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 challenges did efforts to reconcile the church with the Enlightenment face?

What is the significance of Freemasonry in the context of secular rituals?