In Trust in the Catholic Reformation, Thérèse Peeters urges historians of early modern Catholicism to be attentive to the importance of trust. She argues that trust was the necessary component to a successful reform program, because it was only through trust that “obedience could become true compliance” (6). Attention to trust, in this sense, can help us to understand both top-down and negotiated reforms. Those subject to more authoritarian reform attempts might obey, but through gritted teeth unless they trust the authority above them; then they might comply. Similarly, in areas where reform was negotiated between authorities and subordinates or communities, trust was a key ingredient in convincing both sides that the changes or modifications sought were worthwhile or sufficient. To some extent, this seems quite an obvious point, but one which has not been explored in depth in previous scholarship until now.

In her introduction, Peeters explains some key terminology and theories of trust, arguing that contrary to much of the work on trust as a social phenomenon, “strong thin trust” is not solely a contemporary phenomenon but in fact can be found in seventeenth-century Genoa (25). (“Strong thin trust” is the trust we have in people and institutions we hardly know, but on whom we rely for important matters, in this case salvation.) Peeters also concedes that trust and faith overlap significantly, and were often linked for seventeenth-century people, so while she speaks only of trust, this is not intended to create an artificial divide between trust and faith. The only distinction she draws is that she considers trust to involve expectations based on earlier experiences, whereas faith can be held without any evidence or prior experience (29).

The book contains seven chapters, based on correspondence of Jesuits and Lazarists, published manuscripts and edited sources relating to female religious in Genoa, and archival documents from Genoese archives and the Vatican archive. The first chapter provides an overview of the political and economic situation in Genoa in the first half of the seventeenth century, introduces the archbishop who was the key reformer of that era, Stefano Durazzo, and provides a (perhaps overly detailed) survey of the historiography. Chapter two is an investigation into strategies of “trust management” as used by Archbishop Durazzo, the Lazarists, and the Jesuits, explored as case studies. Chapter three looks at the downside of relying on trust, namely that emphasizing trust creates opportunities for mistrust and deceit. This chapter takes as its focus the imposition of clerical dress, which Peeters argues was meant to make priests more identifiable and thus more trustworthy. But when priests misbehaved while in their cassocks or laypeople illegitimately donned clerical garb, the laity's trust in clergy (or in someone who looked like a priest, at least) could be undermined. Chapters four and five examine female religious; the former examines the role of mistrust in the reform methods applied to existing female congregations, while the latter explores the role of trust in the establishment of new orders, namely the Turchine, the Medee, and the Brignoline. Chapter six returns to the Lazarists, with a focus on how they balanced gaining trust and support with staying true to their mission and rules. Finally, chapter seven returns to the Jesuits, and uses Jesuit indipetae (letters seeking assignment to an overseas mission) to explore how individual Jesuits framed themselves as trustworthy potential missionaries, as well as the trust they had in their order.

Overall, Peeters makes a reasonable case for the importance of trust in reform programs, something to which historians of reform should be attentive. Certain chapters make this point better than others, however. The examination of Durazzo's use of a special congregation of more trustworthy priests to both restore the image of the priesthood and pressure other clergy to fall in line lest they lose the support of their parishioners, for example, makes a clear case for the importance of trust and its direct relevance to the potential impact of a reform program. In other chapters, however, the quasi-distinction between trust and faith raises issues. Young Jesuits trying to convince their superior that they would be suitable missionaries, for example, do not have direct lived experience, they have faith in their own capacity. However, even in some of the chapters where it seemed faith played a larger role, trust was still clearly important. More nuanced discussion of the subtle differences between trust and faith could have helped to strengthen the book. In addition, the book still bears significant traces of having originated as a doctoral thesis, such as explicit and extensive discussions of historiography and sources that could have been revised for better flow. Overall, however, this book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of Catholic Reform and also sheds light on the situation of the Genoese Church, something little covered in English.