Humanism and the Rhetoric of Toleration

Humanism and the Rhetoric of Toleration, Volume 1, examines the historical origins of Western religious tolerance through the lens of Renaissance thought. Gary Remer investigates how humanist thinkers established an intellectual tradition that continues to shape modern political and social views. Rather than viewing these scholars as early Enlightenment liberals, this work argues that their defense of toleration was rooted in the classical tradition of rhetoric. The text explores how concepts like decorum, probability, and consensus provided the necessary framework for religious coexistence.

This scholarly history covers a wide range of influential figures, including Desiderius Erasmus, Jacobus Acontius, William Chillingworth, and Jean Bodin. The analysis extends to the challenges posed by Thomas Hobbes and Pierre Bayle, eventually tracing the lineage of these ideas to John Locke and contemporary debates regarding freedom of speech. As a significant contribution to the study of rhetoric and Christianity, Humanism and the Rhetoric of Toleration, Volume 1, provides deep insight into the evolution of religious tolerance.