# France during Calvins time.



## ABondSlaveofChristJesus (Apr 28, 2005)

How christianized was France during Calvins time? It seemed that Calvin was pretty active with the government in Geuniva(sp)?


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## wsw201 (Apr 28, 2005)

France was Roman Catholic through and through.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 28, 2005)

It is estimated that there were about 1 million Huguenots in France in the 1560's, perhaps two million at the highwater mark of French Protestantism (somewhere between 10 - 25% of the population). The first French national synod in 1559 represented 15 churches. Two years later there were 2000 French Protestant churches represented. Some believe that 1/3 to 1/2 of the nobility in France became Huguenots (it was not the path to the crown's favor). Admiral Coligny was the highest ranking French Protestant official. It is estimated that around 100,000 Huguenots were killed during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572. Religious wars tore France apart from the 1560's to the 1590's. The Edict of Nantes in 1598 brought respite from the killing, but also provided for restricted places of freedom for Huguenots, which were slowly beseiged literally (La Rochelle). When the King Louis XIV revoked the Edict in 1685 he claimed that all remaining Huguenots were converted to Catholicism. However, that revocation led to the disapora of another 500,000 Huguenots and the 1703 War of the Camisards. They were never completely exterminated. In Calvin's day, he dedicated the Institutes to the King and sent missionaries into France from Geneva. His cousin was the first to translate the Bible into French.


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## Scott (May 3, 2005)

Did you cut and paste that from something? Very nice.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (May 3, 2005)

Thanks. I double-checked a few facts, but it's just a brief summary of mine.


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