Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet summary

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Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, (born Sept. 25, 1627, Dijon, France—died April 12, 1704, Paris), French bishop. Ordained a priest in 1652, he gained a reputation as a great orator and popular preacher. In 1681 he became bishop of Meaux. He was the most eloquent and influential spokesman for the rights of the French church against papal authority in the 17th century. He is now chiefly remembered for his literary works, including funeral panegyrics.

Roman Catholicism Summary

Roman Catholicism, Christian religion that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, it is one of the three major branches of Christianity. It is led by the pope, as the bishop of Rome, and the Holy See forms the

Christianity Summary

Christianity, major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century ce. It has become the largest of the world’s religions and, geographically, the most widely diffused of all faiths. It has a constituency of

Gallicanism Summary

Gallicanism, a complex of French ecclesiastical and political doctrines and practices advocating restriction of papal power; it characterized the life of the Roman Catholic Church in France at certain periods. Despite its several varieties, Gallicanism consisted of three basic ideas: independence