Deism

Deism Lee Maccarone

Origins of Deism – Grew most prominent in England. – Developed during the Age of Enlightenment. – Developed from the ideas of Newton. – Developed from the ideas of Bacon.

Doctrines of Deism – Viewed nature as god’s divine revelation, not the Bible. – Most deists believed in a life after death. – God created the world then stepped back. – Taught that human reason was the spiritual authority, not the church. – God is rational; therefore all of his creation must also be rational.

Deist Works • Christianity Not Mysterious (1696) by John Toland. Promoted religion as rational instead of mysterious or supernatural. • Gentilium errorumque apud eos causes (1649) by Lord Herbert of Cherbury. Outlined the basic beliefs of Deism. • Traité des trois imposteurs (The Treatise of the Three Imposters) (1719) by Jan Vroese.

Goals of Eighteenth Century Deism – End persecution, religious conflicts, and fanaticism. – End rivalry between the various sects of Christianity. – Remove the need for the clergy.

Followers of Deism • • • • • •

Thomas Paine Voltaire John Toland Lord Herbert of Cherbury Thomas Jefferson Benjamin Franklin

Modern Deism – Belief in a creator above humanity that lacks personality. – Belief in a god that does not have any interest in caring for the world. – Denial of life after death (varies among different strands of deism) – No faith source except for reason and nature. – There are various forms of deism. – There are no Deist churches

Bibliography

• “Deism in Europe." Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . • Wood, Allen W. "Deism." Encyclopedia of Religion. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Farmington, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005. 2251-2252. Print. • "English Deism." The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006 ed. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . • Kagan, Donald, Steve Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage Since 1300. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. • World Union of Deists. N.p., Web. 12 Nov. 2009. . • "17 Amazing Examples of Fractals in Nature." Web Ecoist. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . • Web. 14 Nov. 2009. .