Protestant Christians are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the French-born reformer who inspired a movement that now has tens of millions of adherents worldwide.

16th-century reformer Jean Calvin can inspire a "reformation of values" in the face of the world's economic and ecological crises, a Swiss politician has said in marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant leader's birth.

The lessons of a 16th century theologian born in France speak directly to a post-modern world hungry for peaceful and united communities according to the president of a global network of Protestant churches.

The 16th-century Reformation figure Jean Calvin is often portrayed as a stern Protestant but an exhibition in Geneva of selected passages from his writings shows a dimension of the reformer that many people do not know.

Swiss chocolatier Blaise Poyet believes he has captured the essence of the Protestant reformer Jean Calvin in special chocolate pralines he created to mark the 500th anniversary of the religious figure who made his mark on European history.

A year of public events and discussions to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Protestant reformer Jean Calvin is being launched in Geneva, a cradle of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, part of Switzerland since 1815.

Calvinists are being urged to celebrate the 500th anniversary of their founders' birth by working for the unity of the church, promoting social justice and respect for creation, and by addressing war and violence.

As millions of Christians throughout the world mark the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2008, the central ecumenical event in Geneva has highlighted prayer for unity amidst situations of conflict and distress.

The Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches has launched an interactive website as part of its celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary in 2009 of the birth of Protestant reformer Jean Calvin.