Ernest Renan

Ernest Renan (1823-1892) was a historian, religious scholar and philosopher. In hopes of joining the priesthood, Renan attended an ecclesiastical seminary during his youth. His exposure to the humanistic study of historical linguistics at this school led him to question the traditional interpretation of the events portrayed in the Bible. Eventually leaving the Catholic church, but retaining his belief in Christianity, Renan pursued a historical reconstruction of the life of Jesus resulting in his controversial five-part series The History of the Origins of Christianity, which made him hugely influential in his time. While best known for his religious studies, Renan's works on linguistics, nationhood and politics are still widely quoted.