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Common Knowledge

Canonical name: Guyon, Madame
Legal name: Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte
Other names: Guyon, Jeanne
Guyon, Madame
蓋恩夫人
Birthdate: 1648
Date of death: 1717
Gender: female
Short biography: Madame Guyon was one of the leading proponents of a movement known as Quietism. She was married at age 16 to a man who was 22 years older than her and of frail health. The marriage was not a happy one, and Madame Guyon felt a great sense of relief when she was widowed in 1676. Soon after, her fame began to rise as she enthusiastically laid out her beliefs in writing and in person.

Quietism was a controversial movement, and Madame Guyon spent time in jail for her beliefs several times, including 4 years in the Bastille. After that imprisonment, she retired from the public eye, though she maintained a wide correspondence until her death.

Madame Guyon's name is often used in conjunction with such authors as Francis de Sales, Madame de Chantal, Thomas a Kempis and Miguel de Molinos.
Nationality: France
Disambiguation notice: Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon (commonly known as Madame Guyon) (1648-1717), French mystic
Associated Place (for map): France

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18 reviews

StFrancisofAssisi 2,419 reviews

Song of the Bride by Jeanne Guyon

The greatest love story ever written, the Song of Solomon describes the emotional, unfolding story of the Bridegroom and His bride. Jeanne Guyon shows how the song of a young maiden, fervently in love with her suitor, becomes a powerful allegory of every believer’s relationship with Christ depicted in the Song of Songs. Without any embarrassment for King Solomon’s intimate portrayal of the lovers, she explores:
The greatness of God’s love
Finding God’s favor in your life
Learning to show more rest in His presence
How trials can become blessings
True surrender to God’s will in your life
Allow your heart to draw near to the heart of God on this journey to the Father’s love. show less

Nov 19, 20231 other review

wrmjr66 154 reviews

Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (Library of Spiritual Classics, Volume 2) by Jeanne Guyon

Madame Guyon was one of the leading proponents of the movement known as Quietism. Though she was condemned and arrested in France, she was quite influential in the ensuing years with groups like the Quakers, Moravians and early Methodists. In this book, Guyon gives a spiritual path for people to follow if they want to draw closer to Christ. It begins with a fairly simple exercise that is akin to Lectio Divina--taking and praying a work of scripture. As she continues, she encourages us to show more give in to God more, to abandon our lives more, to be quiet ourselves so that we can hear God. She promises that people will draw closer to God if they will allow themselves to be. However, she also notes that this if a drawing closer is achieved, it is because of God's grace and not our work.

This edition makes an unusual text widely available. Unfortunately, it is not so much a translation as a close paraphrase of Guyon's original. The difficult though rich language of spirituality is simplified into a simpler, perhaps even self-help, style. Therefore, this is not a book for a serious student of Madame Guyon or of the Quietist movement. However, as an accessible introduction to her work, it is a suitable place to begin. show less

Jan 26, 20094 other reviews

Cr00 189 reviews

Madame Guyon: Her Autobiography (condensed & modernized) by Jeanne Guyon

This 17th century mystic was imprisoned in the Bastille because her practice of quietism offended the Inquisition. Her autobiography documents how she became able to exercise a continual "prayer of the heart" despite constant trials she faced in her worldly life.

Apr 1, 2023

Cr00 189 reviews

Madame Guyon: A Short and Easy Method of Prayer by Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte Guyon

The question is probably not whether her method is easy or hard, but rather whether we can dispense with at least some of the levels of distraction that dominate us.

Apr 1, 2023

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