Jean-Edme Romilly (1739 or 1740 in Geneva – 29 October 1779) was an 18th-century

Genevan , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and encyclopédiste.

Biography

The son of the watchmaker, journalist and encyclopedist

Jean Romilly Jean Romilly (27 June 1714 – 16 February 1796) was an 18th-century Republic and Canton of Geneva#History, Genevan watchmaker, journalist and Encyclopédistes, encyclopédiste. Born in a family which took refuge in Geneva following the Edict of ...

, whom he predeceased, his mother was Elizabeth Adrienne Joly (born 1719) and his younger sister was Elisabeth Jeanne Pierrette Romilly (1742–1814). Jean-Edme studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

until 1763 and was called to the ministry in 1763. Three years later, he was called as pastor of the Walloon church in London but his delicate health not accommodating to the climate, he returned to Geneva and was ordered to serve the church of

Chancy Chancy is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The westernmost point of the country is located there. History Chancy is first mentioned in 1240 as ''Chancie''. Geography Chancy has an area, , of . Of this area, or 52.2% is ...

. He married Françoise Dorothée Argand (1748–1797), with whom he had a daughter, Marie Joséphine Romilly (1770–1823). In 1770, the

Council of State of Geneva The Council of State of Geneva (french: Conseil d'État de Genève) is the executive organ of the République and Canton of Geneva, in Switzerland. Geneva has a seven-member '' Conseil d'État''. The last elections were held on 28 March 2021. M ...

granted him his resignation, "retaining him his rank, given his distinguished talents."

Charles Palissot de Montenoy Charles Palissot de Montenoy (3 January 1730 – 15 June 1814) was an 18th-century French playwright, admirer and disciple of Voltaire and Antoine de Rivarol. Paradoxically, he was often denounced as a Counter-Enlightenment opponent to the parti ...

, who knew him specifically, painted a man of gentle and regular manners, highly educated and endowed with the most amiable modesty. He left the reputation of a good preacher. His sermons were distinguished by a soft and persuasive unction rather than by a strong and male eloquence. In 1780, pastor Jean-Jacques Juventin published in Geneva a collection of his sermons in 2 vol. in-8°, putting ahead the ''Éloge'' of the author. A friend of

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the '' Encyclopé ...

, Diderot and

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

, like his father Jean-Edme Romilly worked for the ''

Encyclopédie ''Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers'' (English: ''Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts''), better known as ''Encyclopédie'', was a general encyclopedia publis ...

'' to which he contributed the articles ''Tolérance'' and ''Vertu''. He also provided several articles about famous Genevois, among others Jean-Jacques Rousseau, to the ''Mémoires de littérature'' by Palissot. He was Juliette Cavaignac's uncle.

Sources

* Eugène Haag, ''La France protestante'', t. 8, Paris, Joël Cherbuliez, 1858, (p. 513).

External links

Jean-Edme Romilly
on Wikisource
Genealogy
o
Geneanet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romilly, Jean-Edme Theologians from the Republic of Geneva Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772) 18th-century writers from the Republic of Geneva 18th-century births 1779 deaths 18th-century clergy from the Republic of Geneva