Reflecting on the Life and Legacy of Reformer Theodore Beza

Ligonier Ministries recently published a biographical overview of Theodore Beza, a significant yet often misunderstood figure of the sixteenth-century Reformation. Born in France in 1519, Beza was educated by Melchior Wolmar, a scholar who also mentored John Calvin. Through this influence and the writings of Heinrich Bullinger, Beza embraced the Reformed faith, though he initially kept his conversion private to maintain his social and financial standing.

Following a life-threatening bout with the plague in 1548, Beza publicly declared his faith and relocated to Geneva. There, he married Claudine Denosse in a ceremony officiated by Calvin. Beza eventually became a central leader of the French Reformed movement, serving in Geneva until his death in 1605. The article challenges historical portrayals of Beza as an austere scholastic, instead highlighting his dedication to the Word of God and his long-standing partnership with Calvin in advancing the Reformation.