author
Ernest Naville
1816–1909
A Genevan theologian and philosopher, he wrote clearly and energetically about faith, reason, and the place of philosophy in modern life. His work also helped preserve the thought of Maine de Biran for later readers.
1 Audiobook
The Heavenly Father: Lectures on Modern Atheism
by Ernest Naville
About the author
Born in Chancy, Switzerland, in 1816, Ernest Naville became a Protestant minister before building a wider reputation as a philosopher and theological writer. He taught the history of philosophy at the Academy of Geneva, and his life remained closely tied to Geneva's intellectual and religious world.
His books often explored how belief, moral life, and philosophical inquiry could speak to one another without confusion or compromise. He also played an important editorial role in bringing the unpublished writings of the French thinker Maine de Biran into print, which made him an important mediator of nineteenth-century ideas as well as an author in his own right.
Naville lived a long life, dying in Geneva in 1909. Remembered as a thoughtful Protestant voice and a serious man of letters, he stands out for writing about difficult questions in a way meant to engage both scholars and general readers.