"We live in an age of bombast, vitriol, and ego. In the midst of what seems like an endless sea of 'self'-promotion—and even 'self'-realization that seems cut off from a grander, more Divine Self—humility is indeed a most urgent virtue. Bellitto's book is a balm for the heart." —Omid Safi, professor of Islamic studies, Duke University

This cultural history of humility reveals this lost virtue as a secret defense against arrogance and incivility History demonstrates that when the virtue of humility is cast aside, excessive individualism follows. A person who lacks humility is at risk of developing a deceptive sense of certitude and at worst denies basic human rights, respect, and dignity to anyone they identify as the enemy. Humility, a cultural history and biography of the idea of humility, argues that the frightening alternative to humility has been the death of civility. In this book, Bellitto explores humility in Greco-Roman history, philosophy, and literature; in the ancient and medieval Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures and sermons; in the Enlightenment; and in contemporary discussions of education in virtue and citizenship. The author encourages readers to recover and reclaim this lost virtue by developing a new perspective on humility as an alternative to the diseases of hubris, arrogance, and narcissism in society. This book offers a fresh perspective on this lost virtue for readers interested in finding a path to renewed civility.