Examination of Enlightenment Critique of Christian Theology

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss six specific Enlightenment critiques of Christian theology. Christian theology faced critiques as biblical criticism offered a secular perspective challenging Scripture. This study employs historical and theological methods, drawing on the Bible. The study discovered that the Enlightenment period rejected the authorship of Moses’ Pentateuch, the authority of the Old and New Testaments, the concept of the Trinity, vicarious atonement, and justification. They rejected Jesus’ divinity, resurrection, and salvation. The findings reveal that the criticisms of the Enlightenment period primarily relied on secular philosophy rather than biblical foundations. Christian faith in Jesus Christ proves that God has revealed Himself to humans. The Christian doctrine of God is interpreted through Scripture and nature. The Gospels are historically accurate and reliable accounts of Jesus. The Bible depicts humanity’s struggle with sin and God’s promise and solution to that conflict. God sent Christ to redeem humanity from sin (2 Cor. 5:21). The fundamental story of Creation comes before the narrative in Genesis 1 and 2. This is because Jesus Christ is Lord over His creation. The study suggests examining the Enlightenment’s critique of Christian theology to understand its impact on theological reflections. Future research should focus on the influence of the Enlightenment principles on contemporary theology regarding scriptural authority, the nature of God, and salvation doctrines. Keywords: Enlightenment, Revelation, Inspiration, Christology, and Soteriology