The Essence of Christianity

The most important work of the famed German philosopher, this 1841 polemic asserts that religion and divinity are outward projections of inner human nature. Feuerbach's critique of Hegelian idealism excited immediate international attention - Marx and Engels were particularly influenced. This acclaimed translation is by the celebrated English novelist George Eliot.

Preface by Ludwig Feuerbach
I. 1. The Essential Nature of Man
   2. The Essence of Religion Considered Generally
Part I.The True or Anthropological Essence of Religion
II. God as a Being of the Understanding
III. God as a Moral Being or Law
IV. The Mystery of the Incarnation; or, God as Love, as a Being of the Heart
V. The Mystery of the Suffering God
VI. The Mystery of the Trinity and the Mother of God
VII. The Mystery of the Logos and Divine Image
VIII. The Mystery of the Cosmogonical Principle in God
IX. The Mystery of Mysticism, or of Nature in God
X. The Mystery of Providence and Creation out of Nothing
XI. The Significance of the Creation in Judaism
XII. The Omnipotence of Feeling, or the Mystery of Prayer
XIII. The Mystery of Faith—The Mystery of Miracle
XIV. The Mystery of the Resurrection and of the Miraculous Conception
XV. The Mystery of the Christian Christ, or the Personal God
XVI. The Distinction between Christianity and Heathenism
XVII. The Significance of Voluntary Celibacy and Monachism
XVIII. The Christian Heaven, or Personal Immortality
Part II.The False or Theological Essence of Religion
XIX. The Essential Standpoint of Religion
XX. The Contradiction in the Existence of God
XXI. The Contradiction in the Revelation of God
XXII. The Contradiction in the Nature of God in General
XXIII. The Contradiction in the Speculative Doctrine of God
XXIV. The Contradiction in the Trinity
XXV. The Contradiction in the Sacraments
XXVI. The Contradiction of Faith and Love
XXVII. Concluding Application
Appendix
1.The Religious Emotions Purely Human
2.God is Feeling Released from Limits
3.God is the Highest Feeling of Self
4.Distinction between the Pantheistic and Personal God
5.Nature without Interest for Christians
6.In God Man is his Own Object
7.Christianity the Religion of Suffering
8.Mystery of the Trinity
9.Creation out of Nothing
10.Egoism of the Israelitish Religion
11.The Idea of Providence
12.Contradiction of Faith and Reason
13.The Resurrection of Christ
14.The Christian a Supermundane Being
15.The Celibate and Monachism
16.The Christian Heaven
17.What Faith Denies on Earth it Affirms in Heaven
18.Contradictions in the Sacraments
19.Contradiction of Faith and Love
20.Results of the Principle of Faith
21.Contradiction of the God-Man
22.Anthropology the Mystery of Theology