Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 85:2 (Fall 2023)
Article: Beaucoup Plus Pasteur Que Théologien: Huguenot Pastor And Professor Pierre Jurieu (1637–1713) And His Polemics In Context
Author: Young Joon Chae

Beaucoup Plus Pasteur Que Théologien:
Huguenot Pastor And Professor Pierre Jurieu (1637–1713) And His Polemics In Context

Young Joon Chae

In his time, Pierre Jurieu (1637–1713) was a prominent figure. Why then has such a figure as Pierre Jurieu been largely forgotten? A number of possibilities exist, including logistical and linguistic issues and being overshadowed by his lifetime rival, Pierre Bayle. Moreover, scholarship tends toward a reception of Jurieu that is critically appreciative at best, regarding him as radical, intolerant, or irascible. An example of such critical appreciation comes from Elisabeth Labrousse, who said that Jurieu was “much more a pastor than theologian,” a statement that was meant to commend his pastoral work yet criticize his theology. The aim of this dissertation is to reframe the general, overall perspective on Pierre Jurieu, giving attention to Jurieu as a Huguenot minister, a “Pastor and Professor of Theology.” Focus will be on understanding Jurieu as both a Huguenot and as a refugee, with priority on his identity as a Huguenot. Further, examination of his anti-Catholic polemics will consider issues that were particularly relevant to the religious milieu of France. Also, in viewing the disputes that Jurieu had within his Reformed communion, this work will examine how the ecclesiastical structure shaped those debates. In his most infamous dispute with Pierre Bayle, two issues, namely liberty of conscience and political thought, are reframed in light of Jurieu as a pastor to the Huguenots. Liberty of conscience for Jurieu was the freedom to pursue true religion rather than the rights of the erring conscience of Bayle. Further, the monarchomach position of Jurieu versus the absolute royalism of Bayle was driven not only by his millenarian timetable but also by a desire for the total reformation of France. Recognizing the life and works of Jurieu as the outworking of his pastoral call sets a fitting framework for future scholarship on Jurieu.