Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples
French theologian and humanist
Years: 1445 - 1536
Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples or Jacobus Faber Stapulensis (c. 1455 – 1536) is a French theologian and humanist.
He is a precursor of the Protestant movement in France.
The "d’Étaples" is not part of his name as such, but used to distinguish him from Jacques Lefèvre of Deventer, a less significant contemporary, a friend and correspondent of Erasmus.
Both are also sometimes called by the German version of their name, Jacob/Jakob Faber.
He himself has a sometimes tense relationship with Erasmus, whose work on Biblical translation and in theology closely parallels his own.
Although he anticipates some ideas that are important to the Protestant Reformation, Lefèvre remains a Roman Catholic throughout his life, and seeks to reform the church without separating from it.
Several of his books are condemned as heretical, and he spends some time in exile.
He is, however, a favorite of the king of France, Francis I, and enjoys his protection.
