The Unedited Correspondence of Pierre Viret (1511-1571)

FAIN: FT-56996-09

Michael Wilson Bruening
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO 65409-0001)

I plan to publish a critical edition of the unedited correspondence of the Swiss Calvinist reformer, Pierre Viret. I now have a verbal agreement with Librarie Droz in Geneva to publish the edition, which will contain 146 letters that have never been published in full or are scattered across various journals. These letters shed much light on one of the most important first-generation Calvinists. Viret was John Calvin's close friend and associate, the leader of the Reformed Church in Lausanne, and, after Calvin himself, the most popular and prolific Calvinist author of his generation. These unedited letters constitute nearly 20% of Viret's extant correspondence. This gap has left out a wealth of information about Viret and, more importantly, the Reformation in Switzerland generally. This project is a particularly timely one, since the 500th anniversary of Viret's birth will be celebrated in 2011.

Associated Products

Epistolae Petri Vireti: The Previously Unedited Letters and a Register of Pierre Viret's Correspondence (Book)
Title: Epistolae Petri Vireti: The Previously Unedited Letters and a Register of Pierre Viret's Correspondence
Author: Pierre Viret
Editor: Michael Bruening
Abstract: This critical edition of 180 letters from the Reformation period contains all of the previously unedited letters in the correspondence of the Swiss reformer Pierre Viret. As chief pastor in Lausanne, Viret, together with his friends John Calvin and Guillaume Farel, helped to create the French-speaking Reformed Church. The letters in this volume shed new light on Viret's life, concerns, and relationships, particularly with Farel. As such, they contain much new information on the early development of the Reformed faith. The letters span most of Viret’s career, from his 1541 arrival in Geneva to fill in for Calvin through his expulsions from both Lausanne (1559) and Lyon (1565). The volume also contains a chronological register of Viret’s entire correspondence, which indicates where each letter may be found in both published and manuscript form. The register also corrects errors and notes omissions in earlier editions.
Year: 2012
Primary URL: http://www.droz.org/world/en/4708-9782600015530.html
Primary URL Description: Link to book on Droz's website
Secondary URL: https://www.amazon.com/epistolae-previously-unedited-register-corresponde/dp/2600015531
Secondary URL Description: Link to book on Amazon
Access Model: Published book
Publisher: Librarie Droz
Type: Scholarly Edition
ISBN: 978-2600015530
Copy sent to NEH?: Yes

Pierre Viret's Epistolary Life and Corpus (Book Section)
Title: Pierre Viret's Epistolary Life and Corpus
Author: Michael Bruening
Editor: Daniela Solfaroli Camillocci
Editor: Karine Crousaz
Abstract: This article addresses several of the findings from my project on Pierre Viret's correspondence. It explains the origin of the critical edition and several of the key findings from the new letters. For example, the letters help shed light on the functioning of the Lausanne Academy, the intra-Protestant quarrels Viret had with people like André Zébédée and Jérôme Bolsec, and Viret's efforts to assist the Lausanne students who were eventually burned at the stake in France.
Year: 2014
Primary URL: http://www.antipodes.ch/histoire-moderne/227-pierre-viret-et-la-diffusion-de-la-reforme
Primary URL Description: Publisher's website
Access Model: Published book
Publisher: Antipodes
Book Title: Pierre Viret et la diffusion de la Réforme: Pensée, action, contextes religieux
ISBN: 978-2-88901-05

Triumvirs, patriarchs, or friends? Evaluating the relationship between Calvin, Viret, and Farel (Article)
Title: Triumvirs, patriarchs, or friends? Evaluating the relationship between Calvin, Viret, and Farel
Author: Michael Bruening
Abstract: Using several of Viret's previously unpublished letters, I explore the relationship between Pierre Viret, John Calvin, and Guillaume Farel. While Viret and Farel were known to be friends with Calvin, the unpublished correspondence helps to show how close Viret and Farel were to each other. This in turn helps to show that the Reformed movement in Switzerland was not all about Calvin and Geneva. It is far more profitable to think in terms of networks of influence across broad regions.
Year: 2008
Primary URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1558/rrr.v10i2.125
Primary URL Description: Publishers website
Secondary URL: http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/48307133/triumvirs-patriarchs-friends-evaluating-relationship-between-calvin-viret-farel
Secondary URL Description: EBSCOHOST link
Format: Journal
Periodical Title: Reformation & Renaissance Review
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

The Lausanne Academy through the Unpublished Correspondence of Pierre Viret (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Lausanne Academy through the Unpublished Correspondence of Pierre Viret
Author: Michael Bruening
Abstract: The unpublished letters of Pierre Viret are very helpful on learning about the Lausanne Academy, the first Protestant institution of higher learning in any French-speaking land. They tell us about the living arrangements of students, the origins of students, and some of the academic activities they engaged in. With so many early sources for the academy lost, these letters are an important window on this institution.
Date: 10/15/2010
Primary URL: http://www.sixteenthcentury.org/
Primary URL Description: Sponsoring organization website
Secondary URL: none
Conference Name: Sixteenth Century Society Conference

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