351 pages ; 24 cm

Bibliographical references included in "Notes" (p. [271]-304)

Part one: The tradition of the critique of religion -- I. The tradition of the critique of religion -- II. Uriel da Costa -- III. Isaac de la Peyrere -- IV. Thomas Hobbes -- A. The spirit of physics (technology) and religion -- B. The spirit of commonwealth (morality) and religion -- C. The theoretical critique and Hobbes' attitude to religion -- D. The critique of the Bible -- Part two: Spinoza's critique of religion -- V. The critique of orthodoxy -- A. The critique on the basis of scripture -- B. The critique on the basis of reason (critique of scripture) -- 1. The critique of miracles -- 2. The critique of the teachings of scriptures -- 3. The philological-historical critique -- C. The premises and the limitation of the critique of orthodoxy -- VI. The critique of Maimonides -- A. The divergences between Spinoza and Maimonides -- 1. According to Spinoza's own view -- 2. As contrast regarding the central theological assumption -- 3. As contrast regarding the conception of man -- 4. As contrast regarding the attitude towards Jewish life -- B. Spinoza's critique -- 1. The critique on the basis of Maimonides' science -- 2. The critique on the basis of modern metaphysics -- a. The concept of prejudice and modern metaphysics -- b. The critique of prophecy -- c. The critique of miracles -- 3. The limitation of this critique -- VII. The critique of Calvin -- A. Calvin's position as immune to Spinoza's critique -- B. The illusion of the critique -- C. Systematic critique of religion (in principle possible, and proving in fact impossible) -- D. The motive of the critique -- E. The justification and precondition of positive critique -- VIII. The analysis of revealed religion -- IX. The state and the social function of religion -- A. The "realism" of Spinoza's political doctrine -- B. The theory of natural right and the critique of theocracy -- C. Natural right and rational right -- D. The concrete presuppositions for the critique of theocracy -- E. Vulgus and nation, superstition and religion -- X. Spinoza's conception of the Bible and Bible science -- A. Spinoza's indifference to scripture, and his historical consciousness -- B. Interest in scripture and the idea of Bible science as positive science -- C. Critique of religion and Bible science -- D. Philological and historical critique

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