Thisbookisabouttherelationshipbetweenbelief,credibility,andcredulityinpost-ReformationCatholicism.Itarguesthat,startingfromtheendofthesixteenthcenturyandduetodifferentpolitical,intellectual,cultural,andtheologicalfactors,credibilityassumedacentralroleinpost-ReformationCatholicdiscourse.Thisledtoanimportantreconsiderationoftherelationshipbetweennaturalreasonandsupernaturalgraceandconsequentlytonovelandsignificantepistemologicalandmoraltensions.Fromtheperspectiveoftherelationshipbetweencredulity,credibility,andbelief,earlymodernCatholicismemergesnotastheapexofdogmatismandintellectualrepression,butratherasanengineforpromotingtheimportanceofintellectualjudgmentintheprocessofembracingfaith.Tobesure,findingabalancebetweenconscienceandauthoritywasnoteasyforearlymodernCatholics.Thisbookseekstoelucidatesomeofthedifficulties,anxieties,andtensionscausedbythenovelinsistenceoncredibilitythatcametodominatethetheologicalandintellectuallandscapeoftheearlymodernCatholicChurch.InadditiontosheddinglightonearlymodernCatholicculture,thisbookhelpsustounderstandbetterwhatitmeanstobelieve.Forthemostpart,inmodernWesternsocietywedon’tbelieveinthesamethingsasourearlymodernpredecessors.Evenwhenwedobelieveinthesamethings,itisnotinthesameway.Butbelievewedo,andthusunderstandinghowearlymodernpeopleaddressedthequestionofbeliefmightbeusefulaswegrapplewiththetensionbetweencredibility,credulity,andbelief.
