The struggle between orthodox Anglicans and the deists, freethinkers and "atheists" who opposed their exclusive claims to religious power and political authority, reveals cultural practices and ideological assumptions central to an understanding of eighteenth-century thought. In this collection of essays, leading scholars examine the philosophical and rhetorical strategies involved, and show how the eighteenth-century assault on orthodoxy influenced the development of law, historiography, public policy, philosophy and the rise of the novel.
