The Evolution of Unitarianism in France
By Jean-Louis Buchert, translation by Bruce Epstein
Our Hungarian brother Asvanyi Tibor has asked us to describe how Unitarianism was established in France, what is its credo and what do French Unitarians believe. We will reply a bit generally, since the history of our spiritual movement could fill several books.
To begin, let’s note that the history of these fellowships is particularly centered in the North-East of France.
In the 16th century, the Reformer Michael Servetus came to live in France. He would be burned at the stake by Calvin in 1550.
The Reformer Nicolas Antoine of Lorraine (1602-1632) espoused a thesis approximately the same as the Szombatos of Transylvania: Yeshua was Jewish. He only wanted to reform Judaism by casting off the customs borrowed from Middle-eastern paganism. We must return to this purified Judaism. Christianity is a Roman Imperial scam. Nicolas Antoine would also be burned at the stake, by Calvin’s disciples.
Relatives or descendants of the Transylvanian Reformer Johann Sommer settled in Alsace, probably fleeing Catholic and Protestant persecution. At the place called Sommerhof, they established with the Mennonites an Anabaptist non-trinitarian fellowship which would influence other religious groups. The spreading of these congregations would provide the basis for local Unitarianism.
In the 18th century, the ideas of the Unitarians in Poland and Transylvania were taken up anew by the philosophers called the Century of Enlightenment. Voltaire praised the Unitarians and built a church dedicated to a Single Unique God, a building nowadays abandoned. J.J. Rousseau finished his life Unitarian but persecuted by the churches. Diderot advanced the ideals of the Unitarians. There was then no question of leaving Catholicism for Unitarianism without risking certain death!
The physician Georges de Benneville was compelled to leave France in 1741 and would found in Pennsylvania the Universalist Protestant church, which is, in fact, Unitarian.
The French Revolution enabled a relative religious freedom. The Franco-American Thomas Paine, member of the French Parliament, Unitarian, would influence the intellectual circles by his theology. Then, a very Theist Unitarian church was created, the Theophilanthropes, which, after several decades, would be destroyed by the political powers. Dr. Michel Baron describes this spiritual movement in his work in French, “Les Unitariens”.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Unitarianism exists in a diffuse fashion within various branches of Protestantism:
- Liberal Protestantism which is sometimes confused with Unitarianism but sometimes takes opposing views;
- Non-trinitarian Anabaptism.
Then two great theologians and Unitarian philosophers appeared on the scene:
- Charles Wagner of Lorraine, very mystical, from the Reform called magisterial (Luthero-Calvinist);
- Albert Schweitzer of Alsace, theologian and physician, from a family of Anabaptists.
These latter two had a profound influence on our Congregation in Nancy. A disciple of Charles Wagner, Georges Lecocq, along with Albert Schweitzer himself, were together at the origin of the congregation.
In 1946, American Unitarian military chaplains supported and helped the creation of a small Unitarian group.
In 1960, the congregation became a cultural association (under French law) within the denomination of the Liberal Protestant church.
November 5, 1961, Dr. Schweitzer joined the Church of the Larger Fellowship.
In 1986, the Association Unitarienne de France (AUF) was created, renamed Association Unitarienne Francophone in 1992, and in 1999 its bylaws were modified per decision of its governing board. The purpose of this association is to assemble, within the French-speaking areas, fellowships and individuals with the Unitarian spirit, and to support their activities of questing, meditation and worship. The AUF, as a religious society, has the duty to define for itself the Unitarian spirit.
On April 25, 2003, at the initiative of three Parisian Unitarians, the Association Unitarienne-Universaliste de Paris-Ile-de-France was founded. The purpose of this association is to bring together people interested by Unitarianism and to promote activities toward development and practice of Unitarianism.
A Unitarian group associated with the UUA also exists in Paris, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris (UUFP), founded in 1986 primarily by North American expatriate UUs, and which welcomes Unitarians of all varieties (about one third of the membership are not originally from North America). Services and activities are in English. [For more information, please visit or send me mail at
There are other associations in France using the name “Unitarian”, but coming from different origins and not always in agreement with our vision of the Unitarian spirit.
======
What do we believe?
We have no Credo, neither imposed nor professed!
We believe in a Single God.
With no “legalism”, the Bible with the message of the Gospel is our guideline.
Entry into the fellowship occurs through immersion of only adults. We partake in the two types of Communion, but refusing to impose any dogma on its meaning.
We remain faithful to the original doctrine of the great Reformers: Ferenc David, Jacob Paleologue, Sebastian Franck. We think that their message was perfectly understood by the great American philosophers and theologians such as Emerson, Channing, and others. We feel quite close to liberal Judaism and Sufism, as well as close relatives to our Quaker brothers.
Strict monotheists, our religion is Abraham’s, and our adoration and gratitude for life goes to the God of all men.
Unitarian Temple of Hastings (Sussex), founded in 1867.
Photograph by Michel Baron.
The only superiority of a man is his goodness!
Albert Schweitzer
May your life preach!
Quaker proverb
For my brother Asvanyi Tibor,
Alain LAUZET
Président de l’Association Unitarienne Francophone
8 allée des Chèvrefeuilles
F-91560 Crosne