Reformed martyrdom, or ‘death for faith,’ catalyzes the ideological tensions of its time. So far, its history has been considered almost exclusively through the ‘martyrologies,’ i.e., standardized compilations of martyrdom stories, or through Jean Calvin’s work. This thesis intends to widen the field of historical research to other types of sources (poetical and satirical pieces, polemical treatises, correspondence, etc.) through the abundant and polymorphous work of the Reformed poet and theologian Theodore Beza (1519-1605). Beza was indeed a privileged actor and witness to the evolution of the conceptions of martyrdom throughout the second half of the 16th century. The study undertakes to recount these movements and to highlight how martyrdom rhetorics were set into motion to promote the Reformed community identity building. From instrumentalizing the burnings against the Roman Catholic executioners to presenting (‘orthodox’) Protestant communities all over Europe as a united Church of martyrs, Beza contributed in an original way to the establishment of a theology of martyrdom among the Reformed and to the denial of the right to have martyrs to what he considered religious deviances.

https://ulg.academia.edu/ABourgaux