A Book Forged in Hell : Spinoza's Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age / Steven Nadler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nadler, Steven, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Spinoza, Benedictus de, 1632-1677. Tractatus theologico-politicus.

Spinoza, Benedictus de.

Religion and politics.

Philosophy and religion.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (300 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2011]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

When it appeared in 1670, Baruch Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise was denounced as the most dangerous book ever published--"godless," "full of abominations," "a book forged in hell . . . by the devil himself." Religious and secular authorities saw it as a threat to faith, social and political harmony, and everyday morality, and its author was almost universally regarded as a religious subversive and political radical who sought to spread atheism throughout Europe. Yet Spinoza's book has contributed as much as the Declaration of Independence or Thomas Paine's Common Sense to modern liberal, secular, and democratic thinking. In A Book Forged in Hell, Steven Nadler tells the fascinating story of this extraordinary book: its radical claims and their background in the philosophical, religious, and political tensions of the Dutch Golden Age, as well as the vitriolic reaction these ideas inspired. It is not hard to see why Spinoza's Treatise was so important or so controversial, or why the uproar it caused is one of the most significant events in European intellectual history. In the book, Spinoza became the first to argue that the Bible is not literally the word of God but rather a work of human literature; that true religion has nothing to do with theology, liturgical ceremonies, or sectarian dogma; and that religious authorities should have no role in governing a modern state. He also denied the reality of miracles and divine providence, reinterpreted the nature of prophecy, and made an eloquent plea for toleration and democracy. A vivid story of incendiary ideas and vicious backlash, A Book Forged in Hell will interest anyone who is curious about the origin of some of our most cherished modern beliefs.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Prologue

Chapter 2. The Theological-Political Problem

Chapter 3. Rasphuis

Chapter 4. Gods and Prophets

Chapter 5. Miracles

Chapter 6. Scripture

Chapter 7. Judaism, Christianity, and True Religion

Chapter 8. Faith, Reason, and the State

Chapter 9. Libertas philosophandi

Chapter 10. The Onslaught

A Note on Texts and Translations

Abbreviations

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786613195111

9781283195119

1283195119

9781400839513

1400839513

OCLC:

753701012