As If God Existed

Maurizio Viroli is professor of politics at Princeton University and professor of political communication at the University of Italian Switzerland in Lugano. His many books include Niccolo's Smile: A Biography of Machiavelli, Machiavelli's God (Princeton), and The Liberty of Servants: Berlusconi's Italy (Princeton).

• Preface to the English Edition xi Introduction 1 Part I A Republican Christianity 1 Republics Protected by God 15 2 Images of the Civil Religion 21 3 Republican and Monarchical Religion 29 4 A Religion That Instills Virtue 33 5 Sacred Laws and Sacred Republics 37 6 Republican Religion and Religious Reform 45 7 A Religion to Live Free 52 8 Within the Soul 62 9 The Twilight of Republican Religion 72 Part II Religious Rebirth and National Emancipation 10 Without God 89 11 After the Revolution 103 12 The New Alliance 115 13 Literature and Hymns of the Religion of Liberty 126 14 Apostles and Martyrs 140 15 Masters 145 16 Regrets and the Quest for New Faiths 154 Part III They Got Too Close to the Light 17 Two Clashing Religions 175 18 In the Name of Christ 186 19 Inner Liberty 200 20 The Religion of Liberty 214 21 A Religion That Instills Hope 226 22 The Religion of Duty 235 23 As If God Existed 249 24 Only a God Can Expel a God 259 25 Leaving Life 268 26 Twilight 275 Notes 283 Index 329

"In this thought-provoking book, Viroli contends that religion and liberty are not incompatible."--Choice "[T]he book is a very welcome addition to ongoing debates and will remind readers of a strand of Italian history deserving of attention."--Ted H. Miller, Perspectives on Politics "This book makes a powerful and provocative contribution to today's debates about the compatibility of religion and republicanism."--World Book Industry "As if God Existed: Religion and Liberty in the History of Italy offers an engaging, yet meticulous and profound, analysis of the role religion has played in the intellectual, moral and political history of Italy."--Benedetto Fontana, European History Quarterly