The War of the Camisards (1702–1704)

“Stephen Davis brings light to a lesser-known period of French Protestantism and a movement that contains all the intrigue and mystery of a spy novel. Davis untangles the complex web of the Camisards, detailing the various guerilla groups, their leaders, and their prophets in an honest but fair treatment, with an engaging style accessible to all readers.”


—Dan Borvan, pastor, Christ Reformed Church, Anaheim, California





“Stephen Davis has crafted an impressive and moving account of the tragic War of the Camisards. The author narrates the rise of the controversial development of prophetism and the ravages of the religious conflict that led to slaughter on both the Protestant and Roman Catholic sides in the south of France during the era following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.”


—Martin I. Klauber, affiliate professor of church history, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School





“‘When the state killed the preachers, it created the prophets. When it killed the prophets, it created the Camisards.’ With the deft touch of a storyteller and the rigor of a historian, Stephen Davis leads us through a little-known but brutal episode in French church history—one that raises questions of enduring importance: To what degree should the state involve itself in religion, and when it oversteps its bounds, how should Christians respond?”


—Jonathan P. Case, professor of theology, Houghton University





“Stephen Davis’s book effectively uses history as a launching point for exploring current issues, such as dissent and the limits of resistance. It offers a creditably complete analysis in a relatively slender volume. The book helpfully presents to English-speaking readers a story that was previously available mostly in French. The work is sympathetic and understanding of the Camisard situation but not uncritical of their actions. It is a fine introduction to the topic.”


—Mark Sidwell, professor of history, government, and social science, Bob Jones University