Not of the Hitchens-Dawkins-Harris variety, but of the seventeenth century variety. The four figures most often attacked for formulating a thoroughgoing atheistic perspective were Spinoza (for his biblical work as well as his metaphysics), Hobbes, La Peyrere (author of Pre-Adamites ), and Lodewijk Meyer (author of Philosophia Scripturae Interpres ).
At a conference held in Rostock, Germany, in 1702, traditional Aristotelian anti-Cartesians treated four principle claims against the new atheists: the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch; the Scriptures do not approve ignorant opinions of common people; philosophy is not the interpreter of Scripture; and the literal meaning of the Bible is valid.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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