The Bishop of Orléans issued a formal interdict against Jean Crasset on 9 September 1656 following a sermon in which the theologian accused various ecclesiastics of supporting propositions condemned by Pope Innocent X. This disciplinary action, which remained in effect until the following February, highlighted the tensions inherent in his role as a prominent Jesuit voice in 17th-century Paris.
Academic and Religious Career
Born in Dieppe in 1618, Crasset entered the Society of Jesus in 1638. His professional life centered on the University of Paris, where he served as a professor of both humanities and philosophy. Beyond his academic appointments, he maintained a high profile in the capital as a preacher and served for twenty-three years as the director of a men's sodality associated with the Jesuit professed house.
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Crasset produced a substantial body of ascetical literature throughout his career. His bibliography includes titles such as Methode d'oraison, Considérationes chrétiennes pour tous les jours de l'année, and La chrétienne in solitude. His 1685 publication, Entretiens pour la jeunesse, reflects his ongoing focus on religious instruction. His work also extended to posthumous publications like La foy victorieuse de l'infidélite et du libertinage, while his late 19th-century influence is evidenced by the 1844 and 1893 English translations of his meditations on the Passion of Christ and his reflections on sanctity.
The History of Japan
In 1689, Crasset published his Historie de l'eglise du japon. The work was largely derivative, drawing heavily from the 1627 publication by François Solier. While Crasset expanded the narrative to cover the period between 1624 and 1658 and refined the prose, critics noted the inclusion of excessive detail. The text gained attention for its specific interpretation of the 1597 persecutions, which Crasset attributed to the visibility of religious ceremonies conducted by friars.
Theological Disputes
Crasset frequently engaged with the intellectual controversies of his time. His Dissertation sur les oracles des Sibylles faced vigorous public criticism upon its release. His career was also marked by his involvement in high-level ecclesiastical disputes, most notably his 1656 confrontation regarding the Bull of Pope Innocent X, Cum occasione, issued on 31 May 1653. Crasset died in Paris on 4 January 1692 at the age of 74.
Fast facts
- Born: 1618, Dieppe
- Died: 4 January 1692, Paris
- Nationality: France
- Order: Society of Jesus
- Academic post: University of Paris
- Notable work: Historie de l'eglise du japon (1689)
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Jean Crasset teach?
He was a professor of humanities and philosophy at the University of Paris.
Why was he briefly interdicted by the Bishop of Orléans?
He was sanctioned in 1656 for claiming in a sermon that certain ecclesiastics supported propositions condemned by Pope Innocent X.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Paris
