Between Faith and Works Fenelon's Conception of Charity for a Monarch

This article elucidates Franc,ois Fenelon's (1651-1715) conception of monarchical charity by connecting it with earlier conceptions of charity, especially that of Franc,ois de Sales (1567-1622). It discusses three topoi of devotional literature that it presents as address-ing the tension between faith and works: the value of obedience, the notion of the ignorant saint, and the notion of a spiritual elite. It then argues that Sales gives considerable weight to charitable actions performed out of obedience to God, often against one's own inclination and without regard for self-interest. On the premise that Fenelon's princely ideal should not be separated from the concerns of his spiritual writings, the article argues that Fenelon saw a ruler who sacrifices his pleasures and self-interest to his care for his people as an embodiment of the Salesian conception of charity.