Bremond, Henri

(1865-1933)

   literary critic, historian, priest

   Born in Aix-en-Provence, Henri Bremond, in his monumental Histoire littéraire du sentiment religieux en France (unfinished, 11 volumes, 1916-32), made a significant study of modes of expression of religious spirituality and, earlier, expressed his opposition to jacques bossuet and issues related to jANSENiSM,in Apologie pour Fénelon (1910). There, he affirmed also his tendencies toward mysticism. Suspected by orthodox Catholics, Bremond also drew criticism when he defended the romantic spirit and individualistic literature in Pour le romanticisme (1923).

   Assimilating the poetic art with mystical experience (Prière et Poésie, 1927), he began a passionate debate (notably with paul valéry) on the essence of poetry; Bremond was a defender of pure poetry (La poésie pure, 1926) based on "intuition," which he considered universal. He also strongly opposed intellectu-alism and neoclassicism. Bremond was elected to the Académie Française in 1923.