Louis Maimbourg facts for kids
Louis Maimbourg (born January 10, 1610, in Nancy – died August 13, 1686, in Paris) was a French historian. He was also a member of a religious group called the Jesuits.
His Life Story
Louis Maimbourg was born in Nancy, France. When he was sixteen years old, he joined the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. This was a religious order within the Catholic Church.
He studied in Rome, Italy. After his studies, he became a teacher of classical subjects at a Jesuit college in Rouen, France. Later, he tried to become a preacher, but he wasn't very successful at it.
Maimbourg became involved in some important debates of his time. He wrote a book in 1682 about the history and rights of the Church in Rome. This book caused a big disagreement with Pope Innocent XI. Because of his book, the Pope ordered him to be removed from the Jesuit order.
However, King Louis XIV of France supported Maimbourg. The King gave him a place to live at the Abbey of St Victor in Paris and also gave him money.
His Writings
Louis Maimbourg wrote many books, mostly about history. His books covered different topics related to the Church and religious movements.
Some of his historical works were about:
- Arianism: An early Christian belief.
- The iconoclast controversy: A debate about whether religious images should be used.
- The Great Schism of 1054: A major split between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches.
- Different forms of Protestantism, like Lutheranism, Anglicanism, and Calvinism.
- The time when Pope Leo I and Pope Gregory I were leaders of the Church.
His books were written in a lively and interesting way. However, they were sometimes not completely accurate.
The Crusades and Calvinism
One of his important books was Histoire des Croisades pour la délivrance de la Terre Sainte (History of the Crusades for the Deliverance of the Holy Land), published in 1675. This book talked about the Crusades, which were religious wars fought to take back the Holy Land. It is believed that Maimbourg's book was the first time the word "crusade" was used in this way. An English historian named John Nalson translated this book into English in 1684.
Another book he wrote was Histoire du calvinisme (History of Calvinism) in 1682. This book made French Catholics upset with French Protestants. It led to strong responses from other writers. For example, Pierre Jurieu wrote a fierce reply in 1683. Also, Pierre Bayle calmly pointed out problems with Maimbourg's historical methods in his own book, Critique général de l’histoire du calvinisme de Maimbourg (General Critique of Maimbourg's History of Calvinism), also in 1682.
