ABSTRACT
Spinoza presents a revised religion based on the reduction of the religious to the moral in whose framework obedience to God is reduced to obedience to moral law. He opens the introduction to the TTP with an examination of the psycho-philosophical roots of the religious phenomena. At the focus of this study, which might be called his genealogy of religion, he examines man's attempt to achieve existential stability in both the psychological and social spheres. According to Spinoza, the religious entity is by definition subordinate to the political entity. Therefore, the moment in which religion is instituted as an independent entity that is not dependent on the political entity is the moment in which religion returns to being superstition. Without any external supervision, the religious institution becomes corrupt and dangerous to the stability of society. As an independent entity, religion comes into friction and conflict with the other branches of culture, particularly with politics and philosophy.
