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This study offers students of religion and philosophy introductory chapters concerning the concept of natural religion. It holds that we can’t engage in useful discussion about the present concept of religion without a knowledge of the philosophical history that has shaped that concept. This is discussed with reference to the notion of natural religion to illustrate certain aspects of deism and its legacy. Originally published in 1989.
This is the first complete study of English deists as a group in several decades and it argues for a new interpretation of deism in the English Enlightenment. While there have been many recent studies of the deist John Toland, the writings of other contemporary deists have been forgotten. With extensive analysis of lesser known figures such as Anthony Collins, Matthew Tindal, Thomas Chub, and Thomas Morgan, in addition to unique insights into Toland, Deism in Enlightenment England offers a much broader assessment of what deism entailed in the eighteenth century. Readers will see how previous interpretations of English deists, which place these figures on an irreligious trajectory leading towards modernity, need to be revised. This book uses deists to address a number of topics and themes and theme in English history and will be of particular interest to scholars of Enlightenment history, history of science, theology and politics, and the early modern era.
First published in the year 1696, the present book 'An Account of the Growth of Deism in England' by the famous anthropologist, historian William Stephens gives a concise religious history of the spread of deism in England.
Deism is the religion that has captivated brilliant minds throughout human history, such as Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. The book "Deism: From Philosophy to Religion" explores the quest for knowledge of God. Marcel Dubois, a master of deism, presents a vision of God as a transcendental entity who established the natural laws of the universe. The book addresses the problem of limited and anthropomorphic understanding of God found in many religions. The proposed solution is reason as a tool to explore the divine through a non-dogmatic perspective. The book discusses topics such as the relationship between God, science, and human existence from a deistic perspective and brilliantly narrates the journey of the soul. With his experience as a master of deism, Marcel Dubois offers an in-depth insight into the principles of this non-dogmatic religious philosophy. The book invites the reader on a journey of questioning and reflection in the pursuit of understanding God and the universe, a quest that can only be undertaken through the use of reason.
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Given the central role played by religion in early-modern Britain, it is perhaps surprising that historians have not always paid close attention to the shifting and nuanced subtleties of terms used in religious controversies. In this collection particular attention is focussed upon two of the most contentious of these terms: ’atheism’ and ’deism’, terms that have shaped significant parts of the scholarship on the Enlightenment. This volume argues that in the seventeenth and eighteenth century atheism and deism involved fine distinctions that have not always been preserved by later scholars. The original deployment and usage of these terms were often more complicated than much of the ...
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This book deals with the British deists' biblical hermeneutics, its roots, and its effects on European culture and society. Deist thinkers such as John Toland, Anthony Collins and Matthew Tindal pointed out the historical and anthropological origins of positive religions. Focusing on the human roots of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Ancient Paganism, they advocated tolerance and freedom of thought. In the context of the deists' research on the history of positive religions, the study of the Scriptures played a key role. Deists and freethinkers fought against the influence of Christian doctrine on political and social life. They denied the supernatural foundations of Christianity and of Christian institutions, and analyzed the Bible with the aim to promote the free search for truth. This book thus stresses the significance of the deists' biblical criticism for the development of Enlightenment views of religion and for the secularization of Europe.