Guyon, Madame (Jeanne Marie Bouvier) (1648-1717)
Place of Birth: Near Orleans, France
Early Life: Educated in convents; mother arranged her unhappy marriage to a rich invalid 22 years her senior (1664)
Christian Experiences and Work: After husband died she devoted herself to spiritual service; had visions, revelations, spiritual experiences; did charitable work
Beliefs and Teachings: An intense devotion to the name of Jesus; sought close communion with God dwelling within her
Notable Acquaintance: Close fellowship with Archbishop Fenelon
Experience of Persecution: Denounced as dangerous and a follower of Molinos, a quietist mystic; arrested and imprisoned for months; her writings examined and condemned by Catholic Archbishop Bossuet; Fenelon's writings also condemned, and both withdrew their writings; Guyon continued her teachings; arrested, imprisoned in Bastille (1694-1702) until she recanted
Writings: Wrote a commentary on the Scriptures; composed spiritual verse – “The Joy of the Cross,” “The Testimony of Divine Adoption”; wrote letters to Catholics and Protestants in France, Holland, Germany, England
Hymns: “A Little Bird I Am,” “I Love My Lord, but with No Love of Mine,” “Long Plunged in Sorrow,” “Strong Are the Walls Around Me”
Biography: T.C. Upham, The Story of Madame Guyon's Life, Augusta, ME: Christian Books
Autobiography: The Autobiography of Madame Guyon, translated by Thomas Allen.
