Artist: Pascal, Blaise (1623-1662)| Confronting Bodies: King
Louis XIV Date of Action: 1657 Specific Location: France
Description of Artwork: "Lettres a un Provincial", 1656-1657:
written in defense of Antoine Arnauld an opponent of the Jesuits
and defender of Jansenism who was on trial before the faculty of
theology in Paris. Pascal's 18 letters dealt with divine grace
and the ethical code of the Jesuit. They included a blow against
the relaxed morality that the Jesuits were said to teach and
that was the weak point in their controversy with Port-Royals.
"Pensees," 1670: work of Christian apologetics as a consequence
of his meditations on miracles and other proofs of Christianity.
The work remained unfinished at his death. Description of
Incident: 1657 France: "Lettres a un Provincial" burned for
being too free with the dignity of all secular authorities.
1660: Pascal converted to Jansenist teaching and his "Lettres a
un Provincial" aroused a storm of controversy because of their
anti-Jesuit flavor. Results