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Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour...
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Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023)

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2024) | Viewed by 10655

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Lloyd Strickland

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of History, Politics & Philosophy, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BH, UK
Interests: early modern philosophy (especially Leibniz); philosophy of religion; history of mathematics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Religion loomed large in virtually every aspect of Leibniz’s work: Yvon Beleval (2005, 241) once claimed that no matter which part of Leibniz’s thought one begins with, one soon reaches God. Leibniz himself insisted that, in spite of his great achievements in various other fields of learning, particularly mathematics, his chief concern was in fact theology. His manifold writings attest to this. In addition to his Theodicy (1710), Leibniz penned numerous essays, notes, and letters on matters of religion and theology, enough to fill many volumes, and theological topics formed the heart of his correspondence with many of the luminaries of his day, such as Pellisson, Bossuet, von der Hardt, Landgrave Ernst von Hessen Rheinfels, and many more.

In spite of this, scholars in the Anglophone world paid relatively little attention to Leibniz’s religious writings and ideas for much of the 20th century. However, a number of detailed studies published over the last three decades or so, such as those of Adams (1994), Antognazza (2007), Backus (2016), and Rateau (2019), have sparked great interest in the place of religion in Leibniz’s thought. The proposed Special Issue of Religions seeks to further these investigations with a suite of high-quality essays focusing on any aspects of Leibniz’s religion and philosophy of religion. With the greater availability of Leibniz’s writings on religious matters, both in their original language (see Leibniz 1923-, especially recent volumes in series I, II, IV, and VI) and in English translation (see Sleigh 2005, Strickland 2016), there is now the scope to deepen our understanding of the role played by religion in Leibniz’s thought.

The range of potential topics is vast, including (but by no means limited to) theodicy, optimism, Church unification, the Catholic Demonstrations project, arguments for the existence of God, biblical criticism, engagement with non-Christian religions, as well as his thoughts on many Christian doctrines, such as the Trinity, Incarnation, purgatory, and resurrection of the dead.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor ( l.strickland@mmu.ac.uk ) or to the Religions Editorial Office ( religions@mdpi.com ). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Tentative completion schedule:

  • Abstract submission deadline: 31 August 2023
  • Notification of abstract acceptance: 15 September 2023
  • Full manuscript deadline: 15 July 2024

References:

Robert Merrihew Adams, Leibniz: Determinist, Theist, Idealist (Oxford University Press, 1994).
Maria Rosa Antognazza, Leibniz on the Trinity and the Incarnation, trans. Gerald Parks (Yale University Press, 2007).
Irene Backus, Leibniz: Protestant Theologian (Oxford University Press, 2016).
Yvon Beleval, Leibniz: Initiation a sa philosophie (Vrin, 2005, 6th edn).

  1. W. Leibniz, Sämtliche Schriften und Briefe, edited by Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, 8 series, each divided into multiple volumes (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1923-).

Paul Rateau, Leibniz on the Problem of Evil (Oxford University Press, 2019).
Robert C. Sleigh Jr, Confessio philosophi (Yale University Press, 2005).
Lloyd Strickland, Leibniz on God and Religion (Bloomsbury, 2016).

Prof. Dr. Lloyd Strickland
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Leibniz
  • religion
  • philosophy of religion
  • theology
  • theodicy
  • optimism
  • evil
  • church reunion
  • Christianity

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 379 KiB  
Article
Leibniz and the Proof of God’s Existence from Eternal Truths
by Paul Rateau
Religions 2025, 16(2), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020123 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 800
Abstract
The aim of this article is to show how and in what stages G. W. Leibniz came to develop his proof of God’s existence from eternal truths. It begins by tracing the main stages in the history of this proof, initially forged by [...] Read more.
The aim of this article is to show how and in what stages G. W. Leibniz came to develop his proof of God’s existence from eternal truths. It begins by tracing the main stages in the history of this proof, initially forged by Augustine of Hippo, and discusses the reasons for its renewal in the last quarter of the 17th century in the post-Cartesian context. The article then shows why, despite skepticism towards this proof in his youth, Leibniz finally produced a version of it that he presents in the Monadology even before the ontological proof. My hypothesis is that the development of the proof from eternal truths is directly linked to Leibniz’s reflection on the nature of the possible, a reflection that is itself to be placed in the context of the polemic between Nicolas Malebranche and Simon Foucher after the publication of the Search after Truth. The Leibnizian proof is original in that it rests on the consideration of the reality of possibles, insofar as God is the reason for them, and on the claimed subordination of logic to ontology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
16 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Real Union in Leibniz’s Political Thought: The Role and Value of the Mystical Body in Civil Bodies
by Fiorenza Manzo
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101270 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 975
Abstract
This paper explores the idea, occasionally discernible in Leibniz’s writings, that civil bodies can achieve a real or substantial union through the ’mystical body’ of the Church. The starting question is: can the ‘person’ of the state attain real internal union even if [...] Read more.
This paper explores the idea, occasionally discernible in Leibniz’s writings, that civil bodies can achieve a real or substantial union through the ’mystical body’ of the Church. The starting question is: can the ‘person’ of the state attain real internal union even if it is not a natural person? This theme is examined in light of Leibniz’s interest in the ontology of complex aggregates (including civil ‘bodies’ or ‘persons’), the miracle of the Eucharist, the mystery of transubstantiation, and the unity of the Church. Since his very early Demonstrationes Catholicae, he had strived to demonstrate that the body of the Church, despite being—so to speak—‘scattered’, can be regarded as a Respublica with a strong internal degree of unity, primarily due to the communion that the faithful share through the Eucharist. This article thus analyses both early and mature texts in which Leibniz discusses the bond established among the faithful by the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, arguing that he experimented with the idea that the spiritual union possible within the Church’s ‘mystical body’ and its aggregative capacity could transform European Christian states not only politically but also substantially. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
22 pages, 468 KiB  
Article
The Enigma of Leibniz’s “Catholic” Writings of 1685
by Lloyd Strickland
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101152 - 24 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1142
Abstract
The focus of this paper is a suite of Latin papers from 1685, some of which are still unpublished, in which Leibniz writes in the guise of a Catholic in order to defend Catholicism and counter Protestant objections, and this despite him being [...] Read more.
The focus of this paper is a suite of Latin papers from 1685, some of which are still unpublished, in which Leibniz writes in the guise of a Catholic in order to defend Catholicism and counter Protestant objections, and this despite him being a lifelong Lutheran. After providing an overview of these writings (which I refer to as Leibniz’s “Catholic” writings) and the grounds for dating them to May–June 1685, I consider their purpose, arguing against the claim that they were intended to support Church reunion and suggesting instead that they were apologetic in nature, intended as a reactivation or reimagining of Leibniz’s earlier “Catholic Demonstrations” project. I identify the patron Leibniz had in mind for these writings as Landgrave Ernst von Hessen-Rheinfels and support this by a detailed comparison of the “Catholic” writings with the Leibniz-Landgrave correspondence and the Landgrave’s still-unpublished essays. This reveals that the Protestant arguments Leibniz uses in the “Catholic” writings are the very ones that he himself used when writing to the Landgrave, and that the responses Leibniz gives to these arguments are the very ones that the Landgrave used. I also consider the context of the writings, suggesting they were crafted during a period of personal uncertainty for Leibniz and possibly aimed at securing a position under the Landgrave. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
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16 pages, 279 KiB  
Article
Critical Genealogy, Comprehension, and Explanation in Leibniz’s Critique of Bayle on Cosmic Dualism
by Paul Lodge
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091122 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1433
Abstract
The main aim of this paper is to provide an account of Leibniz’s engagement with the doctrine of cosmic dualism in his Theodicy, i.e., the view that there are two distinct fundamental principles that are responsible for the existence of the created [...] Read more.
The main aim of this paper is to provide an account of Leibniz’s engagement with the doctrine of cosmic dualism in his Theodicy, i.e., the view that there are two distinct fundamental principles that are responsible for the existence of the created world, one good and the other evil. Leibniz’s discussion is primarily a response to arguments in favour of cosmic dualism that he finds in the writings of Pierre Bayle. However, in addition, he presents a genealogical argument that appears to be intended to provide reasons to reject the view. The paper also contains a critical discussion of Leibniz’s case, and finishes by drawing attention to some issues which arise that are worthy of further consideration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
21 pages, 301 KiB  
Article
Leibniz and the Religion of the Mohammadans
by Christopher Johns
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091087 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2087
Abstract
Throughout his correspondence and writings, Leibniz made a number of passing references to the religion of the Mohammadans (Islam) and to several Islamic commentators. Recent literature on these references has placed them in the context of Leibniz’s political and historical interests that largely [...] Read more.
Throughout his correspondence and writings, Leibniz made a number of passing references to the religion of the Mohammadans (Islam) and to several Islamic commentators. Recent literature on these references has placed them in the context of Leibniz’s political and historical interests that largely reflect his Eurocentric prejudices. The purpose of this paper is to extract a more detailed and systematic view of Leibniz’s knowledge of and interest in the religion, through Leibniz’s remarks on Islam in relation to Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the Incarnation, through the commentary of Maimonides and the Christian Averroists, and through a (partly speculative) comparison of three types of theodicy. The paper concludes that while Leibniz knew very little about Islam’s actual doctrines, and that he was subject to the prejudicial views of his time, he understood Islam, as he did Christianity, as largely in conformity with natural (rational) religion. At the same time, his interest in its specific doctrines was primarily instrumental, that is, as correctives to certain abusive practices and misunderstandings persisting within Christianity, which could then explain for him why Islam prevailed in the East. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
13 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
Toleration of What Is above Reason: The Impact of Leibniz’s View on Religious Belief on Experiential Matters
by Sarah Tropper
Religions 2024, 15(8), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081004 - 17 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1233
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to show how the understanding of Leibniz’s notion of toleration in matters of faith should be considered not merely as a pragmatic, but also as an epistemologically and metaphysically relevant concept. Following Maria Rosa Antognazza’s account, I [...] Read more.
The aim of this paper is to show how the understanding of Leibniz’s notion of toleration in matters of faith should be considered not merely as a pragmatic, but also as an epistemologically and metaphysically relevant concept. Following Maria Rosa Antognazza’s account, I will argue that Leibniz’s view on the belief of mysteries is ‘above reason’ and the relation between faith and experience plays an important role in his discussion of transubstantiation with Des Bosses, but also that Leibniz allows for presumptions based on faith to enter metaphysical discussions. Doing so, despite the fact that we cannot achieve certainty in these matters and have to accept a variety of different beliefs regarding the same objects, enriches our understanding of the world and of God—and also gives us reason to take seriously Leibniz’s engagement with corporeal substances, albeit only as presumptions rather than as necessary consequences of his basic metaphysical system. Finally, I will illustrate this point by showing how it is also in play in Leibniz’s response to Tournemine regarding the mind-body-union. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
12 pages, 225 KiB  
Article
Divine Obligations as Theodicy in Leibniz’s Jurisprudence and Metaphysical Theology
by Charles Joshua Horn
Religions 2024, 15(8), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080884 - 23 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1098
Abstract
Leibniz’s jurisprudence and theory of natural law, which began development as early as the 1660s, has implications for his mature theodicy. In this essay, it is shown that based on an analysis of a few key jurisprudential texts, the Nova Methodus (1666), the [...] Read more.
Leibniz’s jurisprudence and theory of natural law, which began development as early as the 1660s, has implications for his mature theodicy. In this essay, it is shown that based on an analysis of a few key jurisprudential texts, the Nova Methodus (1666), the Elementa Juris Naturalis (1670–1671), and the Codex Juris Gentium Diplomaticus (1693), Leibniz developed the legal term ‘obligatio’ from Roman Law and the Spanish Jesuit traditions, but that his usage shifted at different stages of his life. Nevertheless, these views are compatible and provide a grounding for his philosophical optimism. It is further shown that Leibniz took the concept of obligatio to provide something like legal standing (locus standi or klagebefugnis) so that rational minds can undergo the theodicean project, that is, because God has obligations to substances, they can seek an explanation for their suffering from God. And because human reason is analogous to divine reason, according to Leibniz, God provides the explanation that the actual world is the best possible world. The goal, then, is to prove that we should take Leibniz’s insights into jurisprudence more seriously, at least in part, because they help to explain his philosophical optimism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))
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