In the time of the Renaissance few names were as notorious as the Duchess of Ferrara, Lucrezia Borgia. But another Duchess, Lucrezia’s daughter-in-law was entirely the opposite. In fact Renee of France, the later Duchess of Ferrara, had a court full of Protestant evangelicals. An amazing array of characters passed through the castle of Ferrara in Northern Italy at the request of Renee. None of them were more famous than the French humanist scholar Jean Cauvin, otherwise known as John Calvin. The leader of the Protestant Reformation at Geneva, Switzerland was a pastoral counsellor to the Duchess as she navigated the public confession of her emerging Reformed faith.
A Renaissance Court
Renee was the daughter of the French King Louis XII. She was married to the Duke of Ferrara, Ercole d’Este II. Her marriage was mostly political and was far from happy. As a result she kept a large ‘French’ court in Ferrara, which she oversaw with a great deal of independence. Her husband, Ercole permitted Renee to dabble with Protestantism, so long as the courtiers she brought to Ferrara added prestige to their duchy by their exploits as painters, poets, sculptors, musicians or writers.
Reformation in Italy
The Italian Reformation was typified by those who were sympathetic to Lutheran doctrines like, ‘justification by faith alone’, but who would not publicly renounce the Church of Rome. The result was that Protestant sympathizers circulated throughout Northern Italy, but there were few signs of open Protestantism in the form of local churches or princes advancing Protestant causes like the scene in Germany.
Among the Nicodemites
Renee was one of these ‘Nicodemites’ who were like Nicodemus seeking Jesus, but not openly (John 3:2). She would vacillate between attending the Mass and denouncing it. At times she was pressured by her husband or officials from the Inquisition. She would go back to a grim attendance at Mass, performing the bare minimum required to relieve the pressure. Without the benefit of a local church or a consistent break with the church of Rome, Renee, like many other Italian Protestants lacked discernment in who she affirmed or associated with. Many people in the Renaissance rejected the Church of Rome and circulated among Protestants but their views were anti-trinitarian and unorthodox. Some of these types of courtiers passed through Ferrara adding confusion to the struggles of Protestants in Italy.
Calvin’s Charge to the Nicodemites
Calvin was not happy with the ‘Nicodemite’ trend. He wrote against it in a polemical way. But the polemicist was also a caring pastoralist. He wrote to Renee repeatedly in order to encourage her to take a stand for the Reformation. Likely Calvin understood that if Renee was open about her faith in Christ alone, then others in the nobility would have courage to identify publically with the gospel that they embraced privately.
Pursuing Clarity
It is no wonder that Calvin continued to revise his Institutes when so much of the Protestant thinking in Europe was confused. Dogma provided clarity for Christians. And Calvin cared enough for the ongoing discipleship of the Duchess that he sent a pastor to her court on a few occasions in order to bring more gospel light. Sometimes there were tensions. Renee would chafe at the actions of the consistory, or elders board, that called for church discipline among people in her employ. It became difficult for Renee to adjust from being a noblewoman and an independent Protestant sympathizer to a member of a local church who had to submit to the leadership of pastors. Even though she was the host to them all, she still had to find her new role in being an equal member of the local church.
The Duchess and the Pastor
Calvin and Renee corresponded throughout their lives. Their spheres were different, but each had their own place of responsibility with opportunities and challenges. Calvin sought to encourage Renee pastorally, and Renee attempted to help the Protestant cause socially and financially.
What can we learn from this French Protestant woman who was counselled by the French pastor?
1. Believers Need the Local Church.
Believing in the right doctrine, but not fellowshipping in a healthy church leads to confused thinking and living. Can you think of people who have a ‘Nicodemite’ way of thinking, being Christians, but not going to church?
2. Every Believer Has Special Opportunities to Testify to the Gospel.
Pastors, while not respecters of persons, need to recognize the different paths of life that each Christian travels. When pastors apply the Word of God to a variety of people, the result can be a powerful, strategic impact for the good of gospel witness. Can you think of the strategic areas of society that people in your church occupy? Think of folks in your church: mothers and fathers, physicians and electricians, students and teachers, etc.
3. Public Figures Need Prayer Too.
People who are ‘public figures’ like the Duchess, have great opportunities for promoting the gospel, but also difficulty in being faithful to their public confession of Christ. Can you think of public figures (politicians, athletes, actors, etc) who struggle in these ways? Do you pray for them?
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