Hume amongst the Theologians

Abstract

The doyen of the Scottish Enlightenment, David Hume (1711–76) was notable for the religious scepticism evident in his writings, particularly the posthumously published masterpiece The Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. This chapter explores a series of responses to Hume from theologians and religiously inclined philosophers in his native land from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. These are grouped into three categories—the rejection of Hume as a ‘dangerous infidel’, the affirmation of Hume as the catalyst for a more rationally grounded philosophical theology, and the conviction that Hume is a sceptic of perennial religious worth. Finally, Hume’s philosophical style is commended to contemporary audiences.