The Provincial Letters

Background 

     The Provincial Letters is a series of eighteen letters written in the mid-1600s by the philosopher Blaise Pascal. Due to their controversial nature, Pascal wrote these letters using the pseudonym “Louis de Montalte” 

Overview 

     Written as though addressed to a “provincial friend”, Pascal uses these letters to address various theological topics and make his case for and against them, as well as to call out abuses. At the time these letters were written, there was a controversy and debate surrounding the theological doctrine of casuistry. To quote Hilaire Belloc, “Casuistry is in morals exactly what case precedent and case law are in our legal system: it is the application of law to particular examples”1. It sought to take the guilt of moral situations that were being confessed by penitents and deal with them on a case-by-case basis, using previous cases, as well as the circumstances of the penitent, to make a decision as to the guilt of the one confessing. Due to the highly intellectual nature of their religious order, this method was developed and used most famously by the Jesuits. Though not intrinsically evil or wrong, the problems surrounding casuistry stemmed from the abuses used in its implementation. Pascal sought to address this topic in his Provincial Letters. Other topics are written about as well, though the topic of casuistry is what the letters are most well-known for. 

Summary 

     The book contains no preface or introduction by Pascal and each letter is simply numbered according to its sequence, ie “Letter V, Letter VI” et cetera. 
     Letters I through III deal with the theological position of Jansenism, which had been condemned by the church2, though Pascal felt that it was done unjustly due to misunderstanding and mischaracterization of its position. The discussion also centers around the topic of sufficient grace versus actual grace and the debate that was ongoing between Thomists and Jesuits on the subject. The topic is addressed because a friend of Pascal named Antoine Arnauld was charged with heresy. Pascal felt that the position he and his friend held was correct and it was actually the Jesuits that were the problem. 
     Letters IV through X deal with the various problems surrounding the Jesuit position on grace and casuistry. Pascal quotes from various Jesuit works on casuistry in an effort to show that the position allowed for moral laxity and the downplaying of serious sins. 
     Letters XI through XVI depart from the previous method of addressing a close friend and are instead addressed directly to “The Reverend Fathers, The Jesuits.” They deal with what Pascal felt were abuses of doctrine by Jesuit clergy in regards to a variety of areas such as penance, usury, and even murder. 
     Letters XVII and XVIII are addressed to Father Annat, a Jesuit and confessor to the king of France. 

     Pascal was known for his precision in both mathematics and philosophy. The Provincial Letters marks a great departure from his usual style and we see Pascal adopt tone more reminiscent of an actual conversation, rather than a manual of theology. The tones used in these letters ranges from casual, sarcastic, and often times, very direct and severe. This use of language caused upset amongst the clergy, who felt disrespected, and was adapted by anti-catholic writers such as Voltaire. Due to their attacks on the Jesuits, who were a major opponent and problem for the Protestants, the letters were widely read and admired by the Protestant community. The popularity of these letters also, unfortunately, gave a poor reputation to the topic of casuistry that continues to this day, despite it being a serious methodology for use by confessors. 

Recommendation 

     I highly recommend this book. It is a great historical look at the feelings surrounding theological topics that have been settled or remain largely ignored today, whether we agree with them or not. Reading these letters gives us insight into what was happening within the church at the time, and the excellent writing style of Pascal is typical of his level of genius. They also demonstrate how the use of satire to tackle a controversial topic goes back much farther than most people realize. For better or worse, the style of The Provincial Letters went on to influence both Catholic and anti-Catholic writers, and we can use the letters as an insight into thoughts of people who were dealing with a theological problem that would shape church doctrine. Controversy, though tragic, is often what forces the Church to deal with lukewarmness amongst the faithful and to solidify her doctrines and give them even greater strength. 

Footnotes 

1 Hilaire Belloc, found at https://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/pascal.htm 

2 Pope Innocent X, Cum Occasione