Noël Alexandre

Noël Alexandre, or Natalis Alexander in Latin (19 January 1639 – 21 August 1724) was a French theologian, author, and ecclesiastical historian.

Alexandre obtained the degree of doctor in divinity from the Sorbonne in 1675, and for twelve years taught philosophy, theology and ecclesiastical law to the members of the Saint-Jacques community.

In 1700, he published a work entitled Conformité des cérémonies chinoises avec l'idolâtrie grecque et romaine, as well as a series of seven Lettres sur les cérémonies de la Chine, in which he defended the Dominicans in the so-called "Querelle des rites", a dispute between Dominican missionaries and Jesuits over Confucianism.

He played a prominent part in ecclesiastical affairs and preached several times before Louis XIV, who granted him an annual pension of 800 livres.

He became provincial of his order in 1706, but was banished to Châtellerault in 1709 for having subscribed to the Jansenist Cas de conscience (1703), and was deprived of his pension in 1713 on account of his opposition to the bull Unigenitus.