Lessing's Philosophy of Religion and the German Enlightenment
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–1781) stands as a key figure in
German intellectual history, a bridge joining Luther, Leibniz,
and German idealism. Despite his well-recognized importance in
the history of thought, Lessing as theologian or philosopher of
religion remains an enigmatic figure. Scholars refer to the
“riddle” or “mystery” of Lessing, a mystery that has proved
intractable because of his reticence on the subject of the final
conclusions of his intellectual project. Toshimasa Yasukata
seeks to unravel this mystery. Based on intensive study of the
entire corpus of Lessing's philosophical and theological
writings as well as the extensive secondary literature,
Yasukata's work takes us into the systematic core of Lessing's
thought. From his penetrating and sophisticated analysis of
Lessing's developing position on Christianity and reason, there
emerges a fresh image of Lessing as a creative modern mind, who
is both shaped by and gives shape to