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Crown, Church and Episcopate under
Louis XIV Joseph Bergin
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This monographic study
is an elegant and eloquent account of the power, character and mentalite of the French church under Louis XIV and of its
relationship to the crown and other elite institutions. Bergin also fills a
gap in our understanding of the personal rule of Louis XIV, for the church
was vital to the functioning of the ancient regime and the period cannot be
understood without integrating this element into the story. Joseph Bergin explores
the king's practice of appointing qualified and worthy men as bishops, and of
the difficulties and tensions inherent in it. Candidates generally began
their careers with theology degrees and graduated to minor clerical
positions, where they might gain valuable, practical experience, prior to
their appointment as relatively mature men. Rarely were archbishops chosen
who had not served as bishops, but appeal was to be found in family credit as
well as demonstrable ability. The author explains the provenance of this
system, illustrating it with numerous well-drawn examples and examining it in
detail. In addition he accounts for the deficiencies of this elastic policy
of appointment, which occasioned a group of some 120 bishops, not all of whom
the king and his advisers could have personal knowledge. This important,
magisterial book uncovers a crucial part of the reign of Louis XIV and is
essential for anyone with a serious interest in early modern French
history. Joseph Bergin is Professor of
History at the |
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