France: Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon

(1648-1717)

Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon was born in the year sixteen hundred and forty-eight to a well known family. Although they were not awfully wealthy she married at the age of sixteen to a rich neighbor by the name of Jacques Guyon. Jeanne Marie was not too happy with the marriage and often sneaked off from her husband to pray in solitude. At the age of twenty-eight her husband Jacques Guyon passed away leaving her with three children; two boys and one girl plus a great amount of financial stability. In the year sixteen hundred and eighty-one she decided to walk her own path in the way of the Lord God. She left her two sons with some of her family, took her daughter and left for the Duchy of Savoy. This is where Jeanne Marie met Francois La Combe a Savoyard priest who had a belief in “introspection prayer” which gave people the opportunity for a one on one relationship with the Lord himself. Many people have claimed that Jeanne Marie works were inspired by La Combe and his actions. Jeanne Marie started to write an account on her spiritual life and even wrote Les torrents spirituels which went through her friends first and then slowly circulated to society. Guyon also made comments and pointed out her view on the bible writing reflections that were passed through her friends again and then to the public. All of this was done in secret because it was seen as ludicrous for a woman to have thoughts on the scripture and actually project them out to the public. In the year sixteen hundred and eighty-two Guyon returned to France with the company of La Combe. There was talk of the two of them together and how immoral it was for a Priest and a woman to be running around together with such radical ideas. They were soon arrested and La Combe would spend the rest of his life in prison but as for Jeanne Marie she was set free in the span of about seven months thanks to her wealthy friends. Jeanne Marie continued to write and soon Commentaire au Cantique des Cantiques de Salomon was out which held her views on and her take on the Bible. She was then interrogated for writing about the bible and sent to prison for seven years. When she was released she was ordered not to teach and not to write anymore. Jeanne Marie continued to do both until the day of her death in Seventeen hundred and seventeen.

By David U