Examination of Enlightenment Critique of Christian Theology
George Emmanuel Acquaah 
Issue: Vol.11 No. 7 2025 Issue Article 1 pp.340 – 354
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20251171 | Published online 15th July, 2025.
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss six specific Enlightenment critiques of Christian theology. Christian theology faced critiques as biblical criticism offered a secular perspective challenging Scripture. This study employs historical and theological methods, drawing on the Bible. The study discovered that the Enlightenment period rejected the authorship of Moses’ Pentateuch, the authority of the Old and New Testaments, the concept of the Trinity, vicarious atonement, and justification. They rejected Jesus’ divinity, resurrection, and salvation. The findings reveal that the criticisms of the Enlightenment period primarily relied on secular philosophy rather than biblical foundations. Christian faith in Jesus Christ proves that God has revealed Himself to humans. The Christian doctrine of God is interpreted through Scripture and nature. The Gospels are historically accurate and reliable accounts of Jesus. The Bible depicts humanity’s struggle with sin and God’s promise and solution to that conflict. God sent Christ to redeem humanity from sin (2 Cor. 5:21). The fundamental story of Creation comes before the narrative in Genesis 1 and 2. This is because Jesus Christ is Lord over His creation.The study suggests examining the Enlightenment’s critique of Christian theology to understand its impact on theological reflections. Future research should focus on the influence of the Enlightenment principles on contemporary theology regarding scriptural authority, the nature of God, and salvation doctrines.
Keywords: Enlightenment, Revelation, Inspiration, Christology, and Soteriology
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Pastor George Emmanuel Acquaah holds a PhD in Biblical Theological Studies with an emphasis in Systematic Theology from Adventist University of Africa. He has advanced expertise in the formulation, analysis, and contextual application of Christian doctrine. He also serves as the Executive Secretary of the Pioneer Ghana Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Additionally, he is a part-time lecturer at Valley View University. He earned an MPhil in Biblical Theological Studies from Adventist University of Africa, Kenya; an MA in Human Resource Development from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana; and a BA in Theological Studies from Valley View University, Accra, Ghana. His research focuses on the doctrine of God, Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Bibliology, Theological Anthropology, Theological Method, Historical Theology, Contextual and Comparative Theology, Ethics and Moral Theology, as well as topics like contextualization, exegesis, and religious studies.
Acquaah, George Emmanuel. “Examination of Enlightenment Critique of Christian Theology,” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 11 no.7 (2025): 340 – 354. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20251171
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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