Theology and Politics

Author: Baruch Spinoza (Netherlands)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-02-01
Features: This book is one of the major works of Baruch Spinoza, the outstanding materialist philosopher and atheist from the Netherlands in the 17th century. The author used this book to engage in a sharp struggle with the church. In contrast to the theologians of the time who cited various "miracles" to prove the sanctity of the Bible, the author historically first proposed that the study of the Bible could only be based on the Bible itself, namely exploring who the authors of the sacred scrolls were, under what conditions they wrote, and why they wrote them, etc. The author examined this method in detail in this book, thereby refuting the various mystical doctrines of the theologians and destroying the foundation of church rule. The author put forward all arguments in this book. Ultimately, they were aimed at arguing for the propositions of his bourgeois political philosophy, such as the doctrine of natural rights, the social contract theory, freedom of belief, and freedom of speech. He believed that "democratic government," i.e., bourgeois democratic politics, was the best government. During the struggle against the church and scholasticism in the period of the rise of the bourgeoisie, this part of the work played a progressive role.