Jean Alphonse Turretin

Who was Jean Alphonse Turretin?

Jean Alphonse Turretin, son of Francis Turretin, was born at Geneva in August 1671. He studied theology at Geneva under Louis Tronchin, and after travelling in Holland, England and France was received into the "Venerable Compagnie des Pasteurs" of Geneva in 1693. Here he became pastor of the Italian congregation, and in 1697 professor of church history, and later of theology.

During the next forty years of his life he enjoyed great influence in Geneva as the advocate of a more liberal theology than had prevailed under the preceding generation, and it was largely through his instrumentality that the rule obliging ministers to subscribe to the Helvetic Consensus was abolished in 1706, and the Consensus itself renounced in 1725. He also wrote and labored for the promotion of union between the Reformed and Lutheran Churches, his most important work in this connection being Nubes testium pro moderate et pacifico de rebus theologicis judicio, et instituenda inter Protestantes concordia. Besides this he wrote Cogitationes et dissertationes theologicae, on the principles of natural and revealed religion and commentaries on Thessalonians and Romans. He died in May 1737.