French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Chédozeau, Le Nouveau Testament autour de Port-Royal. Traductions, commentaires et études (1697-fin du XVIIIe siècle)
History, Politics and Society
Bibliographic reference: Bernard Chédozeau, Le Nouveau Testament autour de Port-Royal. Traductions, commentaires et études (1697-fin du XVIIIe siècle), Honoré Champion, collection "Lumière classique, 95", 2012. EAN13: 9782745324061. 344 pages. 70 EUR
Publisher's presentation:
Following La Bible et la liturgie en français (Cerf, 1990), Port-Royal et la Bible (Nolin, 2007), and L’Univers biblique catholique au siècle de Louis XIV (Champion), this volume completes the history of Bible publication in French by presenting Catholic translations of the New Testament other than those associated with Port-Royal. At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous translations and commentaries emerged, seeking to meet various needs aligned with the authors' spiritual traditions or unique perspectives (such as Richard Simon’s critical reading or translations "for ordinary people"). France thus possessed an exceptionally rich corpus of biblical and liturgical translations and commentaries.
Several theological and political studies help clarify a number of specific issues.
Readers will appreciate the significance of the work carried out by the scholars of Port-Royal—along with the role they ascribed to the laity—while also understanding the reasons behind the often profound reservations expressed by the Church, which remained cautious on the subject for a long time.
Bernard Chédozeau was born in 1937. An agrégé in literature and holder of a Doctorat d’État, he pursued a dual career as an Academy Inspector (I.P.R.) and a historian of religious ideas.
This volume contributes to the broader historical understanding of vernacular scripture dissemination in early modern France, a period marked by intense theological debate and shifting relations between ecclesiastical authorities and the reading public. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the publication of religious texts became a site of significant intellectual negotiation involving diverse spiritual traditions, critical methodologies, and pastoral aims. Scholars and theologians continually reinterpreted sacred writings to address the spiritual needs of various audiences, producing an extensive body of literature that reflected complex doctrinal positions within the Catholic Church.
Readers interested in the history of religious thought, the dissemination of biblical texts in early modern France, and the intellectual legacy of Port-Royal may find this study relevant. Bernard Chédozeau presents Catholic translations of the New Testament other than those associated with Port-Royal, along with commentaries and several theological and political studies. The volume completes the history of Bible publication in French by addressing the diverse perspectives of authors such as Richard Simon and exploring the cautious stance maintained by the Church.