This volume aims to take up the theme of the relationship between faith and pestilence, which, despite its topicality, is rooted in a long-term dimension that involves different areas of knowledge. A markedly disciplinary look brings together historical, theological, political, and juridical analyses and thus allows us to understand this relationship through paradigms, turning points, continuity and discontinuity. In this way, it becomes possible to observe how the theme has crossed ages and religions, from the fathers of the church, to medicine in medieval Islam, up to contemporary times, with Ivan Illich's harsh critique of forced medicalization and the issues that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alberto Melloni is Full Professor of History of Christianity at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Secretary of FSCIRE - Fondazione per le scienze religiose (Bologna and Palermo) and Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair on Religious Pluralism and Peace at the University of Bologna. Since 2020, he has been also one of the European Commission's Chief Scientific Advisors.