Leibniz on God and Religion

Bringing together Leibniz’s writings on God and religion for the very first time, Leibniz on God and Religion: A Reader reflects the growing importance now placed on Leibniz’s philosophical theology. This reader features a wealth of material, from journal articles and book reviews published in Leibniz’s lifetime to private notes and essays, as well as items from his correspondence.Organised thematically into the following sections, this reader captures the changes in Leibniz’s thinking over the course of his career: The Catholic Demonstrations The existence and nature of God Reason and faith Ethics and the love of God The Bible Miracles and mysteries The churches and their doctrines Grace and predestination Sin, evil, and theodicy The afterlife Non-Christian religionsIn preparing this reader, Strickland has returned to Leibniz’s original manuscripts to ensure accurate translations of key texts, the majority of which have not been available in English before. The reader also contains a number of texts previously unpublished in any form.Alongside the translations, this reader contains an introductory essay, explanatory notes on all of the texts, and suggestions for further reading. This valuable sourcebook enables students of all levels to achieve a well-rounded understanding of Leibniz’s philosophical theology.

A wonderful volume which is just as necessary as it is important. Strickland has done a great service in meticulously and artfully combining Leibniz’s complicated views about the major facets of his beliefs concerning God and religion into one text ... The book is recommended without the slightest bit of reservation. The text is an invaluable source for not only scholars working on Leibniz and early modern thought, but to philosophers of religion as well., A thoroughly eclectic selection of texts ... [Strickland] considers the case of the resurrection of a man raised solely on human flesh from infancy. Amidst increasing schism, pessimism and uncertainty, the rediscovery of his [Leibniz’s] thought could not be timelier., Lloyd Strickland has done students and teachers of Leibniz an enormous service in producing this fine selection from Leibniz's writings on philosophical theology, many of which appear in English for the first time. It will surely become a standard reference volume for many years to come. Whilst offering only a fraction of Leibniz's output on these issues, Leibniz on God and Religion serves to counter a tendency among some prominent Anglophone scholars to represent Leibniz as a philosopher whose views emerged primarily from his logical and/or scientific interests. In contrast, Strickland's volume clearly demonstrates the ways in which Leibniz's understanding of God and religion were at the very heart of his philosophical project throughout his career.

Lloyd Strickland is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy in the Department of History, Politics & Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He has published four books: Leibniz Reinterpreted (2006), Shorter Leibniz Texts (2006), Leibniz and the Two Sophies (2011), and Leibniz's Monadology (2014). He also runs a website which houses some of his Leibniz translations: http://www.leibniz-translations.com