Renan, Ernest

Renan was born on February 27, 1823 in Tréguier (Côtes d´Armor). He was trained to be ordained a Catholic priest but eventually broke with the Church. His book Life of Jesus (1863), the first part of his History of the Origins of Christianity (1863-1883), caused great controversy in France because of its heterodox view. In 1878 he was admitted to the French Academy and in 1883 he was appointed director of the Collège de France, an office which he held until his death. Among his many works, the following are worth highlighting: Memories of Childhood and Adolescence (1883), and History of the People of Israel (1887-1893). Ernest Renan died in Paris on October 12, 1892.