What's going on now in the 18th century Enlightenment is an attempt to de- supernaturalize life,

de-supernaturalize religion, if you will, so that the Bible has to go.

How did we get here today, living in the West in a society that has rejected God,

extol science and reason, and so values the individual

that we're all told to believe in ourselves.

As you study philosophy and the history of thought,

you begin to see how ideas build upon each other

and that ideas have consequences.

Welcome to the Saturday edition of Renewing Her Mind,

as we spend the next few weekends with R.C. Sproll's overview of philosophy

paying special attention to the Enlightenment and several significant figures.

This overview is actually 35 messages and Dr Sprawl Traces the development of philosophical thought that has shaped the Western world.

Until midnight you can request the Special Edition DVD and study guide with your donation

of any amount at renewing your mind dot org. Well here's

R.C. sprawl taking us back to the 18th century and the aftermath of the

Enlightenment. We continue now with our brief survey of the Enlightenment. We ask the question now, why was the

Enlightenment called the Enlightenment? What was the new light that was being shed on issues of the day?

Well, the 18th century Enlightenment, perhaps more than any period in the history of Western thought,

showed a spirit of unbridled optimism with respect to the progress of the mind or what we might call intellectual progress.

We've seen the startling results in science and now revolutions occurring around the world and new paradigms for government with freedom

and individual responsibility and these things that are taking place.

The Enlightenment brought with it a severe tension between philosophy and the church.

...