Christian deism in eighteenth century England
In eighteenth century England, there were thinkers who said they were Christian deists and claimed pure, original Christianity was deism. Most scholars do not believe these thinkers were sincere about their religious beliefs, but there are many good reasons to believe they were. Three English deists...
| Published in: | International journal of philosophy and theology |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
[2014]
|
| In: |
International journal of philosophy and theology
|
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
England
/ Theology
/ Deism
/ Natural religion
/ History 1700-1800
|
| IxTheo Classification: | FA Theology KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KBF British Isles |
| Further subjects: | B
Thomas Amory
B Enlightenment B Matthew Tindal B Christian deism B Thomas Morgan B Deism |
| Online Access: |
Resolving-System |
| Summary: | In eighteenth century England, there were thinkers who said they were Christian deists and claimed pure, original Christianity was deism. Most scholars do not believe these thinkers were sincere about their religious beliefs, but there are many good reasons to believe they were. Three English deists have the best claim to be considered Christian deists because they alone called themselves Christian deists or called their ideas those of a Christian deist. These three thinkers, Matthew Tindal, Thomas Morgan, and Thomas Amory, developed a theology in which Christianity was deism and natural religion. The important point, though, was that their version of natural religion included supernatural elements as well as true religious piety. When read closely, these three thinkers believed in miracles, revelation, prayer, and continuing direct divine inspiration. The Christian deists were neither conventional deists nor traditional Christians. Nevertheless, it is not legitimate to exclude them from either category as some scholars do. They cannot be excluded from the category of "Christian" on the basis their contemporaries all saw them as non-Christian. They also cannot be excluded from the category of "deists" because they were pious and believed in an active God. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2169-2327 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal of philosophy and theology
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/21692327.2014.959543 |