Theodore Beza

Theodore Beza (Theodore de Beze or de Besze) (June 24, 1519 - October 13, 1605) was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the early Reformation. He was closely associated with Calvinism. He lived most of his adult life in Switzerland.

Settles in Geneva

Upon his return to Lausanne, Beza was greatly disturbed. In union with many ministers and professors in city and country, Viret at last thought of establishing a consistory and of introducing a church discipline which should inflict excommunication especially at the celebration of the communion. But the Bernese would have no Calvinistic church government. This caused many difficulties, and Beza thought it best (1558) to settle at Geneva.

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Here he occupied at first the chair of Greek in the newly established

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academy, and after Calvin's death also that of theology; besides this he was obliged to preach. He completed the revision of Olivetan's translation of the New Testament, begun some years before. In 1559 he undertook another journey in the interest of the Huguenots, this time to Heidelberg; about the same time he had to defend Calvin against Joachim Westphal in Hamburg and Tileman Hesshusen.

Related Topics:
New Testament - 1559 - Heidelberg - Joachim Westphal - Hamburg - Tileman Hesshusen

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More important than this polemical activity

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was Beza's statement of his own confession. It

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was originally prepared for his father in justification

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of his course and published in revised form

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to promote Evangelical knowledge among Beza's

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countrymen. It was printed in Latin in 1560 with

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a dedication to Wolmar. An English translation

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was published at London 1563, 1572, and 1585.

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Translations into German, Dutch, and Italian

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were also issued.

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