, it keeps people small. You wait for permission to be forgiven.

👉 In Calvinism, guilt is internalized — you’re supposed to live like one of the elect. If you fail, you don’t confess — you work harder. You self-monitor. The danger? Burnout, self-repression, and judgment of others who “don’t try hard enough.”

Whether it's guilt from sin or guilt from not being good enough, both traditions shaped us — and still do.

But I believe we can transform guilt.

We can turn it into accountability, empathy, and clarity. We can choose growth over shame

How Has Guilt Damaged Us?

Guilt, when healthy, is just a compass. It says: “Hey, that didn’t align with who you want to be.”
But when it becomes a system of control — it stops being a feeling, and becomes a cage.

The damage of internalized guilt:

1. It makes love feel conditional.
   You start believing you're only worthy if you do things “right.”
2. It kills spontaneity.
   You second-guess your joy, your desire, your creativity: “Did I earn this? Am I being selfish?”
3. It replaces presence with performance.
   You’re always trying to prove something instead of just being.
4. It creates silent shame.
   Guilt says: “I did something bad.”
   Shame says: “I am bad.”
   And when guilt piles up, it quietly turns into shame.
5. It blocks pleasure and softness.
   You feel you must suffer to deserve rest, beauty, even kindness.

Is Guilt Only a Catholic Thing?

Catholicism has historically used guilt as a tool of obedience:

The idea of original sin: you’re born stained and must redeem yourself.

Confession as a ritual of guilt-release — but one you must return to constantly.

Saints and martyrs who suffered — often more admired than those who simply lived well.

• A heavy focus on sin, penance, and earning grace.
• So yes, in Catholicism, guilt became foundational. It structured morality, behavior, even desire.

What About Calvinism?

Calvinism is different — but still heavy.

It didn’t use guilt to ask for forgiveness, but it used fear and discipline to demand self-control.

You were taught to live as if you were saved — but you never knew for sure.
👉 Am I one of the elect? Have I worked hard enough? Shown enough virtue?

Instead of confessing, you were expected to suppress — desire, indulgence, pride, laziness.

So guilt in Calvinism isn’t about sin — it’s about falling short of silent, unreachable expectations.

It’s not the priest that watches you — it’s your own internalized God who never smiles.

So What’s the Way Out?

The path is not to reject all guilt — but to transform it.

From: “I am bad.”
To: “I made a choice that doesn’t align with who I want to be. Let me course-correct with love.”

From: “I don’t deserve joy.”
To: “I don’t need to earn joy. I am joy.”

Both traditions weaponized guilt — differently.

• Catholic guilt says: "I am broken and must be forgiven."
• Calvinist guilt says: "I must prove I deserve to be saved — every day."

In both cases, grace is withheld — and effort becomes a form of atonement.

But becoming aware of this inheritance is the beginning of freedom.

That’s why I write this.

Because history isn’t just dates and wars. It’s the silent voice inside us that says:

• “You’re not enough unless you achieve.”
• “Don’t speak too loud.”
• “Don’t rest too much.”
• “Don’t trust your desire.”

Understanding where those voices come from lets us choose which ones to keep.

Final thought:

If you grew up Catholic — and now live or travel through Calvinist-influenced cultures — you’ll feel the contrast. And maybe, like me, you’ll find a mirror, a lesson, or a wound ready to be healed.

Let your curiosity guide you.

As Baruch Spinoza once wrote: “The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.”

With love, questions, and admiration,Constanza