ABSTRACT
There are many philosophers who claim to embrace ‘naturalistic religion’; and there are many other philosophers who claim to aspire to establish ‘naturalistic religion’. Some philosophers say that pantheistic religions are naturalistic religions. Some philosophers say that panentheistic religions are naturalistic religions. Some philosophers say that they are religious naturalists. Some philosophers say that there are versions of the great post-Axial religions that are naturalistic religions. Pantheists typically claim two things: natural reality exhausts causal reality; and natural reality is divine. Some claim to have big pictures that are both ‘naturalistic’ and ‘religious’, where the ‘religious’ content of these big pictures is in full conformity with the big pictures of one or another of the great world religions. The emergence of deism established various precedents for would-be reformers of religion. In its earliest formulation – in the work of Herbert of Cherbury – deism was presented as a simple, rational alternative to the dogmas of organised Christianity.
