Génie du christianisme
Encyclopedia
Génie du christianisme is a work by the French author François-René de Chateaubriand
, written during his exile in England in the 1790s as a defence of the Catholic Christian religion, then under attack during the French Revolution
. It was first published in France in 1802, after Chateaubriand had taken advantage of the amnesty
Napoleon issued to émigré
s, which had allowed him to return to his home country in 1800. Napoleon, who had just signed the Concordat
with the pope, initially made use of Chateaubriand's book as propaganda to win support among French Catholics. Within five years, he had quarrelled with the author and sent him into internal exile
. In Génie du christianisme, Chateaubriand defends the wisdom and beauty of Christianity against the attacks on it by French Enlightenment
philosophers and revolutionary politicians. The book had an immense influence on nineteenth century culture and not just on religious life. In fact, it might be said its greatest impact was on art
and literature
: it was a major inspiration for the Romantic
movement.
faith of his childhood. He felt that France had lost its way during the Enlightenment period, when leading intellectuals such as Voltaire
had been intensely hostile to traditional religion. In this work, Chateaubriand aims to prove that "Christianity comes from God, because it is excellent". With this objective in mind, he is particularly interested in the artistic contributions of the Christian religion, comparing them with ancient and pagan civilisations. The principal theme of the book is that "only Christianity is able to explain progress in arts and letters". Chateaubriand accuses the writers of the eighteenth century of misunderstanding God. He makes an exception for Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, who had "a shadow of religion". So, for Chateaubriand, Voltaire is an inferior playwright to Racine
because Voltaire was not a Christian.
The original edition of Génie du christianisme also contained two novella
s by Chateaubriand, René and Atala
, which he had extracted from his unpublished prose epic, Les Natchez. These achieved a great deal of fame and Chateaubriand published them separately.
style, but early Romantic
in sensibility, it glorified new sources of inspiration, such as Gothic architecture
and the great epics of the Middle Ages
. Many critics consider Chateaubriand's vivid powers of description have worn better than the strength of his philosophical arguments. As David Cairns writes: "Beyond its specific purpose, Génie du christianisme set a current of sympathy flowing between the author and a whole generation of young French men and women, kindling their imaginations over a wide range of feelings and ideas: the power of the great epic writers, Nature in its immense diversity and grandeur, the poetry of ruins, the spell of the distant past, the beauty of immemorial popular rituals and the haunting melancholy of the music accompanying them, the pangs of awakening consciousness and the perils and ardours of the solitary adolescent soul. More than any other work, it was the primer of early French Romanticism." Besides this, the book served as a model for the renewal of French Catholicism
, inspiring numerous authors, including Dom Guéranger and Félicité Robert de Lamennais.
François-René de Chateaubriand
François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian. He is considered the founder of Romanticism in French literature.-Early life and exile:...
, written during his exile in England in the 1790s as a defence of the Catholic Christian religion, then under attack during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. It was first published in France in 1802, after Chateaubriand had taken advantage of the amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
Napoleon issued to émigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
s, which had allowed him to return to his home country in 1800. Napoleon, who had just signed the Concordat
Concordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
with the pope, initially made use of Chateaubriand's book as propaganda to win support among French Catholics. Within five years, he had quarrelled with the author and sent him into internal exile
Internal Exile
Internal Exile was Fish's second solo album after leaving Marillion in 1988. The album, released 28 October 1991, was inspired by the singer's past, his own personal problems and his troubled experiences with his previous record label EMI.The album's music reflects Fish's indulgence in the vast...
. In Génie du christianisme, Chateaubriand defends the wisdom and beauty of Christianity against the attacks on it by French Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
philosophers and revolutionary politicians. The book had an immense influence on nineteenth century culture and not just on religious life. In fact, it might be said its greatest impact was on art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
: it was a major inspiration for the Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
movement.
The work
The book emerged from Chateaubriand's attempt to understand the causes of the French Revolution, which had led to the death of many of his friends and family members. Some time in the late 1790s, Chateaubriand had reconverted to the CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
faith of his childhood. He felt that France had lost its way during the Enlightenment period, when leading intellectuals such as Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
had been intensely hostile to traditional religion. In this work, Chateaubriand aims to prove that "Christianity comes from God, because it is excellent". With this objective in mind, he is particularly interested in the artistic contributions of the Christian religion, comparing them with ancient and pagan civilisations. The principal theme of the book is that "only Christianity is able to explain progress in arts and letters". Chateaubriand accuses the writers of the eighteenth century of misunderstanding God. He makes an exception for Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, who had "a shadow of religion". So, for Chateaubriand, Voltaire is an inferior playwright to Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
because Voltaire was not a Christian.
Structure and contents
Chateaubriand divided Génie du christianisme into four parts:- Part One: Dogmas and Doctrine. Divided into six books: Mysteries and Sacraments; Virtues and Moral Laws; Truth of the Scriptures, the Fall of Man; Truth of the Scriptures (Continued), Objections against the Moral System of Moses; the Existence of God proved by the Marvels of Nature: Immortality of the Soul, proved by Morals and Sentiments.
- Part Two: The Poetry of Christianity. Divided into five books: General Survey of Christian Epics; Poetry in Relation to Human Characters; Poetry in Relation to Human Passions (Continued); On the Marvellous, or Poetry in Relation to Supernatural Beings; the Bible and Homer.
- Part Three: Fine Arts and Literature. Divided into five books: Fine Arts; Philosophy; History; Eloquence; Harmonies of the Christian Religion with Scenes of Nature and the Passions of the Human Heart.
- Part Four: Ritual. Divided into six books: Churches, Ornaments, Singing, Prayers, Solemnities, etc.; Tombs; General Survey of the Clergy; Missions; Military Orders or Chivalry; Services Rendered to Society by the Clergy and the Christian Religion in General.
The original edition of Génie du christianisme also contained two novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s by Chateaubriand, René and Atala
Atala (novella)
Atala is an early novella by François-René de Chateaubriand, first published on 12 germinal IX . The work, inspired by his travels in North America, had an immense impact on early Romanticism, and went through five editions in its first year...
, which he had extracted from his unpublished prose epic, Les Natchez. These achieved a great deal of fame and Chateaubriand published them separately.
Influence
Génie du christianisme had a considerable influence on the history of literary and religious ideas in nineteenth century France. Written in a ClassicalClassics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
style, but early Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
in sensibility, it glorified new sources of inspiration, such as Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and the great epics of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Many critics consider Chateaubriand's vivid powers of description have worn better than the strength of his philosophical arguments. As David Cairns writes: "Beyond its specific purpose, Génie du christianisme set a current of sympathy flowing between the author and a whole generation of young French men and women, kindling their imaginations over a wide range of feelings and ideas: the power of the great epic writers, Nature in its immense diversity and grandeur, the poetry of ruins, the spell of the distant past, the beauty of immemorial popular rituals and the haunting melancholy of the music accompanying them, the pangs of awakening consciousness and the perils and ardours of the solitary adolescent soul. More than any other work, it was the primer of early French Romanticism." Besides this, the book served as a model for the renewal of French Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, inspiring numerous authors, including Dom Guéranger and Félicité Robert de Lamennais.
External links
- Génie du christianisme full text, digitized by Google Books.