Birth of Modern Belief: Faith and Judgment from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment

This book explores how religious belief lost its uncontested status in the West from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, revealing how a modern category of belief emerged. It challenges the notion that modern belief was a gift of the Reformation and shows how it was a reaction against Luther and Calvin as well as the Council of Trent. It demonstrates how belief became an essential category by which we express our judgments about science, society, and the sacred, but at the expense of the unique status religion once enjoyed.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 408 pages
Publication date: 04 May 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press

This groundbreaking work delves into the intricate tapestry of the history of belief in the Christian West,spanning from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment. By focusing on the fundamental question of what people took belief to be, author Ethan Shagan offers a unique perspective that challenges the conventional understanding of Reformation history.

In medieval Europe, religious belief held a special prestige, surpassing the realms of judgment, opinion, and the evidence of the senses. It was considered a source of knowledge that transcended ordinary understanding. However, the onset of the Protestant Reformation brought forth a seismic shift, forcing the question of the nature of religious belief to be openly debated. As the churches engaged in fierce battles over the interpretation of the Bible, each claimed belief as their exclusive possession, asserting that their rivals were unbelievers.

Shagan challenges the prevailing notion that modern belief emerged solely as a result of the Reformation. He reveals how it was a reaction against not only Luther and Calvin but also against the Council of Trent. Dissidents on both sides began to view religious belief as something that required individual justification through judgment, evidence, and argument. This shift marked a significant departure from the traditional understanding of faith as a divinely revealed truth.

The Birth of Modern Belief is a captivating and illuminating exploration of the complex relationship between belief and modernity. It sheds light on how belief has evolved from a privileged position in medieval Europe to an ambiguous and contested category in the modern world. While belief has become an essential tool for expressing our judgments about science, society, and the sacred, it has also lost its unique status as a source of transcendent knowledge.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of religion, philosophy, and the development of modern thought. It provides a deep understanding of the forces that have shaped our contemporary world and offers valuable insights into the ongoing struggle between faith and reason.

Weight: 534g
Dimension: 140 x 215 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691217376