Enlightenment reason reshaped religious providence rather than displacing it
Evidence
Enlightenment thought, and Western culture in general, emerged from a religious context which emphasised teleology and the achievement of God’s grace. Divine providence had long been a guiding idea of Christian thought. Without these preceding orientations, the Enlightenment would scarcely have been possible in the first place. It is in no way surprising that the advocacy of unfettered reason only reshaped the ideas of the providential, rather than displacing it. One type of certainty (divine law) was replaced by another (the certainty of our senses, of empirical observation), and divine providence was replaced by providential progress. — Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity, 122
Categorization
- XREF: Parallel to how Stevens transfers religious-like devotion from God’s grace to service within an institutional hierarchy — providence reshaped, not abandoned. — connects to: Capitalism emerged ideologically through intensified spiritualization rather than secularization; Enlightenment science created monsters that were not theologically constructed.; Enlightenment dialogues led to cultural suppression and societal fractures. — Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, 1315 (+11 more)
Related
- Radical Enlightenment critique targets religion rather than reason itself (similarity 0.84)
- Enlightenment science created monsters that were not theologically constructed. (similarity 0.82)
- The Enlightenment’s sacred-profane to imagination-reason shift was no simple hegemonic transfer (similarity 0.78)
- Enlightenment reason bowed to faith by declaring God unknowable (similarity 0.78)