Definition

1. Noun:
   • A theological movement within Roman Catholicism: Jansenism is a Christian theological movement, primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries, emphasizing original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It is named after its founder, the Dutch theologian Cornelis Jansen (1585–1638).
   • A specific set of doctrinal beliefs: The doctrine holds that human nature is corrupt, that divine grace is irresistible and granted only to the elect, and that without this specific grace, humans cannot fulfill God's commandments.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The controversy surrounding Jansenism deeply divided the French Catholic Church in the 17th century.
  • His writings were heavily influenced by the austere morality of Jansenism.
  • The Pope issued a bull condemning five propositions central to Jansenism.

Advanced Usage

• "Jansenist" (noun/adjective): A follower of Jansenism; pertaining to Jansenism.

  • The Jansenist community at Port-Royal was a major intellectual center.
  • She held a Jansenist view of human nature, seeing it as fundamentally flawed.

• "Jansenistic" (adjective): Characteristic of or relating to Jansenism.

  • His approach to ethics had a distinctly Jansenistic severity.

Variants and Related Words

• Jansenist: (n) A proponent of Jansenism. (adj) Relating to Jansenism.
• Jansenistic: (adj) Relating to or characteristic of Jansenism.
• Anti-Jansenism: (n) Opposition to the doctrines of Jansenism.

Synonyms

• Rigorism: (in moral theology) A strict interpretation of moral law, often associated with Jansenist attitudes.
• Augustinianism: A broader theological tradition emphasizing original sin and grace, of which Jansenism is considered a strict, heterodox form.

Notes on Meaning and Context

• Historical and Theological Context: Jansenism is not simply a synonym for strict religious morality. It is a specific historical movement with defined, and ultimately condemned, doctrines concerning grace and predestination within Catholicism. It is often contrasted with Jesuit theology (Molinism).
• Figurative Use: In a modern, secular context, "Jansenist" or "Jansenistic" can be used figuratively to describe an attitude of extreme moral austerity, pessimism, or asceticism.
  • The director's Jansenistic style stripped the film of any sentimental decoration.

Noun

1. the Roman Catholic doctrine of Cornelis Jansen and his disciples; salvation is limited to those who are subject to supernatural determinism and the rest are assigned to perdition