Reassesses the genre of epideictic rhetoric from antiquity to the Renaissance by looking at a series of texts that exploit the potential of praise to undermine consensus and to challenge the normative values of society. The authors covered range from Isocrates, Plato, and Aristotle to Erasmus, Machiavelli, and Montaigne
Focusing on the intersection of atheism and religious tolerance, this study explores a range of literary texts and political debates from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. It analyzes works written in both Latin and vernacular languages, primarily in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, highlighting how these ideas evolved during a transformative period in European thought. The examination reveals the complexities of atheism's role in shaping attitudes towards religious diversity and tolerance.