Berruyer's Bible: Public Opinion and the Politics of Enlightenment Catholicism in France

The French Jesuit Isaac-Joseph Berruyer's Histoire du peuple de Dieu was an ambitious attempt to connect the ideas of the Enlightenment with the theology of the Catholic Church. It promoted progress, the pursuit of happiness, the fundamental goodness of humanity, and the capacity of nature to shape moral human beings. However, his work unleashed a furor that ended with the expulsion of the Jesuits from France. Daniel Watkins' book explores how Catholic attempts to assimilate Enlightenment ideas caused conflicts within the church and between the church and the French state. It reveals that the secularization of French society and the political decline of the Catholic Church were not solely due to external assaults but also to the internal discord caused by Catholic theologians themselves.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2021
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

The French Jesuit Isaac-Joseph Berruyer's ambitious work, "Histoire du peuple de Dieu," sought to bridge the gap between Enlightenment ideas and Catholic theology. Written in vernacular French, this paraphrase of the Bible promoted progress, the pursuit of happiness, the inherent goodness of humanity, and the transformative power of nature in shaping moral individuals. Berruyer aimed to modernize the Bible for a new era, but his efforts sparked a controversy that ultimately led to the expulsion of the Jesuits from France.

Berruyer's Bible provides a unique perspective on the history of the Catholic Enlightenment. Through the examination of the rise and fall of "Histoire," Daniel Watkins uncovers how Catholic attempts to incorporate Enlightenment ideas led to conflicts within the church and between the church and the French state.

What sets Berruyer's Bible apart is its reversal of the traditional narrative of the Enlightenment. By demonstrating that the secularization of French society and the political decline of the Catholic Church were not solely the result of external attacks from anti-clerical philosophers but also the consequence of internal divisions among Catholic theologians, Berruyer's work challenges prevailing beliefs.

This comprehensive study, supported by extensive research in archives across Western Europe and the United States, offers a vivid portrayal of the tumultuous intellectual world of the Catholic Church during the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and beyond. Berruyer's Bible sheds light on the powerful influence of radical ideas that shaped the church's trajectory during this critical period, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that emerged.

In conclusion, Isaac-Joseph Berruyer's "Histoire du peuple de Dieu" represents an audacious endeavor to harmonize Enlightenment principles with Catholic theology. Through its exploration of the complexities and contradictions within the Catholic Enlightenment, Berruyer's Bible provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of this pivotal historical era.

Weight: 522g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228006305