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Although studies employing contextual methodologies have rarely been used for the
buildings treated in my study, several of the religious groups that built the churches have been
the subject of this type of scholarship. In an extensive study of the French Oratorians, Charles
Williams discusses the history of the congregation and examines the evolving spiritual and
doctrinal concerns of Pierre Bérulle, the group‘s founder. 25 The book provides fundamental
insights into the social and political domains with which Bérulle had to negotiate as head of the
Oratory, but it omits discussion of art and architecture. In a book exploring French royal support
of the Society of Jesus, Eric Nelson argues that Louis XIII’s father provided ecclesiastical
patronage to the Jesuit Order as part of his efforts to define royal influence over the Catholic
Church in France. 26
One other field of scholarship contributes greatly to my research, that of French history.
Specifically, works by authors such as Barbara Dieffendorf, Mack Holt, Michael Wolfe, and
Sharon Kettering have shaped my understanding of the political, religious, and social history of
the period, providing me with a basis for understanding the historical context. 27 Among these,
Sharon Kettering’s studies of seventeenth-century patronage have made an especially important
contribution to my work on Louis XIII. Characterizing patronage relationships, she argues that
the obligatory reciprocity of the patron client exchange created expectations that led to reliance
and occasionally trust and loyalty. 28 This idea is central to my assertion that Louis XIII
believed he could control the potentially subversive religious groups through financial support of
their church es.
Organization of the Chapters
My dissertation begins with a chapter that presents the religious and political context of
the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries in France. Its purpose is to illuminate the
circumstances that led up to Maria de’ Medici’s regency and Louis XIII’s reign, demonstrating
that the French monarchs were in need of a powerful tool to express their individual political
agendas. Using well-known historical material, I discuss the Wars of Religion, the reign of
Henri IV, and the Catholic Reformation in France to show the manner in which each of these
factors had a bearing on the policies of Maria de’ Medici and Louis XIII. Not only did these
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