This study examines the perception of atheism, skepticism, and disbelief in medieval Europe as well as the Church’s
response to these phenomena. While the Middle Ages are generally regarded as an era of faith, individuals who
questioned God’s existence or expressed religious doubts did exist. The Church distinguished between atheism
and heresy, treating heresy as a conscious and organized threat, while atheism was regarded as a personal crisis
of faith. As a result, heresy was met with severe punishments, whereas atheism was often addressed through
religious guidance. In scholarly literature, the dominant view is that atheism was either nonexistent or marginal
during the Middle Ages. However, this study challenges the historical neglect of atheism, exploring its possible
existence on an individual level and the Church’s reaction to it. Inquisition records, theological texts, and
historical documents suggest that the Church did not perceive atheism as a direct threat and preferred to address
it through theological discourse. The research emphasizes that atheism in the Middle Ages was not a systematic
philosophical position in the modern sense but manifested as individual doubt and disbelief. The Church’s stance
on heresy and atheism was examined not only in the context of Christian theology and dogma but also about
the influence of politics and realpolitik.