History, Religious, Enlightenment, Religion - General & Miscellaneous, British History - Pre-17th Century - General & Miscellaneous
'Religion' and the Religions in the English Enlightenment
Peter Harrison
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Overview
The origin of the modern perception of religion can be traced to the Enlightenment. This book shows how the concepts of religion and the religions arose from controversies in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England. The birth of the religions, conceived of as sets of beliefs and practices, created a new science of religion in which the various religions could be studied and impartially compared. Harrison gives a detailed historical picture of the emergence of this concept and how it led to the discipline of comparative religion.Synopsis
This study examines the changes which took place in the understanding of 'religion' and 'the religions' during the Enlightenment in England, the period when the decisive break with Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance notions of religion occurred. Dr Harrison's view is that the principles of the English Enlightenment not only made a special contribution to our modern understanding of what religion is, but they pioneered, in addition, the 'scientific', or non-religious approach, to religious phenomena. During this period a crisis of authority in the Church necessitated a rational enquiry into the various forms of Christianity, and in addition, into the claims of all religions. This led to a concept of 'religion' (based on 'natural' theology) which could link together the apparently disparate religious beliefs and practices found in the empirical religions.Editorials
From the Publisher
"Professor Harrison has produced a meticulously documented, systematically organized, and challenging monograph. His use of the printed literature and sources of the period is exemplary. Although a demanding exercise in intellectual history, this book is profoundly significant for scholars concerned with English religious thought." AlbionBook Details
Published
May 1, 2002
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Pages
288
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780521892933