ABSTRACT
Positivism is a movement in philosophy that grew out of the theories of Auguste Comte (1798-1857), especially the limitation of knowledge to an empirical study of phenomena and their relationships and the commitment to an altruistic ethics and a “Religion of Humanity.” Comte’s theories had an important influence on Christian thought during the second half of the nineteenth century. Very few religious leaders became devoted believers in positivism, and many rejected it outright. But between those extremes there was a large number of thinkers who adjusted their theology in response to positivism. A few radicals abandoned tradition for humanistic theism, but most remained within the churches, where they made modest to significant changes. Positivism affected mainstream religion in two primary ways: Its epistemological challenge forced theologians to reconsider how and what humans could know of God, and its ethical challenge pushed them toward a stronger commitment to social reform in what became the social gospel.
