Are Christians truly invited to share in God or just in his gifts? The language of "participation" has been hotly debated for centuries, many Protestants protesting that aspiring to share in God is akin to attempting to ascend to his level. John Calvin's theology is often brought in to support this contention. Here Julie Canlis argues that to do so reflects a complete misunderstanding of Calvin. In fact, she says, it is precisely Calvin's inclusion of participation that makes his theology so robust and spiritually enduring. / Calvin's Ladder traces the theme of participation in early Christian spirituality, then reveals how Calvin reworks it into the heart of his Protestant manifesto on theology. This groundbreaking book suggests an entirely distinctive way of conceiving the relation between God and humanity, challenging not only old caricatures of Calvin but also our own self-portraits.