Some Thoughts On The Enlightenment

Currently writing a book on Reformed Scholasticism and accidentally wrote an ol’ Augustinian digression; this one in particular is about the Enlightenment.

This comparison between the Reformation and the Enlightenment had never occurred to me before and I thought it was interesting enough to share: “It is as if God, dealing corporately with man, exercised judicial hardening on this posterity parallel to the grace granted to another in the Reformation “

Curious to hear your thoughts.

If you want to see this in the full context, here’s the complete digression :

“As a faithful servant of this infinite, eternal, and unchanging Spirit, I heartily pray for the Almighty to exercise mercy on us as the progeny of the Enlightenment.

For what is the Enlightenment other than the unfettered expression of all that exists in man? We know man has a twofold nature : created in the image of God, fallen in sin; centuries of the Enlightenment showcase the fruits of these natures.

In his imago dei nature, as God in mercy has allowed him, through the Enlightenment man has developed cures for diseases, technology to ease difficulty, liberty to promote peace. And yet, in his sinful nature (as God has judicially hardened him) through the Enlightenment man has developed weapons capable of eradicating himself, exchaning critical-thinking for technological dependence, and abandoned hope.

It is as if God, dealing corporately with man, exercised judicial hardening on this posterity parallel to the grace granted to another in the Reformation. What is meant by judicial hardening in this case is that God removes the divine influences, common to all, which normally prevent man from expressing the true nature of his heart; grace, here, is the generous act of God maintaining those guardrails for man so as to suppress his sinful acts.”