Overview

This volume brings together 52 of Leibniz's writings on religion and theology, including the book­length Examination of the Christian Religion, in which he defends the Roman Catholic position on various matters of controversy, despite being a lifelong Lutheran himself. Also included are the complete texts from an unfinished project, Apology for Catholic Truth, in which Leibniz writes in the guise of a Catholic. Other writings reflect several of Leibniz's long­term projects: constructing a philosophical defence of Christianity to show the compatibility of its doctrines with reason; undermining philosophies he believed could lead to atheism, in particular those of Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza; and developing methods for resolving theological disputes. This collection traces the evolution of these projects during Leibniz's formative first decade in Hanover (1677DS1686), offering the most comprehensive English-language selection of such writings to date. Strickland has returned to Leibniz's original manuscripts to produce accurate, carefully annotated translations that document textual variations, deletions, and marginalia. Of the 52 texts included, 29 appear in English for the first time, one has never been published in any language, and another has only been partially published in its original form. In addition to the translations, the volume features a substantial introductory essay on Leibniz's life, work, and writings on religion and theology from 1677 to 1686, along with detailed explanatory notes on each text, providing context, background, and the rationale for their dating.

Full Product Details

Author:   Lloyd Strickland (Independent Scholar, Independent Scholar)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Weight:   0.001kg
ISBN:  

9780198960034

ISBN 10:   0198960034
Pages:   560
Publication Date:   30 April 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   To order  

Table of Contents

Abbreviations Introduction 1. Leibniz's Life 2. Leibniz's Writings 3. Overview: Religion and Theology 4. About the Volumes, Selections of Texts, Apparatus and Typographical Conventions Religion and Theology 1. Summary Explanation of Revelation 2. Consideration of the Strongest Passages Which Are Adduced from Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers in Favour of Purgatory 3. On the Breaking of Ecclesiastical Communion 4. On the Obligation to Believe 5. Civil and Sacred Controversies 6. On General Sacred Controversies 7. Remarks on Steno's Conversion 8. On Controversies 9. The Judge of Controversies 10. Various Definitions of the Church 11. What Is it to Be or Not to Be in the Roman Church? 12. On the Worship of the Saints 13. Demonstration that the Host Should Not Be Adored 14. There is Only One God 15. Preface to a Planned Latin Translation of Bossuet's Exposition of the Catholic Faith 16. Dialogue Between a Theologian and a Misosophist 17. Dialogue Between Poliander and Theophile 18. Conversation Between the Marquis of Pianezza, Minister of State of Savoy, and Father Emery, a Hermit 19. Dialogue Between an Able Politician and an Ecclesiastic of Recognized Piety 20. Dialogue Between Theophile and Polidore 21. On Scripture, the Church, and the Trinity 22. On the Triune God 23. On the Person of Christ 24. The Physical Origin of Circumcision 25. Opinion on the Nature and Power of the Catholic Church 26. Reflections on the Change of External Profession of Religion and What Should Be Proved by Protestants who Refuse to Return to the Roman Church, if in Good Conscience They Prefer to Remain in Separation 27. On Attending to the Salvation of the Soul 28. On Not Violating the Principle of Contradiction in Divine Matters 29. On the Trinity 30. Account of the Exploits of the Bishop of Tina in Hanover in 1683 and the Ill-will that Was Unjustly Stirred Up Among the Saxons as a Result 31. Protestant Complaints about Roman Catholic Dogmas and Practices 32. The Proper Starting Point of Our Faith (May - June 1685 (?)) 33. On the Unity of the Church (May - June 1685 (?)) 34. Brief Preparatory Remarks in Relation to Apologetic Works (May - June 1685 (?)) 35. Apology for the Catholic Faith Based on Right Reason (May - June 1685 (?)) 36. Rationale of the Catholic Faith Against Sects of All Kinds (May - June 1685 (?)) 37. Specimen of Catholic Demonstrations, or, Apology for the Faith Based on Reason (May - June 1685 (?)) 38. Discussion about an Apology for Catholic Truth 39. On Attempting an Apology for Catholic Truth 40. The Authority of the Church 41. On the Catholic Church 42. Thoughts about the Disagreement Between Protestants and Eastern Churches 43. The One Catholic Church 44. On the Commandment of Love, Schism, and the Principles of the Church 45. Apology for Catholic Truth 46. On Schism, Catholic Faith, and the Catholic Church 47. Rationale of the Catholic Faith 48. Theses 49. On God and the Church 50. Theological Propositions 51. Examination of the Christian Religion 52. On the Religion of Great Men Bibliography Index

Reviews

Author Information

Lloyd Strickland is an Independent Scholar who has taught at Lancaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University (where he was Professor of Philosophy and Intellectual History), the University of Central Lancashire, and the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. His research focuses on the history of western philosophy, especially the thought and reception of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, on which he had published many journal articles and numerous books, including Leibniz on Binary: The Invention of Computer Arithmetic (MIT Press, 2022, with Harry Lewis), Leibniz's Key Philosophical Writings: A Guide (Oxford University Press, 2020, with Paul Lodge), Leibniz's Legacy and Impact (Routledge, 2019, with Julia Weckend), and Leibniz's Monadology (Edinburgh University Press, 2014).

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions