Edmond Henri Adolphe Schérer

Edmond Henri Adolphe Schérer (April 8, 1815 – March 16, 1889), French theologian, critic and politician, was born in Paris.

After a course of legal studies he spent several years in theological study at Strasbourg, where he graduated in theology in 1843, and was ordained. In 1843 he was appointed to a professorship in the École Evangélique at Geneva, the development of his opinions in favour of the Liberal movement in Protestant theology led to his resigning the post six years later. He founded the Anti-Jesuite, afterwards the Réformation au XIXe siècle, in which he advocated the separation of the Church from the State; but he gradually abandoned Protestant doctrine.

In thought he became a pronounced elian. Eventually he settled in Paris, where he at once attracted attention by brilliant literary criticisms, at first chiefly on great foreign writers, contributed to the "Revue des deux mondes". He was elected municipal councifior at Versailles in 1870, deputy to the National Assembly for the department Seine-et-Oise in 1871 and senator for life in 1875. He supported the Republican party.

Towards the end of his life he devoted self mainly to literary and general criticism, and was for many years one of the ablest contributors to "Le Temps". He was a frequent visitor to England, and took a lively interest in English politics and literature. He died at Versailles on the 16 March 1889.

His chief works are:
*"Dogmatique de l'Eglise réformée" (1843)
*"De actuel de l'Eglise réformée en France" (1844)
*"Esquisse d'une analyse de l'église chrêtienne " (1845)
*"La Critique et la foi" (1850)
*"André Vinet" (1853)
*"Lettres à mon cœur" (1853)
*"Etudes critiques la littérature contemporaine" (1863-1889)
*"Etudes critiques de nature" (1876)
*"Diderot" (1880)
*"La Démocratie et la France" (1883)
*"Études sur la littérature au XVIII siècle" (1891).

References

*1911
*A memoir of him, by VCO Gérard, appeared in 1890.
*See also article by Professor E Dowden in the "Fortnightly Review".