Philosophy of Religion and Theology in the Enlightenment

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Barth (Systematic Theology)

The modern discourse on religion, which contributes significantly to determining the social and cultural status of religion in the modern period, begins with the theology and philosophy of the Enlightenment. One should not, of course, make broad generalizations about the conception of religion during the Enlightenment. Deism in England, its radicalization in the French critique of religion, and the debate in Germany which strived towards a balance of reason and revelation represent three interwoven yet unique versions of modern conceptions of religion. This development is of particular interest in that it is intrinsically intertwined with parallel modernization tendencies in nearly all religious and cultural fields and that it does not remain limited to professional forms of communication yet, to the contrary, is largely carried by a public eager for the rights of self-determination.