Jean-Paul Audet was born in Saint-Anselme de Dorchester on December 7, 1918. After eight years at the Collge de Lvis, he pursued graduate work at the Facult dominicaine de philosophie et de thologie (Ottawa, 1940-1947). He then specialized in studies on early christian institutions, first at the Universit Saint-Thomas (Rome, 1947-1949), then at the Institute of Egyptology (Oxford, 1949-1950). Upon completion of these long studies, he obtained the titles of Doctor in theology and "Laurat" in biblical studies (Rome, 1950, 1952).
Jean-Paul Audet then returned to teach at the Facult dominicaine de philosophie et de thologie (Ottawa), at the Institut de pastorale (Montral) and at the Institut d'tudes mdivales of the universit de Montral. From 1953 to 1965 he was Guest Scholar at the Harvard University during the summer months where he pursued research on the early church. In 1958, he published an important study on the origins of christianity: La Didach. Instruction des Aptres. Text, translation and commentary, 498 pages. This study was edited in Paris, by Gabalda, in their prestigious collection "tudes bibliques".
In 1958, Jean-Paul Audet joined the faculty of the cole biblique et archologique franaise de Jrusalem (he is the first non Frenchman to whom this honor was conferred). In 1968 he pursued his teaching and research career in Montral as full professor at the Dpartement de philosophie of the Universit de Montral. He received the Molson Prize of the Conseil des arts du Canada in 1970 (at the time, the only professor of the entire university to have received that honor). He was named professor emeritus when he retired in 1984.
The author's career was marked by over 350 titles published between 1948 and 1993 in scolarly journals such as the Journal of Theological Studies (Oxford), Revue biblique (Paris), Studia Evangelica (Berlin), Ephemerides Litrugicae (Louvain) as well as in journals addressing to a more general readership in his native Quebec: Vie spirituelle, Communaut chrtienne, crits du Canada franais, Cit Libre, Critre, Prospectives, etc. Many of these writings have been translated in english, german, spanish, portuguese, italian, arabic, japenese and croatian.
An energetic, tireless worker, Jean-Paul Audet spent his last years preparing a trilogy in fundamental anthropology: Essai d'analyse gntique et structurale. I - Le phnomne culturel. II - Le phnomne institutionnel. III - Le phnomne religieux.
The author's passion for the past did not prevent him from living in the present. He was actively engaged in many aspects of daily life: participant in school committees, gardener preparing his own seedlings, chef whose apple pie was famous, citizen involved in cultural action, land owner who cared about the environnement, kind and affable neighbour, thus was he known by those who crossed his path. Those who got a taste of his warm welcome, his attention to each person and his generous hospitality, remember the man as much as the scholar.
Jean-Paul Audet passed away in his home, among his loved ones, on November 12, 1993.
