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Adultery and Divorce in Calvin’s Geneva
In Calvin's Geneva, the changes associated with the Reformation were particularly abrupt and far-reaching, in large part owing to John Calvin himself. Adultery and Divorce in Calvin's Geneva makes two major contributions to our understanding of this time. The first is to the history of divorce. The second is in illustrating the operations of the Consistory of Geneva--an institution designed to control in all its variety the behavior of the entire population--which was established at Calvin's insistence in 1541. This mandate came shortly after the city officially adopted Protestantism in 1536, a time when divorce became legally possible for the first time in centuries.
Robert Kingdon illustrates the changes that accompanied the earliest Calvinist divorces by examining in depth a few of the most dramatic cases and showing how divorce affected real individuals. He considers first, and in the most detail, divorce for adultery, the best-known grounds for divorce and the best documented. He also covers the only other generally accepted grounds for these early divorces--desertion.
The second contribution of the book, to show the work of the Consistory of Geneva, is a first step toward a fuller study of the institution. Kingdon has supervised the first accurate and complete transcription of the twenty-one volumes of registers of the Consistory and has made the first extended use of these materials, as well as other documents that have never before been so fully utilized.
Robert Kingdon illustrates the changes that accompanied the earliest Calvinist divorces by examining in depth a few of the most dramatic cases and showing how divorce affected real individuals. He considers first, and in the most detail, divorce for adultery, the best-known grounds for divorce and the best documented. He also covers the only other generally accepted grounds for these early divorces--desertion.
The second contribution of the book, to show the work of the Consistory of Geneva, is a first step toward a fuller study of the institution. Kingdon has supervised the first accurate and complete transcription of the twenty-one volumes of registers of the Consistory and has made the first extended use of these materials, as well as other documents that have never before been so fully utilized.
- GenresHistory
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 1995
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 23, 2014
A fascinating look at how Geneva prosecuted several divorce cases. Kingdon's research is extensive. His writing is not very exciting and as one reviewer noted the title for the book is rather droll.
A few notes that are worth remembering. Divorces were unheard of before the Reformation. Getting a divorce was almost impossible without clear proof of adultery or desertion. Forced reconciliation was common. Servants were everywhere. They were often the key witnesses in adultery trials. There was very little chance of a long term affair taking place and a servant not knowing about it. Money was often a motivation to marry, to get out of a marriage or to stay in one. Notorious adulterers could be executed, but rarely were. They were executed by the city, not by the church. Torture could be used to exact a confession, but sometimes they did not confess. Even then the divorce could be granted if there were enough witnesses. Finally, the interaction between the various cities was interesting. Often a man would come to Geneva and his story would need to be confirmed. Or a man would flee to another city and need to be found. There was also discussion among the various reformed cities about when a divorce was allowed. This book will only appeal to a narrow group of readers, but for those who are curious about Geneva and how it worked this is good book to pick up.
A few notes that are worth remembering. Divorces were unheard of before the Reformation. Getting a divorce was almost impossible without clear proof of adultery or desertion. Forced reconciliation was common. Servants were everywhere. They were often the key witnesses in adultery trials. There was very little chance of a long term affair taking place and a servant not knowing about it. Money was often a motivation to marry, to get out of a marriage or to stay in one. Notorious adulterers could be executed, but rarely were. They were executed by the city, not by the church. Torture could be used to exact a confession, but sometimes they did not confess. Even then the divorce could be granted if there were enough witnesses. Finally, the interaction between the various cities was interesting. Often a man would come to Geneva and his story would need to be confirmed. Or a man would flee to another city and need to be found. There was also discussion among the various reformed cities about when a divorce was allowed. This book will only appeal to a narrow group of readers, but for those who are curious about Geneva and how it worked this is good book to pick up.
April 27, 2021
The author of this book never married nor bothered to study much into women’s history of the time and it shows lmao
November 21, 2022
A fascinating and well-written book. It is not common knowledge that the modern divorce was an invention of the Protestant Reformation, that prior to that, obtaining a divorce without the death of one's partner was nearly impossible, and even when it was granted, permission to remarry usually was not. Protestants came to see this position as untenable and, very reluctantly, began granting divorces in some extreme cases, especially adultery.
In this book, the late Robert M. Kingdon (who, ironically, was never married himself) provides an in-depth look at four divorce or near-divorce cases in Calvin's Geneva, three for adultery and one for interfaith reasons. One involves Pierre Ameaux and his wife Benoite, an obviously mentally ill woman who somehow got it into her head that she had a spiritual obligation to offer sex to any "brother in Christ" who asked for it, and that such did not constitute fornication or adultery. Whether any man ever took advantage of her pious generosity is debatable, but her husband did eventually exploit her disturbing statements into obtaining a divorce (along with Benoite's property!).
The second case involves Calvin's own brother Antoine, whose wife Anne Le Fert was accused of inappropriate friendships with men and was perhaps propositioned by one, but again, little evidence of actual adultery could be obtained. Calvin managed to secure a divorce for his brother eventually, but Anne would remarry outside of Geneva and always maintained her innocence. This incident probably belongs under Calvin's more ignominious deeds.
The third case concerns a woman who probably did commit adultery, but this one ends in forced reconciliation, in part due to the interventions of her powerful father.
The final case is perhaps the most fascinating of them all, the case of Galeazzo Caracciolo, a wealthy and politically connected Italian nobleman who converted from Catholicism and abandoned his wife and children in Italy to seek refuge in Geneva. Multiple attempts were made to find a mixed community where he could be reunited with his staunchly Catholic wife on an interfaith basis, but nothing could be worked out. Eventually, Caracciolo argued that his case qualified for the "Pauline Privilege" of 1 Cor. 7, that he had effectively been abandoned by an unbelieving wife, even though he was technically the one who had done the abandoning. The Consistory then had to debate whether a Roman Catholic truly qualified as an "unbeliever." Eventually, a divorce was granted in Geneva with Caracciolo's wife of course refusing to appear to defend herself. Caracciolo went on to remarry to a wealthy woman and lived a good life, while his wife and children spent the rest of their lives suffering under the stigma and suspicion of their husband/father's Protestantism and abandonment.
I found Caracciolo interesting because recently there has been a bit of debate about Beth Allison Barr and *The Making of Biblical Womanhood,* wherein Barr points out that the 4th-century widow-turned-ascetic Paula abandoned her children to study under Jerome and help him translate the Vulgate, and was praised by Jerome for it. Barr was making the point that it used to be the case in church history that a woman was not expected to see home and family as her primary vocation, that a woman could put the Gospel first when the two were at odds. There was quite an uproar over this, with detractors calling Barr pro-child-abandonment. Of course, it has always been the case that Christian men could get away with abandoning their families for the sake of the Gospel, depending on the context, and Galeazzo Caracciolo is just one more example of this. He was praised, embraced, and enabled by Calvin and Geneva for walking out on his family, even though they suffered for his actions. There was no historic expectation that a man put spouse and child over the Gospel, and there should be no such expectation for women, either.
There are flaws in this book; I wish Kingdon had been more suspicious of the Consistory's treatment of women. However, it is an overall intriguing and highly recommended read.
In this book, the late Robert M. Kingdon (who, ironically, was never married himself) provides an in-depth look at four divorce or near-divorce cases in Calvin's Geneva, three for adultery and one for interfaith reasons. One involves Pierre Ameaux and his wife Benoite, an obviously mentally ill woman who somehow got it into her head that she had a spiritual obligation to offer sex to any "brother in Christ" who asked for it, and that such did not constitute fornication or adultery. Whether any man ever took advantage of her pious generosity is debatable, but her husband did eventually exploit her disturbing statements into obtaining a divorce (along with Benoite's property!).
The second case involves Calvin's own brother Antoine, whose wife Anne Le Fert was accused of inappropriate friendships with men and was perhaps propositioned by one, but again, little evidence of actual adultery could be obtained. Calvin managed to secure a divorce for his brother eventually, but Anne would remarry outside of Geneva and always maintained her innocence. This incident probably belongs under Calvin's more ignominious deeds.
The third case concerns a woman who probably did commit adultery, but this one ends in forced reconciliation, in part due to the interventions of her powerful father.
The final case is perhaps the most fascinating of them all, the case of Galeazzo Caracciolo, a wealthy and politically connected Italian nobleman who converted from Catholicism and abandoned his wife and children in Italy to seek refuge in Geneva. Multiple attempts were made to find a mixed community where he could be reunited with his staunchly Catholic wife on an interfaith basis, but nothing could be worked out. Eventually, Caracciolo argued that his case qualified for the "Pauline Privilege" of 1 Cor. 7, that he had effectively been abandoned by an unbelieving wife, even though he was technically the one who had done the abandoning. The Consistory then had to debate whether a Roman Catholic truly qualified as an "unbeliever." Eventually, a divorce was granted in Geneva with Caracciolo's wife of course refusing to appear to defend herself. Caracciolo went on to remarry to a wealthy woman and lived a good life, while his wife and children spent the rest of their lives suffering under the stigma and suspicion of their husband/father's Protestantism and abandonment.
I found Caracciolo interesting because recently there has been a bit of debate about Beth Allison Barr and *The Making of Biblical Womanhood,* wherein Barr points out that the 4th-century widow-turned-ascetic Paula abandoned her children to study under Jerome and help him translate the Vulgate, and was praised by Jerome for it. Barr was making the point that it used to be the case in church history that a woman was not expected to see home and family as her primary vocation, that a woman could put the Gospel first when the two were at odds. There was quite an uproar over this, with detractors calling Barr pro-child-abandonment. Of course, it has always been the case that Christian men could get away with abandoning their families for the sake of the Gospel, depending on the context, and Galeazzo Caracciolo is just one more example of this. He was praised, embraced, and enabled by Calvin and Geneva for walking out on his family, even though they suffered for his actions. There was no historic expectation that a man put spouse and child over the Gospel, and there should be no such expectation for women, either.
There are flaws in this book; I wish Kingdon had been more suspicious of the Consistory's treatment of women. However, it is an overall intriguing and highly recommended read.
September 2, 2019
Christianity is not merely a personal faith that has no impact on the world, it is rather a faith that changes men, families, and all areas of society.
This book did a good job of answering the question concerning what happens when professing Christians get a chance to influence civil law. The result is sadly disappointing.
When men substitute God's law for their own laws injustice is the result, it doesn't matter if those people claim to be Christian or not. This book shows how this happens and the results.
When God's law is abandoned justice is impossible in this world.
This book did a good job of answering the question concerning what happens when professing Christians get a chance to influence civil law. The result is sadly disappointing.
When men substitute God's law for their own laws injustice is the result, it doesn't matter if those people claim to be Christian or not. This book shows how this happens and the results.
When God's law is abandoned justice is impossible in this world.
January 4, 2008
Kingdon's research is impeccable, and the conclusions drawn are logical and clear to follow. The writing style is accessible - however, I suspect that for most people, the topic may not be. This is some fairly obscure history, but if you enjoy academic works of history and want to read something a little out of the ordinary, then this is most certainly for you.
December 18, 2013
A very interesting sample of adultery/divorce cases that came before the consistory and/or council in Calvin's day. One involved Calvin's brother, Antoine! Informative.
May 14, 2009
Horrifyingly unimaginative title for a quite interesting book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews