The Secular Enlightenment

Margaret Jacob discusses her ongoing book project on the secularization during the Enlightenment. She outlines her completed chapters on the secularization of time and space, highlighting the impact of 16th and 17th-century discoveries. She plans to explore the secularization of religion, focusing on Unitarianism, liberal Protestantism, and Catholic Europe's attempts to reconcile with Enlightenment ideas. Jacob also intends to discuss Freemasonry and its secular rituals. The book's remaining chapters are yet to be determined.

What major discoveries in the 16th and 17th centuries influenced Western thought according to Margaret Jacob?

• The discovery of the steam engine

• The discovery of the new world, the globe, and the heavens

• The discovery of electricity

• The discovery of the printing press

How does Margaret Jacob describe the secularization of religion?

• As the complete abandonment of religious beliefs

• As the merging of all religions into one

• As the internalization and privatization of religion

• As the removal of all religious texts

Which religious movement does Jacob consider an extreme example of the secularization of religion?

• Unitarianism

• Judaism

• Hinduism

• Catholicism

What efforts in Catholic Europe does Jacob plan to discuss in her book?

• Efforts to reconcile the church with the Enlightenment

• Efforts to convert other religions

• Efforts to expand the church's influence

• Efforts to build more churches

What aspect of Freemasonry does Jacob find relevant to her discussion on secularization?

• Its historical origins

• Its entirely secular rituals

• Its secretive nature

• Its global influence