The Rationalization of Miracles

'Parigi has done something wonderful by combining quantitative sociology with a touch of Calvino. It is both enlightening and a fabulous read.' Emily Erikson, Yale University

'The Rationalization of Miracles is one of the most innovative works in recent years. Combining detailed archival investigations with new formal techniques, Parigi manages to re-create the social processes whereby groups of persons mobilized behind the candidacy of potential saints, shedding new light on a topic that has been studied for centuries. It will be required reading not only for the history of religion, but for students of social movements and, indeed, of the relation between culture and social networks.' John Levi Martin, University of Chicago

'This book offers a fascinating interpretation of how and why the Catholic Church invented rules to govern the process of evaluating miracles during the Counter-Reformation. Emphasizing the largely secular challenges the Church faced in the wake of the Protestant reformation, Parigi makes the case that the Church hierarchy and local clerics joined forces to reward miracles that cross-cut social categories, thereby solidifying the organizational structure of the recently weakened Church. More organizational theory than religious history, the captivating details of early modern miracles are nevertheless the key to making this book of interest to a wide range of readers.' Katherine Stovel, University of Washington