Synopses & Reviews
Jansenism, and the theology of Cornelius Jansen, powerfully infused French political life from the mid-17th century to the revolution 150 years later. It influenced the Enlightenment, the development of French constitutional thinking, the destruction of the Jesuits, and the modernization of the Catholic Church. This book explains why Jansenism was so important, recreates the religious and intellectual world which fostered it, and examines the critical issues which led to the French Revolution.
Review
"The intended audience for this book will find it the best short summary in English. Those who wish to explore the topic further can make use of Doyle's excellent annotated bibliography..." --
History: Reviews of New Books"This is a book that can be recommended highly as an enormously helpful introduction to Jansenism."--H-Net Reviews, Richard LeBrun
Synopsis
It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of Jansenism as a religious phenomenon in European life, and yet during the seventeenth century its followers denied its very existence. Jansenism, and the theology of Cornelius Jansen, powerfully infused French political life from the mid seventeenth century to the Revolution 150 years later - it impacted on the Enlightenment, the development of French constitutional thinking, the modernisation of the Catholic church and the destruction of the Jesuits.
William Doyle has written an invaluable book. It explains exactly why Jansenism was so important, it recreates the religious and intellectual world which fostered it and examines the critical issues, such as the all-pervasive role of the Jesuits in European Catholic life. Anyone armed with this concise, straightforward book will find themselves immeasurably better prepared to understand the mentality both of France and much of Enlightenment Europe before the cataclysm of 1789.
Synopsis
This book explains why Jansenism was so important, recreates the religious and intellectual world which fostered it, and examines the critical issues which led to the French Revolution.
About the Author
William Doyle is Professor of History at the University of Bristol.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Jansenism and the Historians * The Seeds of Jansenism * The Birth of Jansenism * Right and Fact, 1640-88 * Jansenism in Transition *
Unigenittus, 1713-32 * Refusal of Sacraments, 1732-60 * Wider Jansenism * The Dissolution of Jansenism