Rise and fall of Deism

when was deism popular, and when did it peeter off

ChatGPT said:

Deism was most popular during the late 17th century through the 18th century, especially in Europe and North America, aligning with the Age of Enlightenment. Here’s a quick timeline:

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Rise of Deism (Late 1600s – Early 1700s)

• Late 1600s: Deism begins to emerge in England as a response to religious conflict, dogma, and the rise of rationalism.
• Influential early figures: Lord Herbert of Cherbury, John Toland, and Matthew Tindal.
• Emphasized reason, natural law, and a non-interventionist Creator — rejecting organized religion and miracles.

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Peak Popularity (1700s – Early 1800s)

• Especially strong during the Enlightenment.
• Prominent thinkers like Voltaire, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson identified as Deists or were heavily influenced by Deist ideas.
• Deism was central to Enlightenment critiques of church authority and superstition.

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Decline (Mid-1800s Onward)

• Mid-to-late 1800s: Deism declines with the rise of:
  • Romanticism, which emphasized emotion and mysticism over reason.
  • Evangelical revivals and renewed religious fervor.
  • Scientific naturalism and later Darwinism, which provided alternative explanations for natural order.
  • Agnosticism and atheism, which became more common among skeptics than Deism.

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Summary

• Peak popularity: ~1700–1830.
• Decline: Began in the mid-1800s; by the early 20th century, Deism had largely faded as a dominant intellectual force.

Would you like a list of key figures or texts associated with Deism?

You said:

yes

ChatGPT said:

Here’s a list of key Deist figures and important texts associated with the movement:

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Key Figures in Deism

British Deists (17th–18th Century)

1. Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1583–1648)
   • Often called the father of English Deism
   • Key work: De Veritate (On Truth) – argued that natural religion is universal and based on reason.
2. John Toland (1670–1722)
   • Advocated for reason over revelation.
   • Key work: Christianity Not Mysterious (1696) – claimed that nothing in Christianity should be above human reason.
3. Matthew Tindal (1657–1733)
   • Called Christianity a republication of the religion of nature.
   • Key work: Christianity as Old as the Creation (1730) – a central Deist text.
4. Anthony Collins (1676–1729)
   • Defended free thought and reason in religion.

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French Deists & Enlightenment Thinkers

1. Voltaire (1694–1778)
   • Fiercely critical of organized religion, but believed in a rational Creator.
   • Advocated for tolerance and freedom of thought.
2. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)
   • Believed in a benevolent Creator and the religion of the heart, often overlapping with Deist ideas.

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American Deists (18th–19th Century)

1. Thomas Paine (1737–1809)
   • Key work: The Age of Reason (1794–1807) – a scathing critique of organized religion, advocating Deism and natural religion.
2. Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
   • Influenced by Deism; cut out supernatural parts of the Bible to make the Jefferson Bible, focusing on Jesus’ moral teachings.
3. Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
   • Believed in God and moral virtue, skeptical of revealed religion and miracles.

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Important Deist Texts

• De Veritate – Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1624)
• Christianity Not Mysterious – John Toland (1696)
• Christianity as Old as the Creation – Matthew Tindal (1730)
• The Age of Reason – Thomas Paine (1794–1807)
• Letters on the English – Voltaire (1733)
• The Jefferson Bible – Thomas Jefferson (edited version, 1804)

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Let me know if you’d like a deeper summary or excerpts from any of these works.