At the time of the Counter-Reformation, the treatment of the Nave of the Church had many variations in the visual arts. Among these, the Typus Religionis, an “allegory of Religion”, assimilates the Institution solely to the regular clergy, led by the Jesuits. Although it was criticised from the time of its creation, this allegory stirred up a storm only when a huge painting was discovered at the College of Billom in 1762. Used as evidence in the trial brought against the Society of Jesus in France, this work invites us to question the “normativity” of a religious and political image under the Ancien Régime. The analysis here focuses on the meanings of this work and the stages of its development, based on a rich allegorical tradition. This study shows the ways in which an exemplary iconographic diversion was used for purposes of self-celebration.