author
Athanase Coquerel
1820–1875
A leading voice in 19th-century French Protestant liberalism, he combined preaching, journalism, and theology in a career shaped by debate, reform, and public influence.
1 Audiobook
Christianity and Modern Thought
by Henry W. (Henry Whitney) Bellows, James Freeman Clarke, Athanase Coquerel, Orville Dewey, Charles Carroll Everett, Frederic Henry Hedge, James Martineau, Andrew P. (Andrew Preston) Peabody, George Vance Smith, Oliver Stearns
About the author
Born in Amsterdam on June 16, 1820, Athanase Josué Coquerel was a French Protestant theologian, pastor, editor, and writer. He was the son of Athanase Laurent Charles Coquerel, studied theology in Geneva and Strasbourg, and began his ministry in Nîmes.
He became closely associated with liberal Protestant thought in France. Early in his career he succeeded his uncle as editor of Le Lien, and in 1852 he helped found the Nouvelle Revue de théologie, described as the first French periodical devoted to scientific theology. He also served as chaplain at the Lycée Henri-IV in Paris and became known as an influential preacher within the liberal movement.
His views brought him into conflict with more orthodox currents, and he is remembered as an important public advocate for freedom in matters of belief within French Protestantism. He died at Fismes on July 24, 1875.