Guyon, JEANNE MARIE BOUVIÈRES DE LA MOTHE, French mystic, was born at Montargis (dept. Loiret), 13th April 1648. She had destined herself for the cloister, but was married, when sixteen years of age, to Jacques Guyon, a man of great wealth, but much older than herself. Being, however, left a widow at twenty-eight, she determined to devote her life to practical ministrations to the poor and needy, and to the cultivation of spiritual perfection, or an endeavour to realise the consummate achievements of the inner life, for herself. The former part of her plan she began to carry out in 1681 in the neighbourhood of Geneva, where she found a sympathetic coadjutor in Father La Combe. But three years later she was compelled to depart thence on the ground that her Quietist doctrines were heretical (see QUIETISTS). At Turin, Grenoble, Nice, Genoa, Vercelli, and Paris, where she finally settled in 1686, she became the centre of a religious movement for the encouragement of 'holy living.' But in January 1688 she was arrested for having taught heretical opinions, and for having been in correspondence with Molinos, the leader of quietism in Spain. Released by the intervention of Madame de Maintenon, after a detention of nine months, she soon afterwards became acquainted with Fénelon; but, her influence spreading, she was again imprisoned in 1695. Out of a commission appointed to inquire into her teachings and conduct of life arose a controversy between Fénelon (q.v.) and Bossnet. Madame Guyon was not released from the Bastille until 1702. The remainder of her life was spent in retirement at Blois, where she died, 9th June 1717. Her views find best expression in her works entitled
Les Torrens Spirituels, Moyen Court de Faire Oraison, and Le Cantique des Cantiques interprété selon le sens mystique. She also wrote an autobiography and letters, as well as some spiritual poetry. Her collected works appeared in 40 vols. in 1767-91. See Upham, Life and Religious Opinions of Madame Guyon (New York, 1847), and Guerrier, Madame Guyon (Orleans, 1881).