Conclusion

The conclusion to this book emphasises the important legacy of the Avignon Society in terms of its role in disseminating millenarian doctrine, in particular, throughout Europe for nearly half a century, between 1779 and 1822. It shows the lasting impact of the society by highlighting the remarkable impact of Madame Bouche on Emperor Alexander at a crucial moment in the history of Russia and Europe as a whole. At the same time, the conclusion also reminds the reader about the hostility shown towards the society by government authorities in Russia, the papal territories, and in revolutionary France. This opposition was based on disdain for heretical strands of religious enthusiasm, as well as a fear of the millenarian dynamic of the society, which was often viewed as undermining the pillars of authority. This anxiety about the revolutionary dynamic of the Avignon Society was exacerbated by a profound confusion about the supposed radical agenda of the group, which was often conflated with the atheistic doctrine of the Bavarian Illuminati.