Do You Know the Huguenots?

(this is an English translation of the Korean original, published here. 한글은 여기 있습니다.)

“The Story of the Huguenots Who Changed the World”

“We are the 21st-century diaspora Huguenots”

As we live our lives, we often realise how much we don’t know about things we ought to know. Particularly for Christians, there are fundamental truths that we should know but often don’t. One such truth is that we know very little about the Huguenots. There may be many who would ask, “What’s a Huguenot?”

The term “Huguenot” refers to French Protestants in the 16th to 18th centuries. Some might question, “Why should I care about French Protestants from the past, especially those from another country?” That is, of course, a foolish question. From now on, you will learn a new historical fact that you may not have known before.

The reviewer has long had a personal question: “Why is Protestantism so weak in France, the country of John Calvin?” According to the French Protestant Federation (FPF) in 2017, which marked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, there were approximately 2 million Protestants in France, which is just 3.1% of the total population (65 million). Why is there such a small number of Christians?

We Are the Huguenots (by Seong Won-yong, Kookmin Books, 2024) tells “the story of the Huguenots who changed the world.” Pastor Seong Won-yong is an expert on the Huguenots. The reviewer, while studying theology later in life, became acquainted with the Huguenots in European church history. These Huguenots laid the foundation for the Industrial Revolution in Britain, upgraded the Netherlands, became the source of Germany’s wealth, helped Switzerland’s watch industry flourish, and even became the pillars of the founding of the United States. They did not just change the world through “Sebasi” (the time that changed the world), but through “Sebawi” (the Huguenots who changed the world).

Pastor Seong Won-yong is an expert on the Huguenots. He arrived in Paris in March 1996 and has been serving as a pastor, missionary, evangelist, and author for 29 years. He graduated from the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Th.B/M.Div), studied leadership at the Paris Protestant Theological Seminary and the University of Midwest in the United States, where he earned his doctorate. Currently, he is serving as a missionary in France, commissioned by the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK), and is also a coordinator for the Korea-France Mission at the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Paris. His published works include Hold on to the Essentials, and You Won’t Regret It, Like the Huguenots - 10 Lessons from the Huguenots, and Like the Huguenots (a monthly devotional), all published by Kookmin Books.

This review will focus on how the diaspora Huguenots in Germany, Britain, the United States, Switzerland, and the Netherlands had a positive influence in those countries.

1. Diaspora: God’s Amazing Plan to Renew the World; ‘People Belonging to God’s Grand Design’ → All Diaspora Christians are ‘Lives Planted Overseas for the Gospel, Having Been Called out of Their Homeland’

Who are the diaspora? The passive concept refers to those who are “dispersed or scattered.” However, the active concept of diaspora is that they are “those who have been sown as seeds.” The term diaspora is a compound of the Greek words ‘dia’ (to tear apart) and ‘spora’ (to scatter or sow seeds). They are people who belong to the “grand design of God, the Sovereign of History.” In the Old Testament, God scattered the disobedient people of Israel to foreign lands, and they are the official example of the diaspora.

The Bible, both Old and New Testament, is the story of the diaspora. First, God called Abraham to live a life of diaspora and gave him the covenant of diaspora (Gen. 12:1-3). This can be interpreted as: “Abraham, who obeyed the command of diaspora, will be blessed, and those who bless and accept him will also be blessed, and eventually, all nations will be blessed.” The Bible and the history of Christianity that followed are records of the fulfilment of this covenant.

When the people of Israel disobeyed, God raised up King Cyrus at the appointed time (70 years) and commanded the return of the diaspora Jews scattered across the world to their homeland. At that time, about 40,000 Jews returned, but many more remained in Babylon. By the 1st century BC, God had providentially guided the diaspora Jews in Alexandria, Egypt, to translate the Old Testament into Greek (the Septuagint, LXX), thereby allowing the early church to be established and the Gospel to be spread worldwide.

“Jesus Himself was also a diaspora, having left the kingdom of heaven and come to this earth.”

“Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, Nehemiah, Ezra, and other biblical figures experienced the life of diaspora, or became protagonists who revealed God’s glory and changed history from the position of being in the diaspora. (omitted) Even the key figures of the early church, such as Paul, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla, and Aquila, were of diaspora origin.” (p. 13, Author’s Prologue)

2. The Diaspora Huguenots Who Laid the Foundation for the British Industrial Revolution: Becoming the Roots of the British Empire

France is often praised as “the land of tolerance.” However, after the Reformation (16th century), France’s Catholic absolute monarchy severely persecuted other religions and ideologies. At a time when the Reformation ideas were just beginning to take root in Germany and Switzerland, France carried out horrific persecution, treating the Huguenots (Reformed Protestants) as less than human, trampling on and killing them in ways reminiscent of the medieval witch hunts.

The Edict of Nantes (1598) and, later, the Edict of Fontainebleau (1685) under King Louis XIV, marked the culmination of this persecution. The Huguenot Wars between Catholics and Protestants lasted 36 years, but in the end, King Henry IV’s Edict of Nantes allowed Protestant worship. However, just 12 years later (1610), Henry IV was assassinated by a Catholic fanatic in broad daylight in Paris. Afterward, under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, France pursued absolute monarchy, insisting on “one faith, one law, one king,” and launched a widespread persecution of the Huguenots. In 1685, the Edict of Fontainebleau was issued, revoking the Edict of Nantes and forbidding Protestant worship. Protestant ministers were given 15 days to either convert or leave France. Essentially, France aimed to eradicate the Huguenots.

Huguenots in England: Leading Developments in Military, Finance, Medicine, and Science…

The Flourishing British Industry

The number of Huguenots who sought refuge in England reached 60,000. After the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572, many began to emigrate to England, with the majority settling in London. This was during the period of the Glorious Revolution (1688), when King James II, a Catholic, was deposed, and William of Orange, from the Netherlands, ascended the throne as William III alongside his wife, Mary II. Ten years later, the Toleration Act was passed, allowing non-Anglican Protestants to worship freely. Soon after, the Bill of Rights (1689) was passed, preventing Catholics from ever becoming the monarch of England.

William III, who had previously been the governor of the Netherlands, was followed by many Dutch Huguenots to England. These Huguenots brought with them specialized knowledge and excellent craftsmanship in fields like textiles, ceramics, paper-making, and furniture production. Among them were also numerous scientists and soldiers. Their contribution to the development of British industry was immense and laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution (1760-1820). The devoutness and diligence of the Huguenots were largely influenced by Calvinism.

“As in the 17th century when the Quakers were known for their piety and diligence, the Huguenots were also famous for these traits. Calvinists believed that wealth generated through honest labour was sacred, and the Huguenots adhered to this teaching. Most of the Huguenots who settled in England were skilled artisans, farmers, and professionals. Among them were doctors, teachers, merchants, sailors, shipbuilders, and even nobles. Wherever they went, they blossomed in both the arts and industry, creating a lasting legacy. This was, as Max Weber pointed out in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, a result of the Calvinist influence on labour.” (p. 56)

By the 18th century, London had 31 Huguenot churches. The city provided large homes near Spitalfields for the Huguenots, where they established hospitals. Their communities were located in areas like Clerkenwell, Mottingham, Fulham, and Wandsworth, which are now close to New Malden, the heart of the Korean community in London. Could this be a coincidence?

3. The Source of Germany’s Strength and Prosperity: “I Am a Huguenot” = “I Am an Intellectual”

Germany, both then and now, has been one of the most welcoming countries in Europe when it comes to refugees. At the time, Prussia was particularly quick, broad, and kind in accepting the Huguenots. After the Edict of Fontainebleau was issued by King Louis XIV of France, Frederick William I of Prussia responded just 20 days later by issuing the Potsdam Edict. He declared that the Huguenots were “brothers of the same Reformed faith” and welcomed them. He provided them with extraordinary privileges, including travel assistance (by sea and land), living expenses, passports, and even homes. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, about 43,000 Huguenots settled in Prussia and Brandenburg.

Particularly in Berlin and its surrounding areas, by the early 18th century, over 5,000 Huguenots were living there—about 20% of the city’s population at the time. Frederick William I supported the establishment of Huguenot communities centred around churches, where they worshipped in their native French and developed their own legal systems, policies, and educational structures. “The Huguenots were regarded as intellectuals in Berlin. The phrase ‘I am a Huguenot’ was as equivalent to saying ‘I am an intellectual.’” (pp. 64-65, Could these Huguenots be the precursors of today’s Christians?)

By welcoming the Huguenots into Prussia, Frederick William I’s plan to build a prosperous and powerful Prussia succeeded. Some 185 years later, in 1870, Prussia won the Franco-Prussian War, which resulted in the collapse of the French Second Empire and the establishment of the Third Republic, while Germany, previously divided, unified into the German Empire. For France, which had persecuted and expelled the Huguenots, it was a painful moment; for Prussia, which had warmly welcomed them, it was a moment of triumph. (pp. 72-73, The Huguenots are the treasure of treasures.)

4. The Huguenots Upgrade the Netherlands

At the time, the Netherlands was under the Catholic control of Spain. However, as the Dutch began to embrace Calvinism, they started to resist Catholic rule. In March 1567, the 17 Dutch provinces rose up against Spain, starting the Eighty Years’ War. Eventually, the Netherlands established a republic, which led to the famous Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), a European international conflict between Catholics and Protestants. The war ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, granting Protestants religious freedom across Europe.

Just as Germany had done, the Netherlands, which followed the same Calvinist faith as the French Huguenots, welcomed them warmly. About 35,000 Huguenots immigrated there. When Leiden University was founded in 1575, several Huguenots were appointed as theology professors. Particularly among the Huguenots, many were pastors, soldiers, and craftsmen. Of the 600 Huguenots who settled in the Netherlands, around 400 were pastors—about half of the Huguenot ministers. Amsterdam, in particular, became a sanctuary for Huguenots, where they contributed greatly to the nation’s innovations. Wherever they went, they built churches and lived centred around them.

“The Huguenots who migrated to the Netherlands led the country’s industrial development with their high level of education and advanced skills. In 1602, the world’s first stock exchange was established in Amsterdam, a result of their influence. Furthermore, trading posts, exchange banks, embassies, and factories for preparing for war sprang up in major cities across the Netherlands. The ascetic ethics and hard work of the Protestants, armed with their faith, allowed capitalism to blossom in the Netherlands.” (p. 85, It was the Huguenot Protestant faith that built the nation.)

5. The Blossoming of the Swiss Watch Industry

An estimated 140,000 to 160,000 Huguenots fled to Switzerland. Many of them used Switzerland as a stepping stone to other countries like Germany or elsewhere in Europe. They settled in cities such as Bern, Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and Schaffhausen. Particularly in Lausanne, the Huguenots were warmly welcomed as brothers. During the period of persecution, about 400 wilderness church pastors were trained in Lausanne. In Bern, the city authorities placed Huguenots in the best hotels and even covered the costs. About 20,000 Huguenots settled in Switzerland, and by 1689, around 20% of Lausanne’s population consisted of refugees.

Geneva, often called “the Rome of Protestantism,” became a hub for publishing, weaving, watchmaking, and goldsmithing. The Geneva Reformation officially adopted Calvinism in 1615. John Calvin himself, seeking refuge from persecution in France, carried out his reforms in Geneva from 1536–1538 and again from 1541–1564. Calvin’s teachings and the religious structures he established had a lasting impact on the city.

“Geneva, though a small city, became known as a cultural and economic centre. The publishing industry in 16th-century Geneva was entirely driven by refugees from France. Publishing flourished in Geneva, along with industries such as weaving, watchmaking, and goldsmithing.” (p. 101)

“While England led in technological innovation, Switzerland’s watch industry also grew rapidly. The watchmaking industry spread beyond the Jura Mountains, where it continues to thrive today. The great innovation in watchmaking owes much to Daniel JeanRichard, a descendant of Huguenots who had fled to Switzerland during the 16th-century Huguenot Wars.” (p. 104, It was the Huguenots who created modern Switzerland.)

6. The Pillars of the Founding of America: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Huguenots

The Huguenots played a crucial role in the independence and founding of America. Many Huguenots fled France seeking religious freedom, some going directly to New England (America), while others passed through England, the Netherlands, or Switzerland before reaching the American colonies. Before independence, the region was known as New England, and the Huguenots migrated in large groups, always bringing pastors to establish church-centred communities. In fact, there were Huguenots aboard the Mayflower, which arrived in Plymouth in November 1620, seeking religious freedom.

By the time of the Revolutionary War in 1775, an estimated 20,000 Huguenots had settled in America, with about 2,000–4,000 having arrived before the war began. Huguenots who settled in South Carolina farmed rice, grew grapes, and even built a fort called Fort Caroline. They invited the local Native Americans to join them for communal meals and prayer services, giving thanks to God.

According to the Jacksonville Historical Society, on June 30, 1564, the Huguenots held a thanksgiving service, singing a psalm of thanksgiving. This event took place 57 years before the famous thanksgiving service held by the Pilgrims in 1621. This is considered the first thanksgiving service held on the American continent. (pp. 111-112)

From 1624 onwards, many more Huguenots sailed to the New World, and they contributed greatly to the development and founding of the colonies. Fleeing persecution and seeking religious freedom, they made their new homes in British colonies and became some of the most prominent figures in American history. Figures such as John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, Peter Fenel, and Pierre Minet are considered descendants of the Huguenots. John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, served as the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and the second Governor of New York. He was a key figure in drafting the U.S. Constitution and chaired the Continental Congress when the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Revolutionary War. (p. 113, ‘Rooted in the Huguenots’ – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others are pillars of America’s founding.)

Conclusion: “We are the Huguenots of the 21st Century. Let us Believe and Live as the Huguenots Did.”

The achievements of the Huguenots, as discussed earlier, far exceed imagination. Beyond the nations already mentioned, Peter the Great of Russia (1672–1725) recognised the value of the Huguenots and welcomed them as refugees, seeing their potential. In Sweden, the Huguenots brought mining technology, transforming the country into an industrial nation. The Huguenots also settled in Cape Town, South Africa, where they turned the region into a famous wine-producing area.

“The Huguenots changed the course of European and world history. They became the protagonists of a new page in history. The France that persecuted and expelled them entered a period of decline. The Huguenots’ exodus represented a loss of France’s knowledge, skills, workforce, and culture, which ultimately led to the painful period of the French Revolution. In contrast, the nations and cities that accepted and collaborated with the Huguenots received extraordinary blessings. The history of the Huguenot diaspora is the fulfilment of God’s plan to establish His kingdom through the scattering of His people, just as He did with Abraham. The Huguenot diaspora is part of God’s eternal plan to renew the world.” (p. 137, Now we understand why Protestantism is weak in Calvin’s country, France…)

Is there a connection between Korea and the Huguenots? “We are the Huguenots.”

Although there were no direct Huguenots among the missionaries who came to Korea, many of those who brought the faith to Korea were influenced by the Puritans, who traced their roots back to Geneva’s John Calvin and the Huguenots. Therefore, in an indirect sense, the Korean church is rooted in the same faith and theology as that of the Huguenots. In this way, Pastor Seong Won-yong asserts that “Korean Christians and churches are spiritual descendants of the Huguenots” (p. 139). He further states, “We are the Huguenots of this generation.” This is the message of this book’s title. Truly, today’s 7.5 million overseas Koreans scattered across the globe are, in a sense, modern-day Huguenots.

“I pray and hope that God’s work, which began with the diaspora calling and covenant to Abraham, will be fulfilled through the Korean diaspora Christians of the 21st century.” (p. 141) Amen, Amen. Hallelujah!

Review Conclusion: “Let us Believe and Live as the Huguenots Did.”

Before reading this book thoroughly, I was unfamiliar with the Huguenots—truly ignorant. However, after reading this small 160-page book multiple times to write this review, I came to love and admire the Huguenots. All missionaries abroad, and all Korean churches and Christians, including myself, are certainly the “Huguenots” of today. I would love to give this book as a gift to my fellow overseas missionaries. I highly recommend it to Korean church leaders and congregants. “Let us believe and live as the Huguenots did.” Hallelujah, Amen, Amen.