Théodore Tronchin (theologian)


Théodore Tronchin was a Genevan Calvinist theologian, controversialist and Hebraist.

Life

He was born at Geneva on 17 April 1582, the son of Rémi Tronchin and Théodora Rocca, the adopted daughter of Théodore de Bèze. He studied theology at Geneva, Basel, Heidelberg, Franeker, and Leiden. He became professor of oriental languages at the academy of Geneva in 1606; he was preacher there in 1608, and professor of theology in 1618. He was rector in 1610.
In 1618 he was sent with his colleague Giovanni Diodati to the Synod of Dort, as Genevan delegate. In 1632 he was army chaplain under Henri, Duke of Rohan, during his final campaign in Valtellina. In 1655 he was one of the delegation that conferred in Geneva with John Dury.
He died in Geneva on 19 November 1657. The theologian Louis Tronchin was his son. His daughter Renée married the printer Pierre Chouet, and the theologian Jean-Robert Chouet was their son.

Views

He was an orthodox Calvinist, opposed to Amyraldism.

Works

He was asked to reply to the Jesuit Pierre Coton, who in Genève plagiaire had attacked the Genevan Bible translation, the Bible de Genève. Benédict Turrettini answered quickly in 1618, to the early parts of the book; and Coton published a rebuttal. Tronchin's answer appeared at the beginning of 1620.
Other works were:
His 1628 funeral oration for Simon Goulart is known for the hint in it that Goulart knew the author of the Vindiciae contra tyrannos.