The question of the reproducibility of miracles sparked significant interest among the “freethinkers” of the early seventeenth century, who explored two possible approaches. One, Machiavellian in nature, involved naturalising the miracle and situating it within the framework of the political deception of religions. The other, fictionalist in approach, considered miraculous accounts as pure works of fiction. By playfully pro- ducing miracles, the so-called esprits forts highlighted the artificial nature of Christian supernaturalism while engaging in a profound reflection on the powers of fiction. This paradigm contemplates the reproducibility of the miraculous from a more anthro- pological and literary perspective, acknowledging the transformation of miraculous phenomena into a nuanced exploration of the powers of fiction. The present enquiry reconsiders the similarities between the emergence of the concept of “literary fiction” and that of “modern atheism”. The issues raised by fictional immersion and the sus- pension of disbelief deeply nourish the incredulity of freethinkers.