ABSTRACT
Baruch Spinoza acknowledges the Christian Bible to be a revealed text. Prophets really articulate the mind of God, Spinoza says, even though they do it subjectively and imperfectly. Collegiants were Spinoza's closest friends and their religious views were clearly congenial to him. Spinoza would have to reject Judaism as a religion, except, possibly, in a form liberal enough to accommodate his version of Christianity. Spinoza's style of writing was deeply affected by Marranism, Yovel thinks. Spinoza cared for nothing more than being philosophically and religiously right. Yovel is right to say that Spinoza rejects the Law of Moses as an avenue to salvation. Yovel's reading yields a Spinoza who, though dishonest with his contemporaries, holds opinions widely appreciated today. Failing to take account of the radically Protestant element in Spinoza's religious thought leads Yovel to overestimate the novelty of his doctrine of salvation.
