Lettres Choisies: The Correspondence of Richard Simon

This is the first modern critical edition of the correspondence of the early modern French biblical critic Richard Simon (1638-1712), priest of the Catholic Oratorian Order. Simon is widely regarded by theologians and historians of religion as the father of modern biblical criticism. He was the principal figure in a community of scholars dedicated to developing strategies for interpreting the holy text that ranged from England and the Low Countries across central and northern Europe. His publications on the Old and New Testaments and the history of the Church were translated into English as well as several other European languages and exerted immense influence on the study of scripture throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Simon's correspondence was last published in 1730 and no English edition has ever been produced. The letters are published in their original French with accompanying English translations. A substantial introduction explores Simon's education, milieu and publications and pays particular attention to his influence on English shores amongst a wide variety of people from John Locke to John Dryden, as well as providing bibliographical material useful for scholars. The letters include the eighteenth-century occasional notes, and incorporate new footnotes providing key information. Short biographies of principal figures mentioned are included, as well as a glossary of technical terms.