Renan, Ernest

ree'nan, Ernest (1823-1892), a French student and historian. He was educated at Paris and became professor of Hebrew in the College of France. Differences of theological opinion led him to resign his position, which he did in 1864. He is known chiefly as the author of a Life of Christ, a work written from the Unitarian point of view. Other volumes of a similar nature followed, including The Apostles, St. Paul, Anti-Christ, A Christian Church, etc. He was elected a member of the French Academy in 1878.