The Salvation of Pagans, 1400–1700

This chapter examines how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century theologians faced a new theological challenge in light of new evidence that there exists millions of virtuous pagans who had had no chance of hearing about Christianity (labelled here as ‘invincibly ignorant pagans’). This challenge emerged from the discovery of America and other lands at the end of the fifteenth century, revealing yet new territories where, to all appearances, Christianity had never been preached. However the chapter shows that, on some fifteenth-century treatments of pagan salvation, and on seventeenth-century treatments of illustrious ancient pagans, this new challenge was not entirely new, and that the older lines of discussion were continued, though in a modern format.