Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
The great mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal was quite closely associated with Jansenism. His younger sister, Jacqueline, who he was very fond of, entered the Abbey of Port-Royal des Champs....
Jansenism and Protestantism
By endorsing the teachings of Saint Augustine on grace and predestination – both of which were central themes of the Protestant Reformation – Jansenism sought to reform the Catholic Church...
Jansenism : a movement of great influence
Jansenism was a very influential movement in France. This was partly due to its closeness to the Protestant Reformation.
Dietrich Bonhœffer (1906-1945)
Dietrich Bonhœffer was a protestant German pastor and theologian, and also the co-founder of the confessing Church. He was opposed to the growing Nazi influence on protestant German churches. He...
Théophraste Renaudot (1584-1653)
Théophraste Renaudot was the king’s doctor, but he is now chiefly remembered as the first journalist to have existed in France, founding the Gazette de France in 1631.
Jacques Basnage (1653-1723)
Jacques Basnage was a pastor in Rouen at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes – he had to escape from France due to persecution and took...
Jacques Saurin (1677-1730)
Jacques Saurin was a pastor serving in the countries of Refuge, first in London, then in the Hague – as a pastor he was admired for his eloquence and a...
Pierre Viret (1511-1571)
Pierre Viret devoted his life to teaching theology and spreading the Reformed faith. He was known as an outstanding preacher.
François de La Noue (1531-1591)
François de La Noue, known as « Iron arm », was a Huguenot gentleman, a well-known military chief as well as a historian of the wars of religion.
Moyse Amyraut (1596-1664)
Moyse Amyraut had an important place in the history of XVII century reformed theology.
Décalogues ou Tables de la Loi
Des tables de la loi figuraient systématiquement dans les temples réformés jusqu’à la disparition complète de ceux-ci à la révocation de l’édit de Nantes (1685).
Alsace in the 17th century
In Alsace, repressive measures against the predominantly Lutheran protestant community were enforced when the French king took possession of it in the 17th century. However, conditions for the Protestants were...
Alsace during the 18th century
The coercive policy carried out against Protestants, less strictly enforced towards the end of the 17th century, was gradually relaxed before being abandoned. The pomp surrounding the funeral ceremonies in...
The Law of 1905
The law of 9th December 1905, concerning the separation of the churches and the state, instituted and defined the secularity of France. It guaranteed freedom of worship in the spirit...
Divisions and regroupings in the Reformed Church
Betweeen 1802 and 1938 the Reformed Church underwent dramatic modification in their organisation.
Historical data – Protestantism in Alsace
Places of remembrance are numerous, they testify to the particularly troubled history on both banks of the Rhine River. Nowadays one third of French Protestants are Alsatian or of Alsatian...
Les marques d’imprimerie
Le livre imprimé, qui apparaît en France avec la naissance de l’imprimerie (entre 1470 et 1520), prend, autour de 1530, la forme qu’il conserve jusqu’à la Révolution. L’industrie du livre...
Protestant chaplaincy in the army
Some Protestant pastors minister as army chaplains among French troops in France and in operations abroad.