An Overview of Christianity and the French Language

Christianity in France dates back to the Roman period, with early roots established by the 2nd century AD. By the 4th century, Christianity became more widespread following the conversion of St. Martin of Tours, a prominent missionary. The conversion of Clovis I, King of the Franks, to Christianity around 500 AD marked a pivotal moment, as it led to the integration of the Franks with the Roman Catholic Church and established France as a central player in European Christianity. During the medieval period, monasteries and cathedrals flourished, and France became home to key Christian scholars and influential religious institutions, like the University of Paris and the Abbey of Cluny, which greatly impacted Christian theology and education.

The 16th-century Protestant Reformation created divisions in France, with Protestant Huguenots facing persecution from the Catholic monarchy, culminating in events like the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572. The Edict of Nantes (1598) briefly granted religious tolerance, though it was later revoked in 1685, leading to further persecution and the emigration of many Huguenots. Christianity in France remained predominantly Catholic until the French Revolution (1789), which significantly weakened the Church's influence through secularization. Today, although secularism is strong in France, Christianity, particularly Catholicism, remains influential in cultural traditions, while Protestantism and growing evangelical communities have carved out their own presence within the French-speaking Christian landscape.

The history of the French Bible translation began in the Middle Ages, when portions of the Bible were translated into Old French. However, it wasn’t until the early 16th century that a complete French Bible became available. The Olivétan Bible, published in 1535 and named after Pierre Robert Olivétan, a cousin of John Calvin, was the first complete Bible translated directly from Hebrew and Greek into French. Supported by Protestant reformers, this translation became a significant text for French-speaking Protestants, known as Huguenots, during the Reformation.

In response, the Catholic Church produced its own French translation, the Louvain Bible (1550), translated from the Latin Vulgate, to counter Protestant versions. Later, the Port-Royal Bible (1667), translated by scholars from the Jansenist movement, became another significant Catholic French Bible. The Protestant Louis Segond translation, completed in 1880, became one of the most widely used French Bibles among Protestants, and remains influential today. Modern French translations, such as the Bible de Jérusalem (1956) for Catholics and contemporary updates of Segond's work, reflect a longstanding tradition of French-language Scripture that has helped make Christianity accessible to French speakers for centuries.