Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores efforts in early modern Catholicism to encourage young men and women to discern the "state of life" to which they were called, whether clerical, religious, or lay. Lane analyzes the origins, growth, and influence of a culture of vocation that became central to the Catholic Reformation as it unfolded in seventeenth-century France.
Trade Review"It is hard to explain why the striking change in French discourse around vocation in the early modern era has gone almost unstudied, but from the point of view of the faithful, this was one of the biggest innovations of early modern Catholicism. Callings and Consequences provides a crucial introduction to the topic, filling a major gap in our understanding of the early modern Catholic world. All serious scholars of early modern Catholicism should read this book." Jotham Parsons, Duquesne University and author of The Church in the Republic: Gallicanism and Political Ideology in Renaissance France
“[Lane] makes the case that our sense of the inclusivity of states of life, the broad availability of discernment tools, and the freedom to respond to God’s invitation are debts we owe to an era often overlooked.” Theological Studies
“[Callings and Consequences] offers a fresh perspective on the topic of vocation or ‘calling’ in the context of Catholicism. Lane’s … analysis offers a useful framework for future scholarship on people’s life choices in both the early modern and modern eras.” French History
