Summary:

"The Birth of Modern Belief: Faith and Judgment from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment" by Ethan H. Shagan examines the transformation of religious belief over centuries. Shagan explores how the concept of belief evolved, shaping modern notions of faith, skepticism, and judgment. Through detailed historical analysis, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of the cultural and intellectual shifts that influenced religious thought from medieval times to the Enlightenment.

An illuminating history of how religious belief lost its uncontested status in the West

This landmark book traces the history of belief in the Christian West from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, revealing for the first time how a distinctively modern category of belief came into being. Ethan Shagan focuses not on what people believed, which is the normal concern of Reformation history, but on the more fundamental question of what people took belief to be.

Shagan shows how religious belief enjoyed a special prestige in medieval Europe, one that set it apart from judgment, opinion, and the evidence of the senses. But with the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation, the question of just what kind of knowledge religious belief was―and how it related to more mundane ways of knowing―was forced into the open. As the warring churches fought over the answer, each claimed belief as their exclusive possession, insisting that their rivals were unbelievers. Shagan challenges the common notion that modern belief was a gift of the Reformation, showing how it was as much a reaction against Luther and Calvin as it was against the Council of Trent. He describes how dissidents on both sides came to regard religious belief as something that needed to be justified by individual judgment, evidence, and argument.

Brilliantly illuminating, The Birth of Modern Belief demonstrates how belief came to occupy such an ambivalent place in the modern world, becoming the 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.

Editorial Reviews:

"Shagan's work is a masterful exploration of the evolution of belief. Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of religious thought." - The New York Review of Books

"A compelling and insightful analysis of how modern belief systems were formed. Shagan's scholarship is both rigorous and accessible." - Religious Studies Review

"An illuminating journey through the history of faith and judgment. Shagan offers a nuanced perspective on the development of modern religious beliefs." - Historical Journal

About the Author:

Ethan H. Shagan is a distinguished historian and professor specializing in early modern European history. His research focuses on the intersections of religion, culture, and politics. Shagan's previous works have garnered critical acclaim for their depth and scholarly insight, making significant contributions to historical and religious studies.