France and the Cult of the Sacred Heart: An Epic Tale for Modern Times. . - Reviews - book review

Journal of Social History, Spring, 2002 by Edward J. Woell

Nonetheless, at times this survey of the Sacred Heart seems to lose its way. Some of the incidents examined in the book are tangential, if not altogether superfluous, to the devotion. The interment of Voltaire at the Pantheon mentioned in the chapter on the French Revolution seemingly has little to do with the Sacred Heart itself; of much more import is the last part of this chapter, which describes how the devotion became a resistance symbol among nuns in western France who suffered persecution for repudiating the Civil Constitution f the Clergy. The massacre of Machecoul described in the next chapter was no doubt a decisive development in the Revolution and Counterrevolution, but readers are left to query how it was relevant to the Sacred Heart's legacy.

In spite of these fruitless detours, the survey reflects superior research, skillful organization, and impressive analysis. This contribution to the history of France is much welcomed, in no small part because Jonas successfully integrates political culture with cultural politics. In doing so, he guides us down a path of the French past at once complex and precise.