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Beza

Beza, or Théodore de Bèze, was a French Protestant theologian, reformer, and scholar who became a central figure in the Reformed tradition in Geneva and across the French-speaking Protestant communities of Europe. Trained in Paris and the Swiss academies, he joined the Protestant movement and settled in Geneva, where he served as pastor, professor, and leading defender of Calvinist orthodoxy after John Calvin’s death. Beza’s writings, sermons, and correspondence helped disseminate Reformed doctrine throughout Europe and reinforced the Genevan model of church government and education. He edited and promoted Calvin’s works, contributed to the development of Reformed theology, and argued for the authority of Scripture and the sovereignty of God. Among his notable topics are the relationship between church and state and the rights of magistrates; his De jure magistratuum is a key reference in discussions of civil authority over church matters.

Beza’s influence extended beyond Switzerland and France, shaping the growth of Reformed churches and the broader

Protestant
academy
movement.
He
is
regarded
as
one
of
the
principal
architects
of
late
16th-century
Reformed
orthodoxy
and
as
a
mentor
to
generations
of
theologians
in
the
Calvinist
tradition.
The
surname
Beza
is
toponymic,
derived
from
the
village
of
Beze
in
Burgundy,
and
the
name
has
been
borne
by
other
notable
individuals
in
later
periods.