Jean de Cointac, also Contat or Cointa,Léry, Jean de. ''History of a voyage to the land of Brazil, otherwise called America''. University of California Press, 1993. Print. was a former French

Dominican friar The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

who was one of the voyagers attempting the French colonization of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

called

France Antarctique France Antarctique (formerly also spelled ''France antartique'') was a French colony in Rio de Janeiro, in modern-day Brazil, which existed between 1555 and 1567, and had control over the coast from Rio de Janeiro to Cabo Frio. The colony quickly ...

. His

theological 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 ...

theories brought him into conflict in the French fort of Coligny (in present-day

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

), resulting in two

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s being expelled. Later on, Jean de Cointac himself was expelled from the fort.

France Antarctique

Jean de Cointac was a student at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

and a

who converted to

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

. Cointac was aboard the second set of ships to reach France Antarctique, after

Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon Nicolas Durand, sieur de Villegaignon, also Villegagnon (1510 – 9 January 1571) was a Commander of the Knights Hospitaller, Knights of Malta, and later a French naval officer (vice-admiral of Brittany) who attempted to help the Huguenots in Fra ...

and his crew made the first successful voyage in November, 1555. At the time, many Huguenots were seeking a safe haven from religious persecution in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. King Henry II, although

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, financially supported these voyages to the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

in an effort to avoid religious conflict at home and to expand his kingdom, though the

Treaty of Tordesillas The Treaty of Tordesillas, ; pt, Tratado de Tordesilhas . signed in Tordesillas, Spain on 7 June 1494, and authenticated in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Emp ...

technically did not permit this colonization. The second embarkation headed to France Antarctique was prepared under the name of King Henry II, under Bois-Lecompte, a nephew of Villegagnon, with 290 voyagers sailing on three ships.Washington, Charles. ''History of the Huguenot Emigration to America''. Howard Press, 2010. Print. After sailing for four months, they landed at Fort Coligny on 9 March 1557. Jean de Cointac was among a group of new arrivals who participated in theological debates in the new land, which eventually filled the fort with wranglings, factions, and feuds. Villegagnon took part with the student, and together devised a new religious doctrine that denounced both

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and

. Supposedly inspired by the opinions of Cointac, Villegagnon declared that his opinion of

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...

had changed, and that he now held the so-called reformer to be an arch-heretic and an

apostate Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...

. By 1558, the Portuguese overtook the Fort Coligny, destroying France Antarctique.

References

* Parkman Francis, Jr. ''Pioneers of France in the New World''. 2008. Print

French Dominicans 16th-century French theologians 16th-century French clergy French Calvinist and Reformed Christians France Antarctique {{France-reli-bio-stub

France Antarctique

See also

References