Was there such a thing as an atheist in the Middle Ages?
In short: Professor Alec Ryrie explores the landscape of medieval unbelief. While sophisticated atheism did not exist, raw skepticism thrived. This lecture examines how individuals challenged religious orthodoxy, often driven by the suspicion that the concept of God was being weaponized for manipulation and financial gain.
Although the Middle Ages lacked a formal, articulate atheism, church records reveal frequent blasphemy cases involving the outright denial of God. These instances of defiance were rarely rooted in complex philosophical inquiry. Instead, they emerged from a practical, visceral distrust of the institutions claiming to represent the divine.
Professor Alec Ryrie, a Fellow of the British Academy and Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University, delivered this lecture at Gresham College on September 27, 2018. The analysis highlights how ordinary people navigated a world dominated by powerful religious structures, questioning the motives behind the orthodoxies they were expected to obey.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: How to be an Atheist in Medieval Europe - Alec Ryrie
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