Priests of the French Revolution

Saints and Renegades in a New Political Era

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 18th Century, Western Europe, Revolutionary
Cover of the book Priests of the French Revolution by Joseph F. Byrnes, Penn State University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joseph F. Byrnes ISBN: 9780271064901
Publisher: Penn State University Press Publication: August 29, 2014
Imprint: Penn State University Press Language: English
Author: Joseph F. Byrnes
ISBN: 9780271064901
Publisher: Penn State University Press
Publication: August 29, 2014
Imprint: Penn State University Press
Language: English

The 115,000 priests on French territory in 1789 belonged to an evolving tradition of priesthood. The challenge of making sense of the Christian tradition can be formidable in any era, but this was especially true for those priests required at the very beginning of 1791 to take an oath of loyalty to the new government—and thereby accept the religious reforms promoted in a new Civil Constitution of the Clergy. More than half did so at the beginning, and those who were subsequently consecrated bishops became the new official hierarchy of France. In Priests of the French Revolution, Joseph Byrnes shows how these priests and bishops who embraced the Revolution creatively followed or destructively rejected traditional versions of priestly ministry. Their writings, public testimony, and recorded private confidences furnish the story of a national Catholic church. This is a history of the religious attitudes and psychological experiences underpinning the behavior of representative bishops and priests. Byrnes plays individual ideologies against group action, and religious teachings against political action, to produce a balanced story of saints and renegades within a Catholic tradition.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The 115,000 priests on French territory in 1789 belonged to an evolving tradition of priesthood. The challenge of making sense of the Christian tradition can be formidable in any era, but this was especially true for those priests required at the very beginning of 1791 to take an oath of loyalty to the new government—and thereby accept the religious reforms promoted in a new Civil Constitution of the Clergy. More than half did so at the beginning, and those who were subsequently consecrated bishops became the new official hierarchy of France. In Priests of the French Revolution, Joseph Byrnes shows how these priests and bishops who embraced the Revolution creatively followed or destructively rejected traditional versions of priestly ministry. Their writings, public testimony, and recorded private confidences furnish the story of a national Catholic church. This is a history of the religious attitudes and psychological experiences underpinning the behavior of representative bishops and priests. Byrnes plays individual ideologies against group action, and religious teachings against political action, to produce a balanced story of saints and renegades within a Catholic tradition.

More books from Penn State University Press

Cover of the book Emilie Davis’s Civil War by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book The Smile of Tragedy by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Consensus and Debate in Salazar's Portugal by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book The Challenge of Coleridge by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Rewriting Magic by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Rhapsody of Philosophy by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Rousseau Among the Moderns by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Among the Bone Eaters by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Pound's Cantos Declassified by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Divining the Self by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Licensing Loyalty by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Aging Across the United States by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Vision, the Gaze, and the Function of the Senses in “Celestina” by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book The Warsaw Ghetto in American Art and Culture by Joseph F. Byrnes
Cover of the book Thinking Together by Joseph F. Byrnes
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy