Henri Bremond

Henri Bremond (July 31st 1865 with Aix-en-Provence - August 17th 1933 with Arthez-with Asson) is a man of the church, Historien and critical French arts person.

Wire of a notary who had 5 children: four boys Emile, Henri, Jean and André and a Marguerite girl. He makes his studies with the college of the Sacred Heart where younger Charles Maurras 3 years is also raises. With that Ci it was to bind, a few years later cordial reports/ratios which were to be transformed little by little into a violent and reciprocal antipathy. The father Pralon Jesuit at that time had a great influence on him.

At 17 years, it decides to return to the Society of Jesus; two of his/her brothers, Jean and André, will be also Jesuits. For that it must go to England in Devonshire in Sidmouth where the establishments of noviciate of the Jesuits are who have to fold up themselves there following the measurements taken against this congregation in 1880. It is initiated with the language and the English literature.

He teaches in Dole, Moulins, Saint-Etienne and Villefranche-sur-Saône with the college of Mongé. There it had as a pupil Pierre Teilhard of Chardin which it describes as semi-sparkling little genius of intelligence. It is ordered priest the 9/8/1892. From 1894 he collaborates regularly in the famous review Etudes Jesuit of which he becomes the writer of 1900 to 1903 and publishes various articles. He pronounces his wishes the 2/2/1900.

He binds friendship with Maurice Barrès, met fortuitously in 1900 in Athens on scaffolding assembled for work of restoration of the Parthenon. The 7/10/1901 it meets George Tyrrell, Anglican converted with Catholicism, from which will be born a deep friendship.

Its temperament non conformist pushes it to leave the Society of Jesus the 2/2/1904, which enables him to be devoted fully to its literary work. Mgr François Bonnifay, archbishop of Aix-en-Provence, the fact of attaching to its diocese. It goes to London where it meets the baron Von Hugël then with Richemont where it finds Tyrrel. It invites this last in the Vinon-on-Verdon (VAr) in its family property of Boutre.

The various connections with Maurice Blondel, the baron Von Hugël and especially the Jesuit anlais Tyrrel give to Henri Bremond the feeling to remain suspect with the eyes of the religious authorities. Indeed the 7/15/1907 George Tyrrel died of the continuations of an attack; the bishop refuses the catholic funeral to him. Henri Bremond who had assisted his friend in the last moments, followed his funerals and made a short address. He was suspended by the religious authorities and was reinstated that after résipiscence. He studies poetry, the romanticism and symbolism. He is elected with the French Academy on April 19th, 1923 by 17 votes against 12 with Camille Jullian.

The first works which it published deals with the questions touching with the religion and spirituality. About 1909 it decides to be devoted to a great project to which it was to devote the essence of its forces: the drafting of literary sound History of the religious feeling in France since the wars of religion until our days. The method of the Bremond abbot was innovative enough for the time. Indeed, he did not want to make a religious history of the literature, or a history of the religion. Its ambition was to show the religious feeling , i.e. the way in which the believers live their religion, through the literary life. Its objective was to cover the whole of the literature of 16th at the 20th century, but Henri Bremond stuck and was delayed too much being studied 17th, and in particular on of the Jansénisme, to be able to finish his work.

The publication of the first volumes of its literary history of the religious feeling gets a certain notoriety to him what enables him to be éli with the French Academy with the armchair of Mgr Duchesne by 17 votes against 12 votes with Camille Jullian. It is received the 5/22/1924 by Henry Bordeaux. The 10/24/1925, in charge of the traditional reading for the public meeting, he wondered about pure poetry. HE started on this topic a campaign which will be worth the support of Paul Valéry to him. According to him, poetry like all other arts, aspires to join the prayer, from where its book " Prayer and poésie".

While keeping its residence inhabitant of Béarn, it settles with 16 rue chanoiness in Paris where it will often meet Paul Valéry which wrote superb pages on him in its " speech on Henri Bremond " : (it) could carry in the examination of a text and the clearing of an intention, this perspicacity, this penetration of the glance which the practice of the confession develops, the exercise of the research of the bottom of the heart at the others and in oneself-même." (Works of Paul Valery, library of the pleiad volume 1 p.763/769).

The Méjanes library in Aix-en-Provence has funds very rich including/understanding the manuscripts of the literary history of the religious feelings, the apology for Fénelon, and the Tempête abbot.

Emile Groichot, deceased in 2003, specialist in the work of Bremond wrote a remarkable study entitled: " Henti Bremond, hunger of Dieu"

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