# Jean Delumeau

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jean_Delumeau
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jean_Delumeau.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Delumeau
> Source revision: 1334002012
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

French historian (1923–2020)

Jean Delumeau Born Jean Léon Marie Joseph André Delumeau 18 June 1923 Nantes (France) Died 13 January 2020 (aged 96) Brest (France) Alma mater École normale supérieure University of Paris Faculty of Humanities Occupation Historian Employer Lycée Chateaubriand (1950–1954) Collège de France (1975–1994) French National Centre for Scientific Research (1954–1955) Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University (1970–1975) Rennes 2 University (1955–1970) School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (1975–1978) École française de Rome (1948–1950) École pratique des hautes études (1963–1978) lycée Alain-Fournier (1947–1948) Awards Commander of the National Order of Merit (2007) Commander of the Legion of Honour (1999) Grand Prix Gobert (1968) Prix de la biographie du Point (2009) Monseigneur-Marcel award (1984) Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (1994) Honorary doctor of the University of Liège (1992) honorary doctor of the University of Sherbrooke (1986) CNRS silver medal (1960) honorary doctorate of the University of Deusto (1996) Grand prix catholique de littérature (1977) Scriptures & Spiritualities Award (1986) Position held member of the École française de Rome (1948–1950)

**Jean Léon Marie Delumeau** (18 June 1923 – 13 January 2020) was a French historian specializing in the history of the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church), and author of several books regarding the subject.[1] He held the Chair of the History of Religious Mentalities (1975–1994) at the [Collège de France](/source/Coll%C3%A8ge_de_France) (former emeritus professor) and was a member of the [Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres](/source/Acad%C3%A9mie_des_inscriptions_et_belles-lettres).[2]

## Life and career

Jean Léon Marie Delumeau was born in [Nantes](/source/Nantes) on 18 June 1923[3] and obtained his early education in several Catholic boarding schools.[4] In 1943 he entered the [École Normale Supérieure](/source/%C3%89cole_normale_sup%C3%A9rieure_(Paris)), and he later studied at the École Française de Rome, where [Fernand Braudel](/source/Fernand_Braudel) was one of his mentors.[4] He taught history at [École Polytechnique](/source/%C3%89cole_Polytechnique), [University of Rennes 2](/source/University_of_Rennes_2), and [University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne](/source/University_of_Paris_1_Pantheon-Sorbonne).[5][6]

He was director of the Armorican Center for Historical Research (1964–1970), director of studies at the [École pratique des hautes études](/source/%C3%89cole_pratique_des_hautes_%C3%A9tudes) (1963–1975) and at [School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences](/source/School_for_Advanced_Studies_in_the_Social_Sciences) (1975–1978), and [professor emeritus](/source/Professor_emeritus) at the [Collège de France](/source/Coll%C3%A8ge_de_France), where he occupied the chair of "History of Religious Mentalities in the Modern [Western World](/source/Western_World)" (1975–1994).[7][8]

He was a member of the editorial board of several academic journals and a [visiting professor](/source/Visiting_professor) at several universities in North America, Europe and Asia, and was also an honorary member of the *[Institut Universitaire de France](/source/Institut_Universitaire_de_France)* and the [Academia Europaea](/source/Academia_Europaea).[9]

On 26 February 1988, Delumeau was elected a member of the *[Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres](/source/Acad%C3%A9mie_des_Inscriptions_et_Belles-Lettres)* in the chair of [Georges Dumézil](/source/Georges_Dum%C3%A9zil).[10] He was given his *épée d'académicien* on 27 September 1989 by [Philippe Wolff](/source/Philippe_Wolff). During the ceremony, speeches were made by [Nicole Lemaître](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicole_Lema%C3%AEtre&action=edit&redlink=1), [Alain Cabantous](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alain_Cabantous&action=edit&redlink=1), [Michel Mollat du Jourdin](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michel_Mollat_du_Jourdin&action=edit&redlink=1), Wolff and himself.[11] He was a candidate for the [Académie française](/source/Acad%C3%A9mie_fran%C3%A7aise) in 2002.[12]

### Later work, death, and legacy

On 26 April 2017, he was one of the signatories of a forum of researchers and academics announcing that their support for [Emmanuel Macron](/source/Emmanuel_Macron) in the first round of the [2017 French presidential election](/source/2017_French_presidential_election) and calling to vote for him the second, in particular because of his commitment to higher education and research.[13] Delumeau died on 13 January 2020 in [Brest](/source/Brest%2C_France).[14][15][16]

Delumeau has been described as "one of the most prominent representatives of the so-called [history of mentalities](/source/History_of_mentalities)" by [Vingtième Siècle : Revue d'histoire](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vingti%C3%A8me_Si%C3%A8cle_:_Revue_d%27histoire&action=edit&redlink=1) [[fr](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vingti%C3%A8me_Si%C3%A8cle_:_Revue_d%27histoire)], a French historical journal[17]

## Awards and honors

Delumeau was an honorary member of the [Observatoire du patrimoine religieux](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Observatoire_du_patrimoine_religieux&action=edit&redlink=1), a multi-faith association that works to preserve and promote French cultural heritage.[12] He was also a member of the sponsorship committee of the [Coordination pour l'éducation à la non-violence et à la paix](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coordination_pour_l%27%C3%A9ducation_%C3%A0_la_non-violence_et_%C3%A0_la_paix&action=edit&redlink=1).[18]

He was made knight of the [Legion of Honour](/source/Legion_of_Honour) on 28 Octobre 1978, promoted to officier on 31 December 1989,[19] and to commander on 31 December 1999.[20] He was made officer of the [Ordre national du Mérite](/source/Ordre_national_du_M%C3%A9rite) on 19 November 1995 and promoted to commander on 7 May 2007.[21] He was also a commander of both the [Ordre des Palmes académiques](/source/Ordre_des_Palmes_acad%C3%A9miques)[10] and the [Ordre des Arts et des Lettres](/source/Ordre_des_Arts_et_des_Lettres), the latter of which he was made on 24 November 1994.[22]

Delumeau received honorary degrees from the [University of Porto](/source/University_of_Porto) in 1984, the [University of Sherbrooke](/source/University_of_Sherbrooke) in 1986, the [University of Liège](/source/University_of_Li%C3%A8ge) in 1992, the [University of Deusto](/source/University_of_Deusto) (1996), and the [University of Bucharest](/source/University_of_Bucharest) in 2011.[10]

He received the [Grand prix Gobert](/source/Grand_prix_Gobert) for his book *La civilisation de la Renaissance* (1968),[23] the 1975 [Prix Thiers](/source/Prix_Thiers) for his book *Rome*,[23] the 1977 Prix Monseigneur Marcel for his book *La civilisation de la Renaissance*,[23] and the 1980 [Prix Montyon](/source/Prix_Montyon) for his book *Histoire vécue du peuple chrétien*.[23] He received the 1977 [Grand prix catholique de littérature](/source/Grand_prix_catholique_de_litt%C3%A9rature) for his book *Le Christianisme va-t-il mourir?*.[7]

## Bibliography

- Collective, *Homo Religiosus. Autour de Jean Delumeau*, Paris, Fayard, 1997.[\[1\]](https://books.google.com/books/about/Homo_religiosus.html?id=tOAxnQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y). Retrieved 20 July 2025.

- Collective, *Le fait religieux*, édité par Jean Delumeau, [Fayard](/source/Fayard), Paris, 2014, 782 p., [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9782213675237](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9782213675237), front cover Google Books : [\[2\]](https://books.google.fr/books?id=axYRmSXiQ9cC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr). Retrieved 20 July 2025..

- Delumeau, Jean (1977). [*Catholicism between Luther and Voltaire*](https://archive.org/details/catholicismbetwe0000delu/page/n9/mode/2up). London: Burns & Oates.

- Delumeau, Jean (1990). [*Sin and Fear: The Emergence of a Western Guilt Culture, 13th–18th Centuries*](https://archive.org/details/sinfearemergence00delu). New York: St. Martin’s Press.

- [Thomas Worcester](/source/Thomas_Worcester) (2010). "Jean Delumeau (1923-)". In Daileader, Philip; Whalen, Philip (eds.). *French Historians, 1900-2000: New Historical Writing in Twentieth-Century France*. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4051-9867-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4051-9867-7).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Jacques de Saint Victor (14 January 2020). ["Disparition de Jean Delumeau, grand historien du christianisme"](https://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/disparition-de-jean-delumeau-grand-historien-du-christianisme-20200114). *lefigaro.fr* (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["DELUMEAU Jean, Léon, Marie, Joseph, André"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100313155710/http://www.aibl.fr/fr/membres/academ/delumeau.html). *Membres de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres*. [Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres](/source/Acad%C3%A9mie_des_Inscriptions_et_Belles-Lettres). Archived from [the original](http://www.aibl.fr/fr/membres/academ/delumeau.html) on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Jean Delumeau, historien de l'enfer et du paradis, est mort"](https://www.la-croix.com/Culture/Jean-Delumeau-historien-lenfer-paradis-mort-2020-01-13-1201071442). *La Croix*. 13 January 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nm_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nm_4-1) Nelson H. Minnich (2015). [*Journeys in Church History: Essays from the Catholic Historical Review*](https://books.google.com/books?id=o8-nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA53). CUA Press. p. 53. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8132-2834-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8132-2834-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Jean Dolumeau"](https://www.babelio.com/auteur/Jean-Delumeau/14713). *babelio.com* (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Robert Maggiori (14 January 2020). ["L'historien des religions Jean Delumeau est mort"](https://next.liberation.fr/livres/2020/01/14/mort-de-l-historien-des-religions-jean-delumeau_1772986). *liberation.fr* (in French)..

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_7-1) ["Jean Delumeau"](http://www.college-de-france.fr/site/jean-delumeau/). *college-de-france.fr*. 11 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Jean Delumeau"](http://el.enc.sorbonne.fr/mai68/index109.html). *sorbonne.fr* (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Jean Delumeau"](https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Delumeau_Jean). *ae-info.org* (in French)..

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:3_10-2) ["DELUMEAU Jean, Léon, Marie, Joseph, André"](http://www.aibl.fr/membres/academiciens-depuis-1663/article/delumeau-jean-leon-marie-joseph). *aibl.fr*. 15 February 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** J. Delumeau, in *Hommage à Jean Delumeau à l'occasion de son élection à l'Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres*, 1990, p. 29-30.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_12-1) ["Candidatures au fauteuil de M. Léopold Sédar Senghor (F16)"](http://www.academie-francaise.fr/actualites/candidatures-au-fauteuil-de-m-leopold-sedar-senghor-f16-1). *academie-francaise* (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Nous, universitaires et chercheurs, tenons à manifester notre soutien à Emmanuel Macron"](https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2017/04/26/nous-universitaires-et-chercheurs-tenons-a-manifester-notre-soutien-a-emmanuel-macron_5117978_3232.html). *Le Monde.fr*. 26 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["L'historien Jean Delumeau est décédé"](https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/l-historien-jean-delumeau-est-decede-13-01-2020-2357498_23.php). *Le Point* (in French). 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** François Vercelletto (13 January 2020). ["L'historien rennais Jean Delumeau est mort"](https://www.ouest-france.fr/culture/l-historien-rennais-jean-delumeau-est-mort-6687765). *ouest-france.fr* (in French)..

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Giuliani, Emmanuelle (13 January 2020). ["Jean Delumeau, historien de l'enfer et du paradis, est mort"](https://www.la-croix.com/Culture/Jean-Delumeau-historien-lenfer-paradis-mort-2020-01-13-1201071442). *La Croix* (in French).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Jean Delumeau, Historian of Fear and Sin](https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_VIN_107_0145--jean-delumeau-historian-of-fear-and.htm), *Vingtième Siècle : Revue d'histoire*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["La mémoire vive de Jean Delumeau"](http://www.lavie.fr/debats/idees/la-memoire-vive-de-jean-delumeau-21-10-2015-67514_679.php). *lavie.fr* (in French). 21 October 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["ORDRE DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR Décret du 31 décembre 1989 portant promotion et nomination"](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=PREX8910546D). Retrieved 22 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Décret du 31 décembre 1999 portant promotion"](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=PREX9903891D). Retrieved 22 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Décret du 7 mai 2007 portant promotion et nomination"](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=PREX0710152D). Retrieved 22 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Culture; Cabinet et services rattachés au Ministre; Cabinet; Bureau Cabinet (1962-2000)"](https://www.siv.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/siv/rechercheconsultation/consultation/ir/pdfIR.action?irId=FRAN_IR_026438). *Archives des nominations et promotions dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres*. 2002.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_23-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_23-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_23-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_23-3) ["Jean Delumeau"](http://www.academie-francaise.fr/jean-delumeau). *academie-francaise.fr* (in French).

## External links

- [Jean Delumeau](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4131985/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

Authority control databases International ISNI 2 VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Japan Italy Czech Republic Spain Portugal Netherlands Norway Latvia Greece Poland Vatican Israel Catalonia Belgium Croatia Academics CiNii Academia Europaea People Trove LibraryThing Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef Open Library Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jean Delumeau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Delumeau) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Delumeau?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.