Civil Constitution of the Clergy

civilian typography of the ClergyThe Impact on the cultivated character of the Clergy, 1790The cut politics completed its subordination of the Roman Catholic church service service in France on July 12, 1790. The study Assembly passed the polite formation of the Clergy. This was a culmination of events of the Catholic Church meeting contrary from the french g all overnment. The Catholic Church already faced the abolishment of tithes as surface as nationalization of totally property they exampled for revenue in 1789. preeminent up to the actual Civil governance, monastic vows were forbidden. Only ecclesiastical orders that dealt with children and treat the sick were kept intact, all others were dissolved. Motivations for these changes to the french Catholic Church atomic number 18 question qualified. They could consume been sparked by the french governments impending bankruptcy, or the tithes systems abuse.The Civil character of the Clergy was a dramatic reorga nization of the clergy. The number of bishops was drastically decreased from nonpareil coke and thirty five to eighty three. Each of the new bishops and priests were mandatory to be elected topical anaestheticly by their constituents, removing the popes authority over the clergys appointment. to a cast down place the Civil Constitution, the bishops and priests had to swear an hex of loyalty to the new order and the Constitution. style II, Article XXII of the Civil Constitution states, The bishop elect shall take a solemn curse word in the figurehead of the municipal officers, of the people, and of the clergy to guard with boot the faithful of his diocese who are confided to him, to be loyal to the nation, the law, and the king, and to persist with all his power the constitution decreed by the National Assembly and accredited by the King1. This swearing of the profanity caused great debate.pope Pius VI refused to endure any provisions of the Civil Constitution. Louis XV I sent many an(prenominal) letters to the pope complaining that he had to popularly accept the Civil Constitution. He suggested that the Pope Pius VI appease the National Assembly and accept a rough articles. On December 26, 1790, Louis XVI granted his open assent despite the Popes acceptance because of pressure from the National Assembly. The next month, administrations of the swearword began, drastically diminishing the numbers of the clergy. Half of the clergy and only seven of the be bishops swore an oath of loyalty. A schism was created within the Catholic Church as Pope Pius VI denounced the Civil Constitution. One side of the split took the oath and was known as the constitutional clergy. Those that agreed with the Popes denouncement became non jurors or stubborn priests they faced dismissal, deportation, and death for their actions.To understand more upon the match of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy on the French Catholic Church one examined a few account ma sss on the subject. The first was published in 1986 by the Princeton University Press. Timothy Tackett wrote Religion, rotary motion, and regional Culture in Eighteenth-Century France The Ecclesiastical expletive of 1791, a four hundred and twenty five p maturate book. Tackett is an the Statesn historian specializing in the French Revolution he has published a few books on opposite aspects of trust in the French Revolution. This particular book focuses on explaining the geographics of oath taking in France, which regions were most likely to take the oath and why.In Timothy Tacketts Religion, and Regional Culture in Eighteenth-Century France The Ecclesiastical lad of 1791, he makes convert arguments that many take hold come to respect and others that nominate yet to be con self-coloureded. Tackett is able to accomplish this through his use of abundant archival and printed generators. In arguing his thesis, geography of oath taking, he argues that the clergys ideology, their beliefs, denominational influences, and constituency influences, is the most important deciding factor. Tackett finds that reactions to the oath usually varied depending on the region. In an area where protestant enclaves were present, it was more than likely that the local clergy would be opposed to the oath. On the other hand, in areas where there was a presence of local Jansenism or the Cures opposed Episcopal power, he found that the local clergy tended to take the oath. Tackett understands that no argument is a strong argument with come forward mention of the opposition. With that said, it was only right for him to mention other possible influences on the reactions to the oath. otherwise minor influences on the regional reactions to the oath could have also been attitudes towards the Revolution, age and social origin of the bishops. According to Tackett social origin is defined as cultural and semipolitical distance from the center of France.When discussing the importance of the Oath, Tackett says, it is one of those genuinely particular kinds of historicly happenings, with the potential for sharply jolting the whole historical landscape2. He did not believe that the Oath of 1791 was the only shape factor of Frances rich history. In addition to the oath, he also credit the Churchs role in society as well as the kinship mingled with Church and body politic to be the reason for the laicite seen in forward-looking day France. Tackett comes to this conclusion by the uncanny coincidence between the regions reactions to the oath and apparitional serves divided by areas.Timothy Tacketts book was a laborsaving source in the area of clear analysis of the factors that played a role in the reactions to the Oath of 1791. Through this analytical work, the reader is able to understand the tinct of the oath and ultimately how it shaped France. While implemental in some areas, Tacketts book is lacking in synthesizing his analysis with a clear conclusion. Th is leaves issues of the development of Frances sacred history unanswered. Some of the conclusions drawn were not fully developed and some times unclear, which gives the reader the idea that he may not have fully understood the entire plan or maybe his sources were lacking in these rattling areas. Tackett builds up his arguments to support his thesis on the geography of oath taking, moreover loses momentum.The next book studied was published in 1996 by Yale University Press. The unearthly Origins of the French Revolution From Calvin to the Civil Constitution, 1560-1791 is a three hundred and ninety page book written by Dale vanguard Kley. new wave Kley is an American historian who is outmatch known for this prize-wining book. His work has focused on the contributions that Augustinian theology made to the know directge and the French Revolution. He is a professor of History at Ohio State University. In the Religious Origins, avant-garde Kley explores the diverse spectral st rands of Jansenism that influence political events up to the revolution, claiming that the efforts to dechristianize the French state and citizens had long- boundary religious origins.Van Kley shows that French royal absolutism was a product and then a accident of religious employment using a wealth of pristine sources. He studies a great number of individual bishops and clergy, their views, and sympathies. The applicable religious conflict that he discusses is the Jansenism- related conflicts in the eighteenth century that helped to desacralize the monarchy along with the French Catholic clergy. This conflict was a direct contribution to the revolution because it led to parties that were of a political and religious nature. The Patriot party was a replacing to the Jansenist party. The rhetoric of such parties affected the content of the revolutionary political culture. The Civil Constitution eliminated the clergy itself as a visibly independent corps, this ideological combinin g hastened the interiorization of religion and the states monopolization of public functions, a tendency long ostensible in judicial Jansenism itself3. Before the clergy had a role in public functions, but Jansenism supported this separation of religion into the private sphere and government control of the public sphere that was made by the Civil Constitution. Van Kley, indebts the revolutionary political culture to the varieties of French Catholicism. It was strongly influenced by the clamber between rival notions of the good society. The ultra-montanist Catholicism of the Jesuits supported the sacral monarchy. However, the Jansenists lucky a contractual political order. Jansenists could have congratulated themselves that the Civil Constitution implemented Episcopal residence, instituted clerical elections, nearly nullified papal influence banished unconditional government4. The Jansenists defense of a contractual political order over a sacral monarchy seems to have led to thes e provisions of the Civil Constitution.This source was less helpful in exploring the topic, because it was narrowly focused. Van Kleys attitude was evidently prejudiced against the Jesuits, as he portrayed them as the leadership of sacral monarchy and the Jansenist oppression. He describes Jansenist opposition and criticism of Catholicism. His interpretation of religions influence on the French revolution was extremely limited however, he should be praised for shedding joyous on the importance of religion in the French revolution. He adds a major strand to the debate on the origins of the French Revolution. Despite, its innovative addition, Van Kley limits his focus to the Jansenists role as the chief force behind opposition the French monarchy. He states, Some if not all of the content of the Civil Constitution was the culmination of a century of Jansenist efforts at ecclesiastical mitigate5. Jansenist position seems to be of exaggerated importance. He also seems to leave out t he Catholic features of Jansenism, and more likens them to Calvinistics. He demonstrates how Jansenism inspired a fundament Calvinist break with Catholic discourse and worship. This book was a tough reading, with a lot material through primary sources. However, its focus on Jansenism serves more as giving another side to the traditional story rather than convincing many of religions influence in the French Revolution.Nigel Aston wrote four hundred and thirty five pages on the Religion and Revolution in France, 1780 1804. Aston is Reader in History at the University of Leicester. This book is a wide survey of the religious history of France from the eve of the Revolution through the early years of the 19th century.Using a vast array of secondary materials and printed sources, Aston creates a comprehensive survey of the religious history of France. He begins his text with discussing the special privileges of the Catholic clergy as well as the principles of Gallicanism, Jansenism , and Richerism, the strains of Catholicism that would fuel the revolt of the lower clergy against the bishops of the Estates General. There were deep social and economic divisions within the clergy. Aston also notes the religious diversity in France. He writes, Geography is crucial6 when discussing the variations in clerical density, religious fervor, and ecclesiastical revenues from province to province. Aston also includes deposeation on the treatment aboard male clergy of women in religious orders. His second chapter analyzes the diverse beliefs and practices of the clergy and laity. He tangle the French laity remained overwhelmingly attached to the Catholic faith and practice7. He is rejecting the idea that the French populace showed signs of secularization and questions the thesis of a desacralization of the monarchy. Aston also includes a chapter on other denominations in the late previous(a) Regime.The second part of his book focuses on the relationship between religion and Revolution, exclusively on Catholicism and builds on his earlier work. He blames the leaders of the Constituent Assembly for the terrible religious divisions which marked the Revolutionary period. Events would have taken a more moderate course and scores of thousands of lives would have been saved8if the oath was not required. Also, if the leaders would have permitted the convocation of a National Council of the French clergy to ratify the revolutionary reorganization a less radical course would have been taken. Instead the Civil Constitution of the Clergy led to a break in the church by forcing clergy to choose between the church and the state. Faced with what was crudely reduced to a stark choice between religion and revolution, half the adult population rejected revolution9.The last relevant division of the book focuses on the aftermath of the Civil Constitution and the semiofficial policy of dechristianization. Most native French had no choice but to put up with the change s imposed by urban-based politicians the non compliant risked death by their determination not to abandon their Christian faith10. Other chapters in this section focused on how anticlericalism triggered European opposition to the Revolution more than the finish to kill Louis XVI. He also explored the Constitutional Church and Catholic opponents of the Revolution.Aston was a helpful source as it seemed to cover all aspects of religion and the French Revolution. Its broad coverage treated Protestants and Jews alongside the Catholics. This is unique as the term religion when regarding the revolution is conflated with Catholicism in most studies. This book was very readable striking a balance between tax write-off and detail. However, some of Astons conclusions lack strength because opposing stances were omitted. For instance, his sole blame on the leaders of the Assembly for the schism created by the Civil Constitution underestimates the impact of Pope Pius VI. The pope was uncomprom ising and rejected the Civil Constitution as well as the ideals of the revolution.When researching this topic, I would have to first seek Astons source to inform me. The comprehensive study was so helpful in getting a whole understanding of the subject. Although, he did underestimate Pope Pius VIs influence in the break between the French Catholic Church, he did bring up elements not previously discussed. However he did have the benefit, of having publications such as Tacketts to elaborate upon, as well as John McManners short synthesis of 1968. From a non expert point of view this book was very readable, and had much(prenominal) detail and evidence to back conclusions. It explained the atmosphere before, during, and after the Civil Constitution which is useful in figuring out the implications of the Civil Constitution.However, I wouldnt use Van Kleys book again. It was least helpful in giving a whole explanation on the impact of the Civil Constitution on the French revolution. It was very one-sided, and the information was hard to understand. Only experts, with a firm knowledge on the religious influences of the Revolution would benefit from reading this source, as they would be able to understand his point of view. However, Van Kley must take up credit for being a pioneer in his subject. His work influenced many works that came after that had information on Jansenism. I just did not receive the full picture of the Civil Constitutions impact and how other denominations were concerned.to a greater extent synthesis needs to be done on this topic to real get the full gist of the importance of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Van Kleys view should be incorporated with the main historical narrative of the impact of the Civil Constitution and not disregarded as Jansenism focused and because irrelevant. Also Pope Pius VIs influence needs to be studied. Instead of laborious to argue the importance of one side of the debate, each aspect that had an impact ne eds to be dissected and expanded upon. More analysis of primary sources and empirical data will only be helpful to the subject. schooling these three books by Tackett, Van Kley, and Aston is a great start in understanding the impact of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.BibliographyAston, Nigel. Religion and Revolution in France, 1780-1804. Washington, DC Catholic University of America Press, 2000.Perry, Jonathan. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Hanover Historical Texts Project. 2001. Nov 16 2009. .Tackett, Timothy. Religion, Revolution, and Regional Culture in Eighteenth-Century France The Ecclesiastical Oath of 1791. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1986.Van Kley, Dale. The Religious Origins of the French Revolution From Calvin to the Civil Constitution, 1560-1791. reinvigorated oasis Yale University Press, 1996.1 Perry, Jonathan. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Hanover Historical Texts Project. 2001. Nov 16 2009. .2 Tackett, Timothy. Religion, Revolution, an d Regional Culture in Eighteenth-Century France The Ecclesiastical Oath of 1791. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1986. pg. vx.3 Van Kley, Dale. The Religious Origins of the French Revolution From Calvin to the Civil Constitution, 1560-1791. New Haven Yale University Press, 1996. pg. 3624 IBID. pg. 3535 Van Kley, Dale. The Religious Origins of the French Revolution From Calvin to the Civil Constitution,1560-1791. New Haven Yale University Press, 1996. pg. 336.6 Aston, Nigel. Religion and Revolution in France, 1780-1804. Washington, DC Catholic University of America Press, 2000. pg. 48.7 IBID. pg. 56.8 IBID. pg. 161.9 Aston, Nigel. Religion and Revolution in France, 1780-1804. Washington, DC Catholic University ofAmerica Press, 2000. pg. 162.10 IBID. pg. 194.