Indulgences have been synonymous with corruption in the Catholic Church ever since Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenberg in 1517. Tingle explores the nature and evolution of indulgences in the Counter Reformation and how they were used as a powerful tool of personal and institutional reform.

Introduction - Indulgences After Luther: Pardons in Counterreformation France; Chapter 1 Indulgences Debated: The Reformation of Pardons, 1517-1720; Chapter 2 The Production and Consumption of Pardons: The Creation, Dissemination and Reception of Indulgences; Chapter 3 Sites of Salvation: Acquiring Pardons at Home and Away; Chapter 4 Indulgences and Individual Strategies for Salvation; Chapter 5 Places, Objects and Salvation: The Materiality of Pardons; concl Conclusion;