Christianity not Mysterious

work by Toland

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June 24, 2026

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Christianity Not Mysterious was a 1696 work by John Toland that argued Christianity is a rational religion, not one based on mystery or faith beyond human reason. Toland, an Irish freethinker, sought to demonstrate that biblical doctrines are understandable through reason alone, without divine revelation. This perspective aligns with Deism, a religious attitude emphasizing natural religion discoverable by reason rather than revelation. The book caused significant controversy, leading to its condemnation in Ireland and England. Toland's work contributed to a broader Enlightenment effort to demystify Christianity and recover the "historical Jesus," viewing him primarily as a moral teacher rather than divine.123

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rationalism
Four waves of religious rationalism
John Toland (1670–1722), in his Christianity Not Mysterious (1696), sought to show that “there is nothing in the Gospels contrary to reason, nor above it”; any doctrine that is really above reason would be meaningless to humans. Attacking revelation, the freethinking polemicist Anthony Collins (1676–1729) maintained that the prophecies of…
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John Toland (1670–1722), in his Christianity Not Mysterious (1696), sought to show that “there is nothing in the Gospels contrary to reason, nor above it”; any doctrine that is really above reason would be meaningless to humans. Attacking revelation, the freethinking polemicist Anthony Collins (1676–1729) maintained that the prophecies of…
Read More

John Toland
…1696 he published his celebrated Christianity Not Mysterious, in which he tried to show that not all biblical doctrines require faith in order to be understood but are, rather, perfectly intelligible to human reason unaided by divine revelation. The book caused a public uproar, and proceedings were brought against him…
Read More
…1696 he published his celebrated Christianity Not Mysterious, in which he tried to show that not all biblical doctrines require faith in order to be understood but are, rather, perfectly intelligible to human reason unaided by divine revelation. The book caused a public uproar, and proceedings were brought against him…
Read More