page_title: Antoinism
section_title: Influence by Spiritism
hierarchical_section_title: Antoinism / History / 1846–1912: Founder Louis Antoine / Influence by Spiritism
caption_attribution_description: English: Antoinist Temple of Jemeppe-sur-Meuse (Belgium), centre of the Antoinism cult Français&#160;: Temple Antoiniste de Jemeppe-sur-Meuse (Belgique), centre du culte Antoiniste
context_page_description: Antoinism is a healing and Christian-oriented new religious movement founded in 1910 by Louis-Joseph Antoine in Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, Seraing in Belgium. With a total of 64 temples, over forty reading rooms across the world and thousands of members, it remains the only religion established in Belgium whose notoriety and success has reached outside the country. Mainly active in France, the religious movement is characterized by a decentralized structure, simple rites, discretion and tolerance towards other faiths.
  Raised a Catholic, Antoine worked as a coal miner in his youth, then as a steelworker, before performing his military service in 1866. After marrying Catherine in 1873, he moved several times for professional reasons. Deeply impressed by Allan Kardec's writings, he organized a spiritualist group in the 1890s. In 1893, the death of his son marked the definitive loss of his faith in Catholicism. In 1896, he explained his Spiritist views in a book, then discovered the gifts of healing. Quickly known as a healer, he gathered many followers, mainly among workers disappointed by Catholicism or medicine.
context_section_description: Though young, Antoine showed great piety, which the historian Pierre Debouxhtay described as a "devotion of a rather scrupulous formalism". Despite his strong faith, Antoine was unsatisfied with his religion. He began to be influenced by the writings of Allan Kardec and, through his friend Gustave Gon, was initiated in 1884 in Spiritism in attending Spiritist meetings to Tilleur, alongside his wife and his nephew Pierre Dor. In Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, with friends, he started a Spiritist movement called "The Vine Growers of the Lord" ("Les Vignerons du Seigneur"). Often ill, his son attended evening school in Jemeppe, then worked at the Society of Belgian Northern Railways (Société des Chemins de Fer du Nord Belge); At his death on 23 April 1893 because of a phlebitis, Antoine and his group definitively broke with Christianity; moreover, after participating in Spiritist meetings, parents believed that their deceased son was reincarnated as a pharmacist in Paris. Antoine published in 1896 a book entitled Little Spiritist Catechism (Petit catéchisme spirite) to explain his own doctrinal views; shaped on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this writing was successful and was translated into Spanish. Antoine organized public meetings of Spiritism the first Sunday of each month at his home, and the second and the fourth Sundays at Pierre Debroux's home, people being invited to meetings through flyers. He then discovered the gifts of healing and by 1900, he received many sufferers to heal; thenceforth, he was known as the "healer of Jemeppe". He distributed remedies learned from Spiritism and advocated vegetarianism, as well as temperance and avoidance of fatty foods.
  On 8 November 1900, the prosecutor of Liège, who had received an anonymous letter, asked doctors Louis Lenger and Gabriel Corin to investigate the healing activities of Antoine. On 14 December, the Commissioner raided the pharmacist Nizet, installed in Jemeppe, who received orders made by Antoine to heal the sick. Three days later, the prosecutor and the two doctors asked Antoine about his healing activities and attended several consultations. In his report, the prosecutor stated that Anthony was very cooperative, that his treatments were "simple" and that it was certain that he obtained many recoveries but only under suggestion; he noticed his "absolute sincerity", but also asserted his activities could be "a danger to public health". Antoine appeared before the Criminal Court on 19 February 1901; Dr. Corin and three patients who reported having been cured succeeded at the witness box. Finally, Antoine was sentenced to a suspended fine of 60 francs, which did not prevent him to enjoy great renown. Meanwhile, on 25 December 1900, approximately 180 people attended the inauguration of a new building located at the corner of Tomballes and Bois-du-Mont streets that Antoine had purchased earlier the same year, and then decorated with portraits of Allan Kardec, the cure of Ars and Dr. House.
  In 1901, Antoine posted an advertisement in the Spiritist journal The Messenger (Le Messager) seeking doctors who would associate with him, but the attempt did not meet with success. At the same time, he was deeply influenced by Léon Denis' book In the Invisible. He began to give up his remedies, particularly because of his then recent trial, and gradually left Spiritism, as he was sometimes deceived by false mediums. In 1902, his group The Vine Growers of the Lord, although solicited, did not participate in the creation of a Spiritist Federation, then in 1905, the members did not attend the preparatory meeting of the Congress in Liège and refused the 0.25 franc contribution. In 1905, he saw up to 400 patients per day. Around the same time, he published a four-page leaflet which commented on passages of the Gospels without reference to Spiritism.
caption: The temple in Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, the first one of the religion, was consecrated by Antoine in 1910.
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