Être immortel à Paris: Violence et prophétie durant la Révolution française

This article uses the case of Catherine Théot and her prophetic activity in Paris during the second half of the eighteenth century to reflect on the relationship between event and prophecy in the era of the French Revolution. Despite appearing fixed and immobile, Théot’s prophecies were constantly changing and evolving. This gives rise to hybrid discourses influenced by various currents including, among others, both Jansenism and revolutionary discourses. The Théot affair also provides an occasion to reflect on contemporary supernatural interpretations of the French Revolution. In this context, her prophecies can be read as a response to the emotional needs triggered by political instability, the fear of war and political violence, and religious changes. In conclusion, the article points to a religious discourse that existed on the margins of the dialectic between revolution and counter-revolution, but was nevertheless closely linked to it though the effects of the Revolutionary Wars and the Terror.