Enlightenment Deism

By far, the largest group of deists were those who lived in France during the time of the French Revolution (1789-99). There were so many French Revolutionary deists that it is not possible to put the whole list here. On this page is just the deists whose last names began with B and C. A complete list can be found at 

Note: AP is the abbreviation for  Archives parlementaires de 1787 à 1860: Recueil complet des débats législatifs & politiques des chambres françaises(Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1862-2012): series 1.

B…  B… (fl. 1794) wrote a hymn chanted at the Fete of the Inauguration of the Temple of Reason at Chaumont.  The hymn is printed in AP, 83:722.

 Citizen Bachelu or Bachelier (fl. 1790s) had been a priest for over thirty years before he quit during the French Revolution.  He gave a speech to the National Convention which is printed in AP, 80:376.

Citizen Baignier (fl. 1790s) was one of the leaders of the Theophilanthropy worship services in Paris.  A very short introduction to his deist ideas is contained in a letter he signed. This letter is printed in Albert Mathiez, Le Theophilanthropie et le Culte Decadaire (Paris, 1904), 408-9. 

Citizen Baptiste the Elder (fl. 1794) wrote a “Hymn to God” included in Lyre, 80-3. 

V. R.  Barbet du Bertrand (1770-1830?) was a journalist and editor for various newspapers.  A good introduction to his religious ideas is pages 62-83 and 139-144 of his Almanach philosophique, ou réfléxions historico-philosophico comiques, sur les costume ecclésiastique et les cérémonies religieuses (Arras, 1792). 

Jean-François Barbier-Jenty (fl. 1799) was a lawyer and municipal officer who was elected to the Council of Five Hundred. The best introduction to his deist ideas is the speech he gave at the Festival of the Supreme Being, printed in AP, 92:84-5, and another speech he gave that is printed in AP, 91:185.

Paul Barlabé (fl. 1794) was a resident of Bordeaux.  His deist ideas are explained on pages 3-12 of his Discours sur l’origine et les horreurs du fanatisme(Bordeaux, 1794).  

Citizen Beaupoil (fl. 1794) was a brigade commander in the French army.  His deist ideas are in his short pamphlet Discours prononcé par le citoyen Beaupoil le 30 thermidor, l’an 2 de la République française, à Montauban, dans le temple de l’Être suprême (Montauban, 1794).

Citizen Bechonnet (fl. 1790s) was a former Catholic priest who, during the French Revolution, said Christianity was a lie and superstition.  His deist ideas are expressed in a speech in the first three pages of the pamphlet Société populaire de Gannat, présidence de Sauret: séance du 8 frimaire de l’an 2 de la République une et indivisible (n. p., 1793).  

Citizen Bedoizeaux (fl. 1798)was active in Theophilanthropy in the Auxerre area.  He signed a letter, printed in Mathiez, 671-4, which expressed some of his deist beliefs.

Citizen Bellecour the Younger (fl. 1794) was a professor of constitutional law who gave many speeches at the Temple of Reason in Toulouse.  A good introduction to his deist ideas is his short pamphlet Discours prononcé au temple de la raison, le premier décadi de ventôse an II de la République française une et indivisible (contre la religion et le fanatisme) (Toulouse?, 1794?). François Nicolas Benoist-Lamothe (fl. 1797) was the rector of a school in Sens as well as being one of the main promoters of Theophilanthropy.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his short pamphlet Office divin à l’usage des Téophilantropes, ou chrétiens français, composé en grande partie des odes sacrées de J. B. Rousseau (Sens, 1797).  

L. S. J. Bernard (fl. 1794) was an engineer.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his Discours sur la vertu, le génie, l’opinion, le travail, les récompenses, et sur les triomphes de la République: prononcé à Pont-sur-Rhône le dernier jour de la seconde année républicaine (Nismes, 1794).

Citizen Beuzelin (fl. 1794) was the representative of the French government to the town of Caen.  A good introduction to his deist ideas is the speech he gave at the Festival of the Supreme Being.  This speech is printed in pages 4-7 of Couplets destinés à être chantés, au nom de la jeunesse, le jour de la fête de l’Etre suprême, 20 prairial, 2e année de la République une & indivisible (n. p., 1794).

 Étienne-Louis Bezout(1760-1822), the nephew of the mathematician Étienne Bezout, was a lawyer and an official of the district of Nemours.  He gave a speech at the Festival of the Supreme Being held in Bourbonne-les-Eaux, which was printed in Discours sur l’existence de l’Être suprême et l’immortalité de l’âme (Chaumont, 1794). 

Étienne-Jean-François Bias-Parent (1754-1802) was a former priest who married during the French Revolution and vigorously conducted an anti-Catholic campaign as an agent for the national government.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is pages iii-v, 12-5 and 46-9 of his long pamphlet Catéchisme français, républicain: enrichi de la déclaration des droits de l’homme, et de maximes de morale républicaine, propres à l’éducation des enfans de l’un et de l’autre sexe, le tout conforme à la Constitution républicaine (Paris, 1793-4). 

Jean Nicolas Billaud-Varenne (1756-1819) was a lawyer who became one of the leading Jacobins when they were in power in 1793-4.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his Le dernier coup porté aux préjugés et à la superstition (London, 1789), 344-362.

Pierre Blanchard (1772-1856) was an educator and author of children’s books.  A good introduction to his deist ideas is pages 52-64, 102-7, & 174-9 of his book Catéchisme de la nature ou religion et morale naturelles (Paris, 1793-1794).  

Travail Blondez (fl. 1794) wrote a letter to the National Convention suggesting a festival to honor God.  This letter is printed in AP, 89:19.  

Citizen Boucly (fl. 1798) was a professor and a member of the municipal council of Saint-Quentin.  He wrote a poem chanted at a festival to honor God in 1799 in Saint-Quentin.  The poem is printed in Emmanuel Lemaire, Les fêtes publiques à Saint-Quentin pendant la révolution et sous le premier empire (Saint-Quentin, 1884), 186-8. 

Étienne Boileau (fl. 1798) was a government official in Auxerre who helped direct the Theophilanthropy society in Auxerre. He signed a letter, printed in Mathiez, 671-4, which expressed some of his deist beliefs. 

Leonard Bourdon (1754-1807) was a deputy to the National Convention who played a major role in the downfall of Maximilien Robespierre.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his Discours prononcé le 9 thermidor, an 4 de la république française, une, indivisible et démocratique, dans le temple de la loi, à Bruxelles, par Leonard Bourdon(Brussels, 1796), 1-4.

Jacques Marie Boutet (1745-1812), known by his stage name Monvel, was one of the greatest actors of his time. The best introduction to his deist ideas was his pamphlet Discours fait et prononcé par le citoyen Monvel, dans la section de la Montagne, le jour de la fête de la Raison . . . une et indivisible (Paris, 1793/4).  

Citizen Brisset (fl. 1794) wrote a “Hymn to God” that was printed in Rituel républicain, 46-8. Citizen Buard the Younger (fl. 1797) wrote poems and hymns about God and liberty.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is pages 23, 40-2, and 53-6 of Recueil d’hymnes républicaines qui ont paru à l’occasion de la fête à l’Etre suprême, qui a été célébrée Décadi 20 prairial, l’an second de la République françoise (Paris, 1794).  

Citizen Bulard (fl. 1790s) was a writer.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his Catéchisme de morale républicaine pour l’éducation de la jeunesse (n. p., 179?). 

Citizen Carpentier was a member of the Popular Society of Caen.  He gave a speech in Caen at the Festival of the Supreme Being.  A small part of this speech was printed in pages 311-2 of M. A. Campion’s article “Les fêtes nationales a Caen sous la Revolution.”  This article is in Mémoires de l’Académie nationale des sciences, arts et belles-lettres de Caen (1877), 252-398.

A. J. B. Chapuis (fl. 1798) was a municipal administrator in Paris and a major figure in Theophilanthropy.  A good introduction to his deist ideas is his short pamphlet De l’origine du culte des théophilantropes (Paris, 1798).  

Armand Charlemagne (fl. 1794) wrote a “Hymn to God,” which was printed in Lyre, 62-4.

J. -J. Chauvin (fl. 1794) was a government official who gave a speech at the Festival of the Supreme Being at Alençon.  This short speech is printed in Fête de l’être suprême à Alençon, prairial an II. Discours prononcé par J.-J. Chauvin (Alençon, 1794). 

Jean-Baptiste Chemin-Dupontès (1760-1852?) was a printer, editor, and the main founder of Theophilanthropy. A very good introduction to his deist ideas is his Manuel des théophilantropes ou adorateurs de dieu et amis des hommes(Paris, 1798).

Marie-Joseph Chénier (1764-1811) was a poet and playwright.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his “Hymn to Victory” and “Hymn to God” inCharles Lhomme, Les chants nationaux de le France: Poètes et musiciens de la révolution (Paris: Librairie Centrale des Publications Populaires, 1885), 197-8, 201-3.

Pierre Colau (1763-183?) was an historian, a poet, and a major advocate of Theophilanthropy.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his short pamphlet O! pour le coup, le bon dieu est assommé: voilà la résurrection des théophilantropes et leur manifeste foudroyant aux partisans de la religion de nos pères (Paris, n.d.).

Georges Auguste Couthon (1755-1794) was a lawyer who was elected to the National Convention.  He was a prominent lieutenant of Maximilien Robespierre and was guillotined with him.  A good introduction to his deist ideas is Elisabeth Liris, “Couthon: Déisme ou raison?” Annales historiques de la révolution française, No. 252 (Avril-Juin, 1983), 274-291

Paulin Crassous (1768-1830) was a poet who worked in the accounting bureau in Hearault.  His deist ideas are in his short pamphlet Scène religieuse et patriotique en l’honneur de l’Être suprême (Paris, 1794). 

Jacques-Antoine Creuzé-Latouche (1749-1800) was a judge who was elected to the Council of Five Hundred.  He was also a major Theophilanthropist.  The best introduction to his deist ideas is his Lettre de Jacques-Antoine Creuzé-Latouche, député de Châtelleraut à l’assemblée nationale (Paris, 1790), 15-22 & 33-8.

Louis Crochot (1745-1827) was a former priest who turned against the Catholic religion.  The best exposition of his deist ideas is his short pamphlet Discours prononcé à Saint-Florentin, par le citoyen Crochot, curé de Germigny, le 22 novembre 1792, l’an premier . . . ordonné l’impression (Auxerre, 1793). 

Citizen Curaté was a teacher of literature in Aisne.  The best introduction to his deist ideas are his various verses about God which are printed in Louis-Augustin Legrand de Laleu, Hymne a l’être suprême, avec choeur: pour le 2 pluviôse(Laon, 1799), 5-7.  

Jean-Guillaume-Antoine Cuvelier (1766-1824) was a very successful playwright who wrote more than a hundred plays.  His deist ideas are in pages 10-15 of his La fête de l’Etre supreme: scènes patriotiques, mêlées de chants, pantomines et danses (Paris, 1794).