The Quest for the New Jerusalem, Jean de Labadie and the Labadists, 1610-1744

The history of Jean de Labadie and the Labadists has re­ ceived attention through the years. That attention, however, has more often than not fallen short in its tracing of Labadie's 'double migration'. Disaffected with the established church order of his day and motivated by a sense of prophetic mis­ sion to establish again the life of the primitive church, this spiritual nomad wandered from France to Switzerland, then to the United Provinces, Germany and Denmark, according to the...
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The history of Jean de Labadie and the Labadists has re­ ceived attention through the years. That attention, however, has more often than not fallen short in its tracing of Labadie's 'double migration'. Disaffected with the established church order of his day and motivated by a sense of prophetic mis­ sion to establish again the life of the primitive church, this spiritual nomad wandered from France to Switzerland, then to the United Provinces, Germany and Denmark, according to the vicissitudes of the times. As he went, he changed his affiliations from 'high' church ever 'lower', from the bosom of Rome to Calvinism, then to congregational separatism. Thus there has been ample reason to treat Labadie's life and ministry episodically, be it a geographical or denominational episode, and a solid grounding could be had by piecing to­ gether several of these (all listed in bibliography part D): M. de Certeau on the Jesuit years; X. de Bonnault d'Houet on his stay at Amiens; A-L. Bertrand on the 'lost years' from Amiens to Montauban; J-H. Gerlach and W. Goeters on the schism at Middelburg; P. Scheltema on Amsterdam; L. Holscher and G. E. Guhrauer on Herford; J. Lieboldt and H. von Schubert on Altona; B. B. James and H. C. Murphy on the colony in Maryland; L. Knappert on that in Surinam; and any number of authorities on the Labadists in Friesland. Yet there are sig­ nificant gaps.