JESUIT PREACHING IN PARIS, 1729-1762

Jesuit activities of the eighteenth century were varied and received many interpretations, both contemporary and recent. To some, they were promoters of the Enlightenment; to others, tools of the papacy; to others, scoundrels. Yet one source has been ignored--Jesuit sermons. This dissertation studies sermons given in Paris by six Jesuit preachers from 1729, the arrival of a new archbishop, to 1762, the suppression in France.; In the first chapter, general information about Jesuit formation is given, together with a brief biography of each preacher. The following chapter takes up the sermon tradition and focuses on Bourdaloue, especially for his emphasis on moral virtues. The chapter then shows how his principles were expanded in sermon manuals and closes with an analysis of these techniques in one sermon, "On Education" by Charles Neuville.; Having seen the medium, the dissertation now examines the message since the next three chapters explore the views of man, society, and religion. The preachers focused on virtues and vices and used death as a teacher of what is important. They often decried their own times, instructed the rich about their duties, and described the roles of parents and women. They encouraged the king to follow the example of Louis IX and provide for all "in the most beautiful kingdom of the universe." As for religion, they presented God as father, protector, and judge; while for the Christ, they preached the nativity and the passion. Little attention was given the authority of the church and some types of devotion--the rosary, Mary, St. Joseph, and Sacred Heart, although they promoted frequent communion, confession, the saints of the early church and the Counter-Reformation. Unlike Bourdaloue, they included an apologetic sermon.; In conclusion, they neither fostered the Enlightenment nor attacked the Jansenists while the morality presented to the people of Paris was a demanding one. Since the sermons were concerned with public behavior, they may be described as a form of social control; but much more, they provided social integration for those who chose to accept the meaning and value of their message.