Christian Cyclopedia

The term “philos. of religion” was apparently first used in Ger. near the end of the 18th c. in connection with the Enlightenment.* It refers to the application of philosophy* to the world of religion; see, e.g., God, Arguments for the Existence of. Some read Scripture in the light of philos.; others, including some followers of K. Barth,* question the validity of the very notion of philos. of religion. See also Apologetics, IV B; Religion, Comparative.