The Call of Conscience

Initially, when the government in Paris responded with force to the November 1, 1954 insurrection of Algerian nationalists, French public opinion offered all but unanimous support. Then it was revealed that hundreds of thousands of Muslims were herded into resettlement camps in Algeria; that Algerians suspected of nationalist sympathies were imprisoned in France; that conscientious objectors were denied their rights; and that a resolution to the conflict, either by force or by peaceful methods, was not forthcoming. When it was proven that the army was guilty of abuses, members of the Protestant minority protested and then laboured to educate their own communities as well as the public at large to the moral and spiritual perils of these actions.

Based on painstaking research and solid scholarship, The Call of Conscience: French Protestant Responses to the Algeria War, 1954-1962 reveals a rich portrait of the protest.

Geoffrey Adams is a founding member of Scholars’ Circle, a group of retired academics at Concordia University, and author of The Huguenots and French Opinion, 1685-1787 (WLU Press).

Laurent Gambarotto:
``...this study marks an important stage in the socio-political historiography of French Protestantism. It should be consulted by all those seeking scholarly insights into the Algerian conflict.'' -- translated from the French

Jacques Poujol:
``It is impossible not to be moved while reading this fine book....'' -- translated from the French