The Call of Conscience: French Protestant Responses to the Algerian War, 1954-1962

297 Pages·1998·18.47 MB·English

by  Geoffrey Adams

EDITIONS SR
Volume 21
The Call of Conscience
French Protestant Responses
to the Algerian War,
1954-1962
Geoffrey Adams
Published for the Canadian Corporation for Studies in
Religion/Corporation Canadienne des Sciences Religieuses
by Wilfrid Laurier University Press
1998
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Human-
ities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada, using funds provided
by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada
through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for our
publishing activities.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Adams, Geoffrey, 1926-
The call of conscience : French Protestant responses to the
Algerian War, 1954-1962
(Editions SR; 21)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88920-299-0
1. Protestants - France - Attitudes - History - 20th century. 2. Algeria -
History - Revolution, 1954-1962 - Foreign public opinion. 3. Public opinion -
France - History - 20th century. I. Canadian Corporation for
Studies in Religion. II. Title. III. Series.
DT295.A55 1998 965'.046'0882044 C98-930428-0
© 1998 Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion /
Corporation Canadienne des Sciences Religieuses
Cover design by Leslie Macredie using a photograph of
Maurice Causse, champion of Christian-Muslim fraternity
(Courtesy of Maurice Causse)
Printed in Canada
The Call of Conscience: French Protestant Responses to the Algerian War,
]954-1962 has been produced from a manuscript supplied in camera-ready
form by the author.
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may
be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic or
mechanical—without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any
request for photocopying, recording, taping or reproducing in information
storage and retrieval systems of any part of this book shall be directed in writ-
ing to the Canadian Reprography Collective, 214 King Street West, Suite 312,
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S6.
Order from:
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY PRESS
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5
Lorsque Ton combat tout a la fois contre
un peuple entier, et contre sa propre cons-
cience, on ne peut pas gagner....
- Andre Philip, Le socialisme trahi (1957)
Quand 1'Etat demoralise la Nation, c'est
dans la conscience des citoyens que s'est
refugie la legalite.
- Paul Ricoeur, testifying at the trial of
Pastor Etienne Mathiot (March 1958)
This page intentionally left blank
For Jack
and for all those who worked
for peace and reconciliation
during the Algerian War
This page intentionally left blank
CONTENTS
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS xi
ABBREVIATIONS xvii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xix
INTRODUCTION 1
I. ALGERIA 1830-1954: A COLONY IN ALL BUT NAME .... 11
II. GOVERNOR JACQUES SOUSTELLE: THE
TRIBULATIONS OF A JACOBIN PROCONSUL (1955-56) . . 25
III. 1956 - MOBILIZING AGAINST MOLLET:
THE RESTIVENESS OF THE PROTESTANT LEFT 57
IV. 1957 - FULLY ENGAGED: PROTESTANTS TAKE
SIDES IN THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS 81
V. 1958: PROTESTANT REACTIONS TO
THE 13 MAI AND THE COMING OF DE GAULLE 109
VI. 1959 - COMING TO THE RESCUE:
PROTESTANT RELIEF FOR UPROOTED MUSLIMS 141
VII. 1960: THE MORAL BALANCE TILTS TO PEACE 163
VIII. 1961: PUTTING PEACEMAKERS TO THE TEST 195
IX. 1962: THE SPIRITUAL COST OF A PROBLEMATIC
PEACE 223
CONCLUSION 247
EPILOGUE 253
BIBLIOGRAPHY 257
INDEX 263
vii
This page intentionally left blank
Algeria, with its administrative divisions (1962)
The Reformed Church in Algeria (1954)
CIMADE in Algeria
(Courtesy of Andre Lemiere, Paris)