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How did Denis Diderot’s religious beliefs change during his life?

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Dimitry Levitzky: portrait of Denis Diderot — Denis Diderot Portrait of Denis Diderot, oil on canvas by Dimitry Levitzky, 18th century.

Denis Diderot’s religious views underwent a significant evolution throughout his life, transitioning from his early upbringing in Roman Catholicism to a firm commitment to atheism and philosophical materialism.1

Although he was tonsured in 1726 and educated by Jesuits, he never formally entered the church. During his early adulthood, he experienced a period of religious crisis and intellectual transition. He moved gradually away from traditional faith, passing through a stage of deism before ultimately embracing rationalism and a godless, materialist worldview.12

In his later philosophical work, Diderot adopted a Spinozist perspective, viewing the world as a materialistic and energetic system. As the chief editor of the Encyclopédie, he actively sought to reduce theological superstition and promote a new way of thinking based on empirical inquiry and scientific knowledge.32