
The work opens with a stark observation: a nation’s character is shaped by its doctrines, and the upheavals of modern Europe are traced to a cascade of philosophical assaults on Christian belief. Written by a Reverend deeply concerned with the spiritual health of his time, the introduction frames the rise of rationalism, secularism, and “Liberal Catholicism” as forces that have torn at the very foundations of faith.
From the English Socinians and Voltaire to Rousseau’s worship of man, the author maps a lineage of ideas that culminated in German philosophy. He walks listeners through Kant’s doubt, Fichte’s denial of external reality, Schelling’s blurred subject‑object divide, and Hegel’s paradoxical blending of truth and error, showing how each step eroded confidence in an objective moral order.
By the close of the first act, the book challenges listeners to confront the lingering impact of these doctrines on today’s moral landscape, urging a renewed appreciation for the certainty that once anchored Western civilization.
Full title
The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-Christianism in Europe
Language
en
Duration
~12 hours (716K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Kline, JoAnn Greenwood, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Release date
2011-12-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1862–1935
A Catholic priest and writer from Boston, he is best known for the 1911 book The War Upon Religion, a sweeping account of anti-Christian movements in Europe. His work shows a strong interest in church history, biblical chronology, and the religious debates of his time.
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