The tumultuous period between the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) and the Edict of Versailles (1787) was one of great diversity within the French Reformed church. Given their status as either refugees or criminals, Huguenot theologians show a marked shift in emphasis from the preceding generation. Therefore, this volume is meant to serve “as an attempt to place the distinctive theological ideas of the period in historical context.” (1)

The Theology of the Huguenot Refuge follows a similar structure to its predecessor, also edited by Martin I. Klauber, The Theology of the French Reformed Churches (Reformation Heritage Books, 2014). The first part of the book outlines the main events and developments between 1685 and 1787. The essays by Jane McKee and Pauline Duley-Haour display the ways in which the Huguenots dealt with Roman Catholic persecution and Enlightenment challenges. Both Duley-Haour and W. Gregory Monahan demonstrate that the period immediately following 1685 was one in which the Protestant church within France went underground and was dominated by ecstatic prophets. However, by the time of the Edict of Versailles, the Huguenots within France had organized themselves and were willing to publicly appeal to the monarchy. The final chapter by Marjan Blok displays that the rise of the Enlightenment made the Edict of Versailles almost meaningless, as it was quickly surpassed by the documents of the French Revolution.

The second part of the book looks at the diverse theology of specific pastors/theologians from the era. These chapters show that this generation of Huguenots focused on Roman Catholic polemics (to combat their persecutors) and upon apologetic questions (to combat the rising Enlightenment secularism). Theologians such as Pierre Jurieu sought to give apocalyptic significance to the events within France, thus placing Roman Catholics in the role of the Antichrist. The chapters on David Martin, Jacques Abbadie, and Jacques Saurin demonstrate the ways in which Huguenot thinkers responded to Enlightenment challenges by putting forth apologetic works. Various chapters display the plight of pastors/theologians within France. In particular, Brian Strayer's essay on Claude Brousson gives the reader a fascinating walk through the life of this lawyer/preacher/missionary as he sought to avoid detection by the French monarchy. Finally, the last chapter contains a sermon from Antoine Court that helpfully pulls together many of the theological emphases within the book.

Ultimately, this volume does an excellent job of putting Huguenot thought into its historical context. For those interested in the unique theology of the eighteenth-century French Protestants, especially as it relates to political and secular developments of the time, this book is essential reading.