author
Henri Grégoire
1750–1831
A priest, reformer, and fiery voice of the French Revolution, he pushed for a broader idea of human rights at a time of huge political change. He is especially remembered for fighting slavery and privilege while trying to reconcile faith with revolutionary politics.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Lorraine in 1750, Henri Grégoire—often known as Abbé Grégoire—became a Catholic priest and later one of the most notable religious figures involved in the French Revolution. He served as constitutional bishop of Blois and emerged as a public advocate for major political and social reforms.
He is widely associated with campaigns against slavery and inherited privilege, and with support for broader political participation. Alongside his political work, he also wrote extensively, giving him a lasting place not only in French history but in the history of ideas.
For listeners today, Grégoire stands out as a complicated and compelling figure: a clergyman who embraced revolutionary change, a public intellectual shaped by turbulent times, and a writer whose life reflects the moral and political battles of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century France.