A Clear and Simple Treatise on the Lord's Supper

by Theodore Beza

Theodore Beza's A Clear and Simple Treatise Respecting the Lord's Supper (1559) advances a tireless defense of the Reformed perspective on the Lord's Supper, responding chapter by chapter to specific arguments raised against John Calvin by his Lutheran opponent, Joachim Westphal. Beza makes great use of the concept of metonymy, or a figure of speech, in his interpretation of the words of institution, yet he equally champions the position that the Lord's Supper is not a bare symbol and that in it we have true communion with the risen Christ. And like Calvin, Beza refers extensively to the church fathers, especially Augustine, in defense of his position.

Genres: Theology

248 pages, Hardcover

Published July 29, 2016

About the author

Theodore Beza (Latin: Theodorus Beza; French: Théodore de Bèze or de Besze) was a French Reformed Protestant theologian, reformer and scholar who played an important role in the Reformation. He was a disciple of John Calvin and lived most of his life in Geneva. Beza succeeded Calvin as a spiritual leader of the Republic of Geneva, which was originally founded by John Calvin himself.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refutation of the Lutheran understanding of Eucharist. There is also an appendix relating to the Lex Triplex. Hopefully, we will see more of Theodore Beza in English soon.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A response by Theodore Beza to Joachim Westphal's critique of a Calvinistic understanding of the Supper. Beza responds in great detail.

I know that many of the great Reformation treatises were responses to other writings, but I struggled a bit with tracking the argument in places because there are so many references to Westphal in the book. I might have benefited from an appendix that offered a brief summary of Westphal's argument chapter by chapter. But that may just be me.

The book also includes a helpful statement of Beza's view of the Supper at the end.

Then a table from his work Lex Dei.

[Charles Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beza is brilliant and almost nothing about reading this work comes easily. However I believe the reader is duly rewarded for his efforts with a more thorough understanding of the issues at hand. Beza takes Lutheran arguments which at first seem somewhat plausible and unveils their absurdity in a clear and penetrating manner.