Reviews for The treatise of the three impostors and the problem of Enlightenment

The average rating for The treatise of the three impostors and the problem of Enlightenment based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-10-08 00:00:00 Kenneth Tucker Amazing text that inspired me to do my thesis on religious satire in the Enlightenment. The fact that this text has existed since the beginning of the 18th century - and was rumored as far back as the 13th - is astounding and utterly fascinating. A great read for anyone who finds religion a concept based on ridiculous inane ideas and foundations.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-10-18 00:00:00 Ulrich Grimm Jacob sees the pantheism of the 'radical enlightenment' arising during the English revolutions of the 17th century, and inspired by Giordano Bruno's vital materialism. Carried by such people as Toland to the Netherlands in the early 18th century they served to inspire radical materialist ideas such as those of d'Holbach later in that century. At the same time a 'moderate' Enlightenment, which gave a role to God, either Christian or deist, and was inspired by Newton became very influential in France through such figures as Voltaire. At least this is my understanding of the general outline of one of Jacob's themes. In addition she has much to say about Freemasonry and secret societies that supported the 'radical Enlightenment.' This was of less interest to me. While this is a very rich and complex book, I was pleased with the clarity with which Jacob writes. I have read about this period and some of its ideas, but I feel that I have a significantly clearer understanding after reading portions of this book.