“Third Party” Catholic Reformers of the Eighteenth-Century: Between Jansenists and the Zelanti

by Shaun Blanchard This article seeks to introduce an often-overlooked group of Catholic reformers of the eighteenth-century. Traditionally mistaken for quasi-Jansenists of some kind, the “Third Party” was a loosely affiliated network of like-minded, moderate Catholics who strove for the reform of the Church, sought peace and toleration during intra-Catholic theological wars, and displayed an… Read More “Third Party” Catholic Reformers of the Eighteenth-Century: Between Jansenists and the Zelanti

Jansenism: A Rough Sketch of a Complex Phenomenon

by Shaun Blanchard In different times and places and to different people (people with various polemical purposes!), “Jansenism” has meant various things. Originally the appellation was clear: it meant someone with an attachment to the strict predestinarian theology of Cornelius Jansen, as expounded in his posthumously published book Augustinus (1640). But even aside from issues… Read More Jansenism: A Rough Sketch of a Complex Phenomenon

The Neglect of Catholic Theology From Westphalia (1648) to the Bastille (1789)

by Shaun Blanchard In this article I will first attempt to offer an explanation for why the period between the Peace of Westphalia of 1648[i] and the storming of the Bastille in 1789[ii] (although I will focus more narrowly on the eighteenth century) is relatively neglected as a source for Catholic theology. Secondly, I want… Read More The Neglect of Catholic Theology From Westphalia (1648) to the Bastille (1789)