The 17th century was a period of intense theological ferment within the Catholic Church. The rise of Protestantism in the 16th century had deeply fractured Christendom, leaving Catholicism to grapple with new theological and philosophical challenges. It was within this context that two theological movements emerged in France—Jansenism and Jesuitism—which came to represent opposing views on the nature of grace, human free will, and the role of the Church in salvation. The theological battle between these two movements would shape much of the intellectual and religious discourse in Catholic Europe, especially in France, for the better part of the 17th and 18th centuries.