Natural Religion and Politics in the French Revolution

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Damien Tricoire
• Subject Area: Early Modern History
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437201489

In the years 1793-1799, French revolutionary elites started an unpreceded experiment: they endeavoured to return to a natural and reasonable religion by establishing new cults (Cult of Reason, Cult of the Supreme Being, Theophilanthropy). The research project will explore the history of such efforts in the perspective of religious and political history, which has never been done before in any depth. It will study the following phenomena: iconoclasm; book burning; creation of cultic communities; conversion and rebuilding of churches; ceremonies and rituals; rivalries between cultic communities; resistance to the deistic reform endeavours; links between deistic reform efforts and political conflicts. The project will thus link intellectual, religious and political history. It will study the interactions between religious movements and political parties, and ask whether the new cults were popular. “Natural religion and politics in the French Revolution“ will also develop comparatist perspectives with the radical reformation endeavours of the 16th and 17th centuries.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Pierre Serna