Stanisław Konarski’s On the Religion of Honest Men — between Historiography and New Establishments Based on the Records of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cover Image

O religii poczciwych ludzi Stanisława Konarskiego — między historiografią a nowymi ustaleniami na podstawie akt Kongregacji Świętego Oficjum
Stanisław Konarski’s On the Religion of Honest Men — between Historiography and New Establishments Based on the Records of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Author(s): Paweł Zając
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Language and Literature Studies, Theology and Religion, History of Religion
Published by: Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Stanisław Konarski; Angelo Maria Durini; nunciature; Holy Offi ce; index of prohibited books; deism; Enlightenment in Poland; Counter-Enlightenment.

Summary/Abstract: The prevailing opinion in historiography is that the accusation of Stanisław Konarski’s book O religii poczciwych ludzi (On the Religion of Honest Men) as containing doctrinal errors was an exaggeration of his enemies. However, it was impossible to describe the consequences of the denunciation made by Nuncio Durini in Rome and to explain the genesis of the Latin version of the book. The archival sources of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, used for the first time, allow for a detailed description of the process that took place in the Holy Offi ce. The Italian and Latin translations of the book were commissioned, Roman theologians reviewed its contents, and Konarski was instructed to make precise corrections and to prepare a second revised edition. He was cleared of many charges made against him by the theologians in Poland, but the book was to be included in the index of prohibited books, should the author persist in his expressions. This decision, however, remained secret as the author complied with the order and prepared a second revised edition in Latin.

  • Issue Year: 128/2021
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 913-936
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish