Scripture and Deism - The Biblical Criticism of the Eighteenth-Century British Deists

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.

List of contents

Contents: Towards a Definition of Deism: The Roots of the Deists' Biblical Criticism - Scripture in John Toland's Criticism of Revealed Religion - Biblical Criticism in Collins, Tindal and the Last Deists.

About the author

The Author: Diego Lucci (1977) is Assistant Professor of History and Philosophy at the American University in Bulgaria. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Naples Federico II in 2004. He has taught at Boston University and the University of Missouri. He is the author of a number of writings on early modern philosophy and European intellectual history.

Product details

• Authors: Diego Lucci
• Publisher: Peter Lang
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.06.2016
• EAN: 9783039112548
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3911254-8
• No. of pages: 260
• Dimensions: 150 mm x 13 mm x 220 mm
• Weight: 380 g
• Series: Studies in Early Modern European Culture / Studi sulla cultura europea della prima età moderna; Studies in Early Modern European Culture / Studi sulla cultura europea della prima età moderna
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works