Theophilanthropy

Theophilanthropy (from Greek θεός Theos, "God"; φίλος phílos, "friend"; and ἄνθρωπος ánthrôpos, "man"; lit. 'Friends of God and Man') was a secular religion established in France during the later stages of the French Revolution. It aimed to provide a state-sponsored alternative to both established Christianity and the atheistic Cult of Reason. Based on deistic beliefs in the existence of God and the immortality of the soul, its core tenets were the love of God and the love of one's fellow man.

The cult emerged from private circles but gained official support from the Directory, particularly from Director Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux. Between 1797 and 1798, the Directory promoted Theophilanthropy in an effort to weaken the influence of Catholicism and solidify republican values. However, its state support was short-lived, as it was soon overshadowed by the competing Decadary cult and undermined by political purges. Theophilanthropy was officially banned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801 and ceased to exist as an organized movement, though its ideas influenced later thinkers.

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