ABSTRACT
Peter Maurin was born on May 9, 1877, as the first of twenty-two children in the small farming village of Oultet, France. His mother died in childbirth after the death of two others, leaving Peter the eldest of three surviving children. Le Sillon was founded in 1894, by a Catholic Activitist-Charismatic leader, Marc Sangnier. He wanted to see France become a Christian Democracy. The purpose of this group was to show that the complex of religious and moral forces are indispensible in the political sphere, therefore its goal was to Christianize democracy. Before Maurin left France, but after he disassociated himself with Le Sillon, he travelled throughout the southern part of the country. He was particularly inspired by the words of the Russian writer, Peter Kropotkin, in the book Fields, Factories and Workshops and Mutual Aid which focused upon the agrarian life.
