This page intentionally left blank Feminism,Absolutism,andJansenism LouisXIVandthePort-RoyalNuns Feminism, Absolutism, and Jansenism chronicles seventy years of Jansenist conflict and its complex intersection with power struggles between Gallican bishops, parlementaires, the Crown, and the pope. Daniella Kostroun focuses on the nuns of Port-Royal-des-Champs, whose community was disbanded by Louis XIV in 1709 as a threat to the state. Paradoxically, it was the nuns’ adherence to their strict religiousruleandtheidealofpious,innocent,andpoliticallydisinter- ested behavior that allowed them to challenge absolutism effectively. Adoptingmethodsfromculturalstudies,feminism,andtheCambridge Schoolofpoliticalthought,Kostrounexamineshowthesenunsplaced gender at the heart of the Jansenist challenge to the patriarchal and religiousfoundationsofabsolutism.Theyrespondedtoroyalpersecu- tionwithafeministdefenseofwomen’sspiritualandrationalequality andoftheautonomyoftheindividualsubject,therebyofferingabold challengetothepatriarchalandreligiousfoundationsofabsolutism. DaniellaKostrouniscurrentlyAssistantProfessorofHistoryatIndiana University–Purdue University, Indianapolis. She is the coeditor (with Lisa Vollendorf) of Women,Religion, and the Atlantic World (1600– 1800)andtheauthorof“AFormulaforDisobedience:Jansenism,Gen- der,andtheFeministParadox,”whichappearedintheJournalofMod- ernHistoryandwonthe2004ChesterPennHigbyPrizebytheModern EuropeanHistorysectionoftheAmericanHistoricalAssociation. Feminism, Absolutism, and Jansenism Louis XIV and the Port-Royal Nuns DANIELLA KOSTROUN IndianaUniversity–PurdueUniversity,Indianapolis cambridgeuniversitypress Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown, Singapore,Sa˜oPaulo,Delhi,Tokyo,MexicoCity CambridgeUniversityPress 32AvenueoftheAmericas,NewYork,ny10013-2473,usa www.cambridge.org Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107000452 (cid:2)C DaniellaKostroun2011 Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements, noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress. Firstpublished2011 PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica AcatalogrecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary. LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationdata Kostroun,DaniellaJ.,1970– Feminism,absolutism,andJansenism:LouisXIVandthePort-Royalnuns/ DaniellaKostroun. p. cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. isbn978-1-107-00045-2(hardback) 1.Cisterciannuns–France–History–17thcentury. 2.Port-RoyaldesChamps (Abbey)–History–17thcentury. 3.LouisXIV,KingofFrance,1638–1715–Political andsocialviews. 4.Jansenists–France–History–17thcentury. 5.Patriarchy– France–History–17thcentury. 6.Feminism–France–History–17thcentury. 7.Despotism–France–History–17thcentury. 8.Religiousabsolutism–France– History–17thcentury. 9.France–Politicsandgovernment–1643–1715. 10.France–Religion–17thcentury. I.Title. bx4328.z9p64 2011 273(cid:3).7–dc22 2010031629 isbn978-1-107-00045-2Hardback CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyofURLs forexternalorthird-partyInternetWebsitesreferredtointhispublicationanddoesnot guaranteethatanycontentonsuchWebsitesis,orwillremain,accurateorappropriate. For Johnny Contents Acknowledgments pageix Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 1 Jansenismasa“WomanProblem” 18 2 ControversyandReformatPort-Royal 51 3 Jansenism’sPoliticalTurn,1652–1661 78 4 TheLimitstoObedience,1661–1664 104 5 AFeministResponsetoAbsolutism,1664–1669 141 6 TheUnsettledPeace,1669–1679 182 7 ARoyalVictory,1679–1709 206 Conclusion 239 Bibliography 247 Index 263 vii