The first lecture gives a brief overview of the Deist controversy, what Deism is, and when the controversy was. This also includes an introduction to some of the major authors involved on both sides of the discussion.
Lecture 01: Introduction: What was the Deist Controversy?
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The Deist Controversy was an extended debate that took place first in England and then Continental Europe roughly from the late 1600s through the mid 1700s. The deists, most of whom believed that there was a god worthy of worship who had created the world, denied special divine action beyond creation. Hence they claimed that Christianity as a revealed religion was false or even contemptible. A wide array of scholars responded to the deists and the resulting arguments shaped a landscape of...