Primary sourceBook1836 (text written 1564)
The Life of John Calvin
Theodore Beza · 1836 (text written 1564)
A biography of Calvin written by his close colleague Theodore Beza soon after Calvin's death, published in this 1836 translated edition.
This early biography of Calvin, by his close colleague Beza, is a firsthand account used to understand his life.
PDF · 344 pagesAbout this source
What it is
This is a biography of John Calvin written by Theodore Beza, his colleague and successor, soon after Calvin died. This edition, translated by Francis Sibson with notes by an American editor, was printed in Philadelphia in 1836.
Why it matters
Because Beza worked closely with Calvin in Geneva, his account is considered an important early source for understanding Calvin's life and character, even though it reflects Beza's own admiration for him. The book shows how Calvin's followers worked to shape and defend his memory against critics.
Look closer
- Why might a biography written by a close colleague be useful, but also need to be read carefully?
- What does the American editor's preface suggest about why this book was reprinted centuries later?
- What might Beza have left out or softened about Calvin's life?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Calvin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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