History of the Christian church

1. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Light Has Come?

2. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Definition
• Term used to describe the thought and letter in
Europe and America during latter half of the
seventeenth century and most of the eighteenth
century prior to the French Revolution.
 Phrase used by writers, convinced they were
emerging from centuries of darkness into new
age enlightened by reason, science and respect
for humanity.

3. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Philosophical rationalists: Rene Descartes,
Spinoza
 Political philosophers: Thomas Hobbes,
John Locke
 Ideology of Enlightenment: we cannot
believe anything contrary to reason.

4. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Most Important Assumption of Period
• Faith in the power of human reason
 Progress in knowledge, technical achievement, moral
values
 Humanity altered; nature changed for the better
 Discovery of truth through the observation of nature

5. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
• Enlightenment thinkers saw the Roman Catholic
church as the principal force enslaving human
mind in the past.
• Most Enlightenment thinkers opted for a form of
Deism.
• Center human aspirations on improving this life.
• Worldly happiness placed before religious
salvation.
• Enlightenment was an attitude—a method of
thought.
• Desire to question all ideas and values and
explore new avenues.

6. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Six Major Concepts
• Reason: reasonable use of ordinary human
intelligence
• Autonomy: need for humans to trust their
individual judgment about intellect, moral and
spiritual issues
• Nature: need to live in accord with nature and
explain events by natural and not supernatural
means.

7. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
• Tolerance: individuals had right to their own
belief and free from governmental coercion
• Optimism: people could improve the world—
human condition can be reformed
• Humanism: human beings the measure of all
things

8. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Nature: the Source of Knowledge
• Nature replaced revelation as the ultimate source of
knowledge and wisdom
• Laws derived from nature
• Morality derived from nature

9. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
• Government derived from nature
• Form of government should be derived from nature
which originally made all humans equal
• Education derived from nature
• Must start with things a child can observe and
progress according to his development
• Must bring happiness
• Economics derived from nature
• Supply and demand determine prices and wages

10. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Deism
• Detached God
• Rejection of any religion that conflicted with
the laws of nature and the canons of reason
• Demands a religion that would help human
beings enjoy life
• After setting universe in motion went into
hiding
• Wanted inward reverence only; rejection of
religion requiring a ritual and unquestioning
faith

11. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Rejection of Uniqueness of Christianity
• God exists
• God must be worshipped
• Worship should result in virtue
• Men must repent of their sins
• A future life of happiness or punishment
awaits all people

12. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Rejection of Miracles and Prophecies
• Rejection of religious mysteries that must be accepted
by faith
• John Toland, Christianity Not Mysterious, stated
that “true religion must be free from mysteries”
• Anteriority of Natural Religion
• Matthew Tindal, Christianity as Old Creation,
asserted that the very idea of miracles was an insult
to an intelligent creator who had submitted the
universe to laws.

13. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
 Christian Response
 “A Watch Requires a Watchmaker”
• Popular piety
• Book censorship
• Apologetics
 Fundamentalist approach to biblical
interpretation.