Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
Ramsay , Fénelon , and Madame Guyon : The Doctrine of Pure Love
In 1710 , when Ramsay arrived in France , he joined Fénelon ’ s household . 4 There he would come across two religious controversies in particular .
The first of these immediately recalled his Scottish origins : the controversy over divine grace and predestination . It was manifested in France in the series of papal condemnations of Jansenism . 5 The issue relates to the extent that human free will is involved in sin and the way that human beings will be saved : is a special grace reserved for a small number of those chosen through divine predestination , or can all humans be saved ? Ramsay would keep returning to this theme in his writing . Fénelon was fiercely opposed to the Jansenists , 6 and Ramsay opened his Anecdotes , a late autobiographical account , with the declaration that his mother had “ shown [ him ] early on the error of Calvin ’ s religion , and above all his appalling dogma of predestination .” 7 They were of the same mind . 8
However , Fénelon ’ s more direct implication in another controversial subject — Pure Love 9 — was the main reason for Ramsay to enter Fénelon ’ s circle ,
4 The key reference work for Ramsay ’ s life is G . D . Henderson , Chevalier Ramsay ( Edinburgh : Thomas Nelson and Sons , 1952 ).
5 See the preface in Catherine Maire , De la cause de Dieu à la cause de la Nation : le jansénisme au xviiie siècle ( Paris : Gallimard , 1998 ) for a summary of this controversy , inspired by the vision of Marcel Gauchet . For the influence of Saint Augustine ’ s last writings , see Bernard Quilliet , L ’ Acharnement théologique . Histoire de la grâce en Occident ( Paris : Fayard , 2007 ) especially pp . 435-556 . However , Quilliet deliberately excludes Quietism and pure love from his discussion ( see p . 523 ).
6 See Patricia Touboul , Laurence Devillairs and Alberto Frigo , eds ., Fénelon et Port-Royal , proceedings from a study day at Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés , Paris , March 2 , 2015 ( Paris : Classiques Garnier , 2017 ), especially the illuminating contribution by Alberto Frigo , “ L ’ antimysticisme de Port royal et la mystique de Fénelon ,” pp . 53-75 .
7 André-Michel Ramsay , Anecdotes de la vie de messire André de Ramsay , chevalier , baron , ou plus tost baneret d ’ Écosse , dictés par lui-même peu de jours avant sa mort , pressé par les instances réitérées de son épouze , manuscripts in the Bibliothèque Méjanes , Aix-en-Provence . ( Our translation .)
8 For example , on January 1 , 1714 , Fénelon published a Pastoral Instruction in three parts , condemning the Jansenists : Instruction pastorale de Monseigneur l ’ archevêque duc de Cambray au clergé et au peuple de son diocèse . En forme de dialogues . Divisée en trois parties . Première partie , Qui développe le système de Jansénius , sa conformité avec celui de Calvin sur la délectation et son opposition à la doctrine de Saint-Augustin . Seconde partie , qui explique les principaux ouvrages de saint Augustin sur la grâce , l ’ abus que les Jansénistes en font et l ’ opposition de leur doctrine à celle des Thomistes . Troisième partie , qui montre la nouveauté du système de Jansénius et les conséquences pernicieuses de cette doctrine contre les bonnes mœurs ( Cambrai : Douilliez , 1714 ).
9 For a more contemporary perspective on the debate , see Michel Terestchenko , “ La querelle sur le pur amour au xviie siècle entre Fénelon et Bossuet ” in Revue du MAUSS 32 ( 2008 ): 173-184 . For Mme Guyon , see Louis Guerrier , Madame Guyon , sa vie , sa doctrine , son influence ( Geneva : Slaktine , 1971 ). Ramsay offers his own view of the controversy in his Histoire de la vie de Messr . François de Salignac de La Motte-Fénélon ( The Hague , Vaillant , 1723 ). But there is also much to be gained from reading the chapter devoted to Fénelon in the stimulating and surprising work by Jacques Lebrun , Le pur amour de Platon à Lacan ( Paris : Seuil , 2002 ), pp . 117-210 .
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