Feminism, absolutism, and Jansenism
Book Description
This compelling historical study reveals how a community of French nuns became unlikely champions of spiritual equality and individual autonomy in the face of royal persecution. Daniella Kostroun examines the remarkable story of the Port-Royal-des-Champs nuns, whose unwavering commitment to their religious principles led them to challenge the very foundations of absolute monarchy in seventeenth and eighteenth-century France.
The nuns found themselves at the center of a complex web of political and religious conflicts involving bishops, parliamentarians, the Crown, and the Pope. Their community was ultimately disbanded by Louis XIV in 1709, deemed a threat to state authority. Yet it was precisely their dedication to pious, disciplined religious life that enabled them to mount such an effective resistance to absolutist power.
Through their struggle, these women developed groundbreaking ideas about spiritual and rational equality between the sexes, asserting the autonomy of individual conscience against patriarchal religious and political structures. Their story demonstrates how genuine spiritual commitment can become a powerful force for social transformation and personal liberation.
Kostroun draws on diverse scholarly approaches to illuminate how gender became central to this religious movement's challenge to established authority. For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality, feminism, and social change, this work offers profound insights into how authentic religious practice can inspire revolutionary thinking about human dignity and equality.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 273 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religion
- ✓ Explore Counter-reformation
- ✓ Explore Political and social views
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Religious absolutism
- ✓ Explore Patriarchy
- ✓ Explore Church and state, history
- ✓ Explore France, politics and government
