ABSTRACT
In Letters Written from the Mountain, Rousseau writes that he ‘greatly favors’ the faith described in the ‘Profession of Faith of the Savoyard Vicar’ within Emile, and he defends this faith as the most politically and socially salutary of religions. This praise is surprising, since the vicar’s faith shares much with what Rousseau calls the ‘religion of the Gospels’ – a religion that he criticizes for being incapable of providing the social cohesion and passionate patriotism required by sound politics. This paper explains the social and political effects that Rousseau expected to achieve through the widespread acceptance of the vicar’s faith, and how Rousseau conceived of that faith as contributing to the ‘sentiments of sociability’ and the ‘sanctity of the social contract and laws.’ The practical political effect of the vicar’s faith within a robust political culture is the strengthening of the moral norms and laws of the political community
