This dissertation examines representations of Protestantism during a crucial period of legal persecution initiated by Louis XIV's Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) and concluded
during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era. Drawing on a vast variety of printed sources by Enlightenment writers, social reformers, priests, pastors, revolutionaries, and even
Napoleon Bonaparte, this dissertation examines the versatile and fungible nature of Protestantism in the wake of the Revocation. Consideration of Protestantism permitted the exploration of a
variety of pressing issues, including the role of religion in society, the perfectibility of human nature, the characteristics of an ideal citizen, secularism, pluralism, and human rights.
This study of representations of Protestants in France during the long eighteenth century-- by both Protestants and non-Protestants -- offers new insights on the Enlightenment, the French
Revolution, the Napoleonic Era, and the history of Protestantism in general. It crosses traditional chronological boundaries, building off of the latest historical scholarship and cultural
theory, to argue that an understanding of modern, progressive Protestantism emerged over the course of the eighteenth century, alongside and intertwined with the more secular minded doctrines
normally associated with the Enlightenment, culminating in the nineteenth century understanding of liberal, progressive Protestantism. As such, this dissertation argues that Protestantism
became attached to and helped shape modern ideals like commercial economics, democracy, republicanism, freedom of conscience, liberalism, progress, and the idea of modernity
itself. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / October 3, 2014. / Enlightenment, French Revolution, Protestantism, Religion / Includes bibliographical references. / Darrin M. McMahon, Professor Directing Dissertation; Rafe Blaufarb, Committee Member; George S. Williamson, Committee Member; François
Dupuigrenet-Desroussilles, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253392 |
| Contributors | Banks, Bryan (authoraut), McMahon, Darrin M. (professor directing dissertation), Porterfield, Amanda, 1947 (university representative), Blaufarb, Rafe (committee member), Williamson, George S. (committee member), Dupuigrenet Desroussilles, François, 1953- (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of History (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (232 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Coverage | Europe |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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