The Essence of Christianity

Feuerbach's critique of religion, translated from German in 1854 by one of Britain's most famous novelists.

Ludwig Feuerbach (Author), Marian Evans [George Eliot] (Translated by)

9781108040310, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 8 December 2011

366 pages
21.8 x 14.1 x 2.4 cm, 0.35 kg

Ludwig Feuerbach (1804–72), the German philosopher and a founding member of the Young Hegelians, a group of radical thinkers influenced by G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), was an outspoken critic of religion, and the 1841 publication of this work established his reputation. In the first part of the book he examines what he calls the 'anthropological essence' of religion, and in the second he looks at its 'false or theological essence', arguing that the idea of God is a manifestation of human consciousness. These ideas provoked strong reactions in Germany, and soon other European intellectuals wanted to read Feuerbach's book. The 1843 second edition was translated by Marian Evans (1819–80) - who would become better known by her pen name of George Eliot - and published in Britain in 1854. Evans was influenced by Feuerbach's work, and many of his humanist ideas about religion are reflected in her novels.

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.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of religion [HRAB]