'Religion' and the religions in the English Enlightenment

'Religion' and the religions in the English Enlightenment

By Peter Harrison

Book Description

How did our modern understanding of "religion" come to be? This scholarly exploration reveals the fascinating origins of concepts we now take for granted, tracing their emergence through the intellectual ferment of seventeenth and eighteenth-century England.

Peter Harrison uncovers how the very idea of "religion" as we know it today was born from heated debates and controversies during the English Enlightenment. Before this pivotal period, people didn't think about faith and spiritual practice in the same categorical ways we do now. Through meticulous historical research, Harrison demonstrates how thinkers of this era gradually developed the notion of distinct "religions" as separate systems of beliefs and practices that could be studied, analyzed, and compared.

This transformation in thinking had profound consequences, giving birth to an entirely new field of inquiry. The ability to view different spiritual traditions as comparable "religions" laid the groundwork for what would become the academic discipline of comparative religion. Harrison provides readers with a detailed historical narrative that illuminates this crucial shift in human consciousness about the sacred.

For those interested in understanding how our contemporary spiritual landscape took shape, this work offers valuable insights into the intellectual foundations that continue to influence how we think about faith, belief, and religious diversity today. The book spans 277 pages of careful historical analysis, revealing the English Enlightenment's lasting impact on religious thought.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

🕉️ Tradition: Comparative Religion

📄 Length: 277 pages

What You'll Discover

  • ✓ Explore Great Britain
  • ✓ Explore Vida intelectual
  • ✓ Explore Great britain, history, 18th century
  • ✓ Explore Vie intellectuelle
  • ✓ Explore Mouvement des Lumières
  • ✓ Explore Religión
  • ✓ Explore Great britain, church history
  • ✓ Explore Historia

Topics Covered

Great Britain Vida intelectual Great britain, history, 18th century Vie intellectuelle Mouvement des Lumières Religión Great britain, church history Historia Great Britain - Intellectual life - 17th century Religion - Study and teaching - 17th century Enlightenment Godsdiensten Religion Natuurlijke theologie Great britain, religion Study and teaching Intellectual life Godsdienst Ilustración Religionsphilosophie Étude et enseignement Aufklärung Verlichting (cultuurgeschiedenis) Enlightenment - Great Britain Great Britain - Intellectual life - 18th century Begrippen Godsdienstwetenschap Religion - Study and teaching - 18th century Great britain, intellectual life History

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