The Essence of Christianity

by Ludwig Feuerbach

Overview

In this, one of the most influential works of the post-Hegelian era, Feuerbach captures the synthesis that emerges from the dialectical process of a transcending Godhead and the rational and material world.In understanding the true nature of what it means to be fully human, Feuerbach contends that we come face to face with the essence of Christian theology: human beings investing ordinary concepts with divine meaning and significance. The true danger to humanity occurs when theology is given the force of dogma and doctrine. Losing sight of its anthropological underpinnings and dependence upon or emergence from human nature, it then acquires an existence separate from that of humankind.Feuerbach leaves nothing untouched: miracles, the Trinity, Creation, prayer, resurrection, immortality, faith and much more.This classic humanist analysis of Christianity was translated into English by renowned novelist George Eliot.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780879755591
Publisher:	Globe Pequot
Publication date:	10/01/1989
Series:	Great Books in Philosophy
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	5.54(w) x 8.28(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872) was a highly respected nineteenth-century philosopher who focused on the study of post-Hegelian philosophy, idealism, naturalism, materialism, and positivism. Feuerbach's book, The Essence of Christianity, is noted as an influential atheist text, and helped inspire the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Feuerbach was educated at the University of Berlin.

Table of Contents

Preface to the second edition; 1. Introduction; Part I. The True or Anthropological Essence of Religion: 2. God as a being of the understanding; 3. God as a moral being, or law; 4. The mystery of the incarnation; or, God as love, as a being of the heart; 5. The mystery of the suffering God; 6. The mystery of the Trinity and the Mother of God; 7. The mystery of the logos and divine image; 8. The mystery of the cosmogonical principle in God; 9. The mystery of mysticism, or nature in God; 10. The mystery of providence and creation out of nothing; 11. The significance of the creation in Judaism; 12. The omnipotence of feeling, or the mystery of prayer; 13. The mystery of faith - the mystery of miracle; 14. The mystery of the resurrection and of the miraculous conception; 15. The mystery of the Christian Christ, or the personal God; 16. The distinction between Christianity and heathenism; 17. The significance of voluntary celibacy and monachism; 18. The Christian heaven, or personal immortality; Part II. The False or Theological Essence of Religion: 19. The essential stand-point of religion; 20. The contradiction in the existence of God; 21. The contradiction in the revelation of God; 22. The contradiction in the nature of God in general; 23. The contradiction in the speculative doctrine of God; 24. The contradiction in the Trinity; 25. The contradiction in the sacraments; 26. The contradiction of faith and love; 27. Concluding application; Appendix: 1. The religious emotions purely human; 2. God is feeling released from limits; 3. God is the highest feeling of self; 4. Distinction between the pantheistic and personal God; 5. Nature without interest for Christians; 6. In God man is his own object; 7. Christianity the religion of suffering; 8. Mystery of the Trinity; 9. Creation out of nothing; 10. Egoism of the Israelitish religion; 11. The idea of providence; 12. Contradiction of faith and reason; 13. The resurrection of Christ; 14. The Christian a supermundane being; 15. The celibate and monachism; 16. The Christian heaven; 17. What faith denies on earth it affirms in heaven; 18. Contradictions in the sacraments; 19. Contradiction of faith and love; 20. Results of the principle of faith; 21. Contradiction of the God-Man; 22. Anthropology the mystery of theology.