Subverting the system : D'Aubigné and Calvinism / by Catharine Randall Coats.

Literary constructs for theological conventions : authorizing the word of the self. The reconciliation of sin and writing in d'Aubigné's "Méditations sur les pseaumes" Zones of accommodation between Calvinism and literary creations in "Les Tragiques" Self and other : writing and scripture in "La Confession du Sieur de Sancy" Appearance and being : fact and fiction in the "Avantures du Baron de Faeneste" "Sa Vie à ses enfants" : the scripture of the self  Conclusion : strategies of overcoming.

The basic assumption of this book is addressing the way in which Calvinist theology affected the literary endeavors of Calvinist writers, not only Agrippa d'Aubigné, but all French Protestant authors of the later sixteenth century. The author argues that Calvinist theology created special problems of conscience because its emphasis on the authority of scripture made believers regard their proper task as exposition and presentation of the truth already revealed, while any effort to create an imaginary world of creative fiction seemed a rejection of the truth and a self-glorification of the author that amounted to rebellion against the authority of God. D'Aubigné represents a clear and conscious rebellion against such constraints; through his career d'Aubigné openly dared to engage in independent literary creation, and to assert his right as a sincerely reformed Christian to do so. In this study, theology and literature come together to illuminate a major problem in the literary history of the French Reformed tradition.