Madame Guyon

Jeanne- Marie Bouvier de la Motte- Guyon (1648-1717) ( commonly known as Madame Guyon was a French mystic and was accused of advocating Quietism, although she never called herself a Quiestist.

Madame Guyon, born on the 13th April 1648, was the daughter of Claude Bouvier, a procurator of the tribunal of Montargis , in France. She was sickly as a child and her education neglected. Her childhood was spent between the convent and the home of of wealthy parents - moving 9 times in 10 years. Her parents were very religious and gave her a pious training.

In 1664, aged 15, she was forced into an arranged marriage to Jacques Guyon, aged 38. She was in an unhappy marriage being treated badly by the mother-in-law and maidservant. Relatives died -half sister, mother and father. She had 5 children, 2 of those died. Her husband died leaving her a widow at the age of 28.

During the marriage she was introduced to and instructed in mysticism by Fr. Francois La Combe. a Barnabite.
(Mysticism -popularly know as becoming one with God or the Absolute.
( See 'Mysticism)
Barnabite - religious order of clerics founded in 1530 (See Barnabites) )

After the death of her husband she lived quietly as a wealthy widower in Montargis.
In 1679 re-established contact with Francois. In 1680 felt need to go to Geneva. The bishop encouraged her to set up a house for ‘new catholics’ in Gex, Savoy. There were problems with the sisters and Francois sent to intervene. She became ill and asked her mother-in-law to look after her 2 sons. She left her personal possessions but kept an annuity for herself.

The bishop asked her to leave because of her ideas of mysticism. He expelled Francois.
They moved to Turin and then onto Grenoble in France. January 1685 she published
Moyen court et facile de faire oraison - A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer.
Quietism - the elevating of contemplation over mediation was regarded as a heresy. (Read Quietism ‘Christian philosophy’)

The Bishop of Grenoble was perturbed- she left the city at his request. Francois was shut up in the Bastille. The arrest of Madam Guyon followed.

She was released 7 months later. Theologians examined her book and she made a retraction of the propositions. Her book resulted in secret conferences being held at Issy. The 34 articles of Issy followed and she signed submission to them and returned secretly to Paris.

On 24th December 1695 she was arrested again. She was imprisoned at Vincennes, then a convent at Vaugirard and then the Bastille. She signed another retraction on 23rd August 1699. After 7 years she was finally released on 21st March 1703.

She retired to live with one of her children in Blois. Many pilgrims visited her. She enjoyed writing. She died, aged 69, on 9th June 1717.

She never called herself a Quietist.
Her book is still available ( See ‘Amazon’)