Adriaan Koerbagh
Subtitle: a light shining in dark places : to illuminate the main questions of theology and religion
By: edited and translated by Michiel Wielema ; with an introduction by Wiep van Bunge
Contributors: Wielema, M. R., 1959-
Series: Brill's studies in intellectual history -- v. 207; Brill's texts and sources in intellectual history -- v. 12
Publisher: Brill
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Boston; Leiden
Language: eng; dut
Number of pages: 508
ISBN-13: 9789004212367
Subjects: History; Doctrinal Theology; History of doctrines; Philosophy; Influence; Socinianism; Religious thought
Other titles: Light shining in dark places
Work titles: Ligt schijnende in duystere plaatsen
Description: Ever since it was first written, Adriaan Koerbagh's anti-Christian work, A Light Shining in Dark Places, has been nearly inaccessible. Had it been known during the Enlightenment, it would have been a great inspiration to radical thinkers. However, it was suppressed and the author died in jail. The full text is now available in English. Koerbagh demolishes such Christian notions as the Creator, the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, heaven and hell, angels, devils and miracles. Instead, he presents a monistic world view in which Nature and God are identical. Theology is a part of natural science. God can only be worshipped by acting rationally. Koerbagh's rational religion is intended to contribute to a free, peaceful and liberal society.
Notes: Originally published in Amsterdam, 1668.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Original in Dutch with English translation and commentary.
Table of contents: title: Preface and acknowledgments; title: Introduction / Wiep van Bunge; title: Note on the texts; title: Adriaan Koerbagh, Een ligt schijnende in duystere plaatsen : om te verligten de voornaamste saaken der gods-geleertheyd en gods-dienst (Adriaan Koerbagh, A light shining in dark places : to illuminate the main questions of theology and religion); title: Voorwoord (Preface) / Vreederyk Waarmond (pseudonym of Adriaan Koerbagh); title: [1] Van wesen, Jehova, en de waereld (On being, Jehova, and the world); title: [2] Van de drie-eenheyd, de trinitate (On the trinity, de trinitate); title: [3] Van den behouder gesegt Jesus (On the saviour named Jesus); title: [4] Van den heyligen geest, de spiritu sancto (On the Holy Ghost, de spiritu sancto); title: [5] Van goed ende kwaad, de bono et malo (On good and evil, de bono et malo); title: [6] Van de godsdienst, de religione (On religion, de religione); title: [7] Van de h. schrift of het h. boek, de bibliis, of s. scriptura (On holy scripture or the holy book, de bibliis or s. scriptura); title: [8] Van de ketters en ketterijen, de haereticis et haeresia (On heretics and heresies, de haereticis et haeresia); title: [9] Van den hemel, de coelo (On heaven, de coelo); title: [10] Van de hel, gehenna (On hell, gehenna); title: [11] Van de godspraaken, de oraculis, en van de ligten en volmaaktheden, urim en thummim (On oracles, de oraculis, and on the lights and perfections, urim and thummim); title: [12] Van de booden, die men segt te sijn goede geesten, de angelis (On the messengers who are said to be good spirits, de angelis); title: [13] Van de lasteraars of tegenstanders, die men segt te sijn kwaade geesten, de diabolis, satanis (On slanderers or adversaries, said to be evil spirits, de diabolis, satanis); title: [14] Van de spokerijen, en verschijningen, de spectris (On ghosts and apparitions, de spectris); title: [15] Van de wijsen en wijsheijd, welke van de geestelijken gesegt worden te sijn tovenaars of boosgeestige konstenaars, en toverij of boosgeestige konst, magoi et magia (On the wise and wisdom, which the clergy claim to be magicians or evil-spirited artists, and magic or evil-spirited art, magoi et magia); title: [16] Van de wonderwerken, de miraculis (On miracles, de miraculis).