'Religion' and the Religions in the English Enlightenment [Paperback]

This book shows how the concept of 'religion' and 'the religions' arose out of controversies in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England.This book shows how the concept of 'religion' and 'the religions' arose out of controversies in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England. The birth of 'the religions', conceived to be sets of beliefs and practices, enabled the establishment of a new science of religion in which the various 'religions' were studied and impartially compared.This book shows how the concept of 'religion' and 'the religions' arose out of controversies in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England. The birth of 'the religions', conceived to be sets of beliefs and practices, enabled the establishment of a new science of religion in which the various 'religions' were studied and impartially compared.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.Introduction; 1. Antecedents; 2. 'Religion', revelation, and the light of nature: Protestants and Platonists; 3. The religious instinct and priestly corruptions: Lord Herbert and deism; 4. Sacred history and religious diversity; 5. From sacred history to natural history; Epilogue; Notes; References. 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 religioul¤