1675–1699

Quietism: Molinos, Madame Guyon, and the Fénelon–Bossuet Dispute

The Quietist current entered France through the Spaniard Miguel de Molinos. His Spiritual Guide appeared in 1675, and in 1685 Molinos was arrested and spent the rest of his life imprisoned. In France the idea was developed by Madame Guyon and Father Lacombe. They were supported by François Fénelon, Archbishop of Cambrai, who entered a bitter dispute with Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet.

Under pressure from Louis XIV, Pope Innocent XII condemned a number of Fénelon's propositions in 1699. Fénelon submitted humbly, though quietist sentiments persisted in France afterward.