Théophilanthropie

The Théophilantropie is a worship born during the French revolution, which wanted to find an alternative to the dechristianization by proposing the worship of a “natural” religion, with the “Friends of God and of the men”.

Birth of the théophilanthropie

The founder of the théophilantropie is Jean-Baptiste Way-Dupontes, known as " Way fils" , born about 1760 and died about 1852. Undoubtedly wire of bookseller, Chemin made studies of theology to the seminar and is bookseller in Paris when the Revolution bursts. It is at that time in relation to the abbot Claude Fauchet (1744-1793), in favor of a national Catholicism and future constitutional bishop of the Calvados.

Moderate partisan of the Revolution, Chemin publishes his own patriotic booklets, often concerned of neutrality:

the Friend of the young patriots
the morals of the sans-culottes
For and against
the republican Alphabet (year II), kind of catechism of the To be supreme and the natural religion

After the 9-Thermidor, it lines up as regards moderated republican, and launches the idea, in September 1796, of a family worship, deist and humanitarian, whom it names “théoanthropophilie”. It publishes the Manuel then of it. This new worship is a certain success in Paris, in particular near Valentine Haüy, which launches the worship with him in December 1796, under the name of “Théophilanthropie”.

Philosophical principles

The ideas are specified in the Manuel théophilanthropes . The théophilanthropie wants to be to be a religion " raisonnable" , having the advantages of the old religions without the disadvantages, that is to say an innate religion with the Man, bases of all the worships of the ground. The théophilanthropie would make it possible to reconcile the men and the Churches, because any metaphysical or theological discussion is proscribed. Only two “socially useful” dogmas are retained: the existence of God and the immortality of the heart.

The morals of this new worship is founded on the natural laws, the conscience judging the Good and the Evil, like on the duties of the man towards his similar and its fatherland.

Practical of the worship

The théophilanthropie is practiced in the form of a family worship and public ceremonies: “religious holidays and morals”, in temples decorated with inscriptions morals and with a stripped furnace bridge, evocations with the “Father of Nature”, examinations of conscience, anthems, readings etc…

The religious and moral Code of the théophilanthropes , written in year VI, takes again the principal texts of the group.

The first worship takes place in January 1797 in the church Co.-Catherine in Paris, in front of the families of the founders and the pupils of Haüy. The important multitude requires one second meeting. The théophilanthropie meets the fast adhesion of some policies, like Dupont de Nemours (1739-1817), Goupil de Préfelne (appointed with the Council of Old), or the painter David. The support given by Révellière-Lépeaux, one of the Directors, gives his notoriety to the movement. As from April 1797, he intends to reinforce the Republic by replacing Catholicism by another religion. Arrive then the supports of Bernardin of Saint-Pierre, Marie-Joseph de Chénier (1769-1811), Thomas Paine (1737-1809).

Development of the théophilanthropie

The movement takes an increasingly anticatholic connotation as it is joined by advanced patriots. The group opens schools and receives the authorization to exert its worship in 19 Parisian churches, jointly with the constitutional and refractory worships. There is also a development of the théophilanthropie in province. The development is stopped by the will to give in value the decadal worship (François de Neufchâteau, min. of the Interior)

There is then an attempt to start again the activities by privileging the philosophical character of the worship, under the name of “theists” (kind of open masonry), but that does not function.

The meetings are prohibited by a decree of the 12 Vendémiaire year X (October 4th, 1801) in the national buildings (churches). The worship is completely prohibited in March 1803. Certain theists groups perdurent some time in province, in particular in the Yonne.

Jean-Baptiste Chemin turns over then to the Franc-Maçonnerie (it is worthy Cabin of the Seven Scot joined together in 1815 and member of the Great East of France). He undoubtedly finishes his life as Master of pension.

There is an attempt to make reappear the théophilanthropie at the end of the 19th century, by Joseph December, known as December-Alonnier (1831-1906), bookseller enough dishonest person who especially tried to transform a spiritual current into commercial seam near the freemasons and of the occultists. This attempt is very anticlerical. (1882, theophilanthropic foundation of the Central committee).

Random links: