Sub evangelica regula. Jacques de Vitry, témoin de l’«évangélisme» de son temps

Sub evangelica regula. James of Vitry, witness of evangelism for his time. James of Vitry († 1240), regular Canon of the Lieges chapter, bishop of Saint John of Acre and later cardinal described at length in several writings (letters and sermons which made up his History of Occident and the Life of Mary of Oignies) the evangelistic movements of the XIIth-XIIIth centuries, referring to the primitive Church and to the Life of Apostles. The most innovative ot them were the lay penitents ones reported firstly by James of Vitry from various visited places. In his Geography of Devotion, the south is dubbed as the place of cathar heretics. This heresy served as Vitry’s foil to the new valued forms of devotion. If James of Vitry is therefore a witness of evangelism for his time, which kind of witness was he really ? He appaeared to be conditionned both by the ideology of the Canon Reform and by the teaching of Peter the Precentor. The Vitry’s key notion of Evangelical rule, was the result of this dual inheritance. This notion was used as a double instrument to the service of the Church. The Vitry’s project had two characteristics : - a reforming movement supported by innovative practices (cf his interest for lay devotion) - a conservative movement in order to save the institution of the Church.