George de Benneville
Encyclopedia
George de Benneville was born in London
in 1703 to aristocratic Huguenot
French parents in the court of Queen Anne
. While serving as a sailor
during his adolescent years, de Benneville traveled around the world and began to question his religion and compare it to other world religions. He shed his Huguenot religion, developed his own ideas about Christianity
, and became a preacher
while still in his teens.
De Benneville had a mystical experience and later a near death experience
which he described in The Life and Trance of Dr. George De Benneville. These experiences convinced him that Hell is for purification, not punishment, and that, ultimately, all will be united with God. He believed that God
is absolutely good and in his love would never condemn any human to eternal damnation
. He also preached that each human being has a dualistic
nature; the outer, flesh-and-blood person is subject to the evils of the world and may choose to do good or to do wrong, while the inner, spiritlike person is crafted by God and is perfect, immaculate, and holy, and cannot be damned. Therefore, all human beings experience salvation
.
Religious authorities in several nations were disturbed by evangelists
such as de Benneville, and he was sentenced to death
more than once. He preached and practiced medicine in France and Germany. After completing medical training in Europe, de Benneville immigrated to the American colonies
during the mid-eighteenth century with others seeking religious tolerance
. He settled in Pennsylvania
and worked as a physician and apothecary
, using free time to continue his Universalist
preaching.
de Benneville socialized and traded herbal preparations
with Native American
groups in the area. His beliefs stressed that all people everywhere are loved by God, and cultures, races, and sexes have no bearing on the worth of a human being. His beliefs stated clearly that the physical body is merely one part of a person.
George de Benneville died at home in Pennsylvania in 1793.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1703 to aristocratic Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
French parents in the court of Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
. While serving as a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
during his adolescent years, de Benneville traveled around the world and began to question his religion and compare it to other world religions. He shed his Huguenot religion, developed his own ideas about Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and became a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
while still in his teens.
De Benneville had a mystical experience and later a near death experience
Near death experience
A near-death experience refers to a broad range of personal experiences associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations including detachment from the body; feelings of levitation; extreme fear; total serenity, security, or warmth; the experience of absolute dissolution;...
which he described in The Life and Trance of Dr. George De Benneville. These experiences convinced him that Hell is for purification, not punishment, and that, ultimately, all will be united with God. He believed that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is absolutely good and in his love would never condemn any human to eternal damnation
Damnation
Damnation is the concept of everlasting divine punishment and/or disgrace, especially the punishment for sin as threatened by God . A damned being "in damnation" is said to be either in Hell, or living in a state wherein they are divorced from Heaven and/or in a state of disgrace from God's favor...
. He also preached that each human being has a dualistic
Dualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
nature; the outer, flesh-and-blood person is subject to the evils of the world and may choose to do good or to do wrong, while the inner, spiritlike person is crafted by God and is perfect, immaculate, and holy, and cannot be damned. Therefore, all human beings experience salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
.
Religious authorities in several nations were disturbed by evangelists
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
such as de Benneville, and he was sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
more than once. He preached and practiced medicine in France and Germany. After completing medical training in Europe, de Benneville immigrated to the American colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
during the mid-eighteenth century with others seeking religious tolerance
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
. He settled in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and worked as a physician and apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
, using free time to continue his Universalist
Universalism
Universalism in its primary meaning refers to religious, theological, and philosophical concepts with universal application or applicability...
preaching.
de Benneville socialized and traded herbal preparations
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
with Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
groups in the area. His beliefs stressed that all people everywhere are loved by God, and cultures, races, and sexes have no bearing on the worth of a human being. His beliefs stated clearly that the physical body is merely one part of a person.
George de Benneville died at home in Pennsylvania in 1793.
External links
Selected References
Bell, Albert: The Life and Times of Dr. George de Benneville. Boston, 1953.
Howe, Charles: The Larger Faith - A Short History of American Universalism. Boston, 1993.
Scott, Clinton Lee: The Universalist Church in America: A Short History. Boston, 1957.