Jaques Benigne Bossuet

James Coons (University of Wisconsin, Whitewater)

Ed. by Kathrina LaPorta, New York University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.03: French Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century: Classical and Baroque, 1600-1700.
Vol. editors: Heather Kirk (University of Western Ontario), Kathrina LaPorta (New York University), Polly Mangerson (DePaul University), Julia Prest (University of St Andrews), Allison Stedman (University of North Carolina, Charlotte), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born 27 Sep 1627
Died 12 Apr 1704
Activity 1647-1704

Places

Born in France
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Essayist
Religious writer

Other

Political writer

Resources

Bossuet's Works

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Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet was a major cleric (ultimately Bishop of Meaux, earning the honorific “the Eagle of Meaux”), author, orator, and courtier of seventeenth-century France. Born in Dijon on 27 September 1627, and passing in Paris on 12 April 1704, Bossuet’s life coincided closely with the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715). His career, thought, and renown not only reflected, but also influenced, major features of French faith, culture, and politics from the Sun King’s early reign through the end of the

ancien régime

. Bossuet devoted the whole of his life to the Church and the monarchy (in his mind, and in that order, the two fundamental pillars of an orderly society); consciously in service of these institutions, he cultivated an impressive intellect, a much-remarked piety, an…

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2419 words

Citation: Coons, James. "Jaques Benigne Bossuet". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 August 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=493, accessed 21 November 2024.]