Johann Christian Edelmann's radicalism: a synthesis of enlightenment and spirituality

In this paper Edelmann's radicalism is studied from two points of view. First, the reasons why he unanimously is labeled as a radical thinker are considered and evaluated: his vehement style and language, his affinity with radical pietism, his turn to rationalism, his Spinozism, his massive internal and external criticism of the Bible and the Christian faith. Second, the threefold progressive message E. wanted to transmit to us through his dynamic and unstructured works is revealed and discussed: his plea for peace and justice based on a secularization of Jezus' gospel of love, his promotion of a non-dogmatic freethinking which combines freedom of thought with pluralism and openmindedness, his defence of a pan(en)theistic religiosity which extends the scope of religiosity beyond the limits of any established creed. The extreme rational nature of his external criticism of religion and his humanistic messages prove that E. joined, after a long journey, the Enlightenment movement. Simultaniously, he remained a homo religiosus. His mature thought is thus a successful synthesis of Enlightenment and - secular - religiosity.

Publication year:2015

Keywords:Radical Enlightenment, Philosophy of Enlightenment