Why did Albert Einstein become dissatisfied with religious beliefs he held as a child?

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Portrait of Albert Einstein in a suit and tie, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression. — Albert Einstein Albert Einstein developed the special and general theory of relativity, which recast gravity as a bending in space-time.

Although Albert Einstein was deeply religious at age 12—even composing songs in praise of God—his perspective shifted after he began reading science books that contradicted his religious beliefs. This experience of challenging established authority left a lasting impression on him.1

As an adult, Einstein clarified that he did not believe in a personal God who intervenes in human affairs. Instead, he identified with the views of the 17th-century philosopher Benedict de Spinoza, believing in a God manifested in the harmony and beauty of the natural world. He viewed his scientific work as an attempt to understand this underlying order, famously stating that he sought to "read the mind of God".23