Examining the historical and the teological relationship between natural religion and deism

Deism which is known as a half-theological half-philosophical movement in theological-philosophical arguments of the 21st century is seen as a threat against traditional religions. Hence, the need for an explanation for the term "natural religion" which was brought up by deism against traditional religions in general and Christianity in specific has occurred. Our study, considering the complex situation of deism, is focused on the explanation of the historical and theological relationship between deism and natural religion. In this study, the important names of deism who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries and adopted the idea of natural religion and their contribution to both deism and natural religion in terms of theology are tried to be explained. For this purpose, in the first chapter, the definition of natural religion, its emergence, and the transition from traditional religion to natural religion are discussed. Also, the definition of deism, its types, representatives, emergence, development, and decline are all studied in the historical process. The idea that natural religion and deism, which is the starting point of our study, emerged and developed in parallel with each other in the historical background and have a philosophical-theological identity has been determined. The second chapter of the study investigates God-Universe and God-human relationships which are reconstructed by natural religion and deism's understanding of God, from the perspective of 17th and 18th century philosophers. The third and the last chapter of the study explains natural religion and deism's understanding of revelation, prophecy, immortality(afterlife), and worship(prayers) with special references to important representatives of deism such as Lord Edward Herbert of Cherbury, John Toland, François Marie Arouet de Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Paine.