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Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Type Figure Region France Time 1627–1704 Also known as Bossuet、Bishop of Meaux

Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet was a French Catholic bishop, theologian, and court preacher, one of the most influential religious thinkers of Louis XIV's e…

Timeline

  1. 1627–1659Dijon · BurgundyBorn in Dijon, he received theological education in Paris, was ordained a priest in 1652, and preached with outstanding eloquence in Metz and elsewhere, gradually winning the attention of senior churchmen.
  2. 1659–1681Versailles · Île-de-FranceSummoned to serve as court preacher to Louis XIV, he delivered famous series of sermons during Lent and major feasts, expounding divine right and church authority with eloquent style, becoming the king's trusted spiritual adviser.
  3. 1681–1704Meaux · Île-de-FranceAs Bishop of Meaux he continued theological writing and pastoral work, publishing works such as Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture and Exposition of the Catholic Doctrine, and took part in controversies over Gallicanism and Jansenism, consolidating his authority in the French church.

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