Anthropomorphism and Priestly Power: Hume’s Criticism of Popular Religion

His overall account in The Natural History of Religion can be encapsulated in the following theses: (1) the dialectical context and the positive remarks on philosophical theism imply its incompatibility with popular religion (including Christianity); (2) the explanation of the origin of religion is an explanation of the origin of popular religion and superstition only and thus does not apply to philosophical theism; and (3) philosophical theism has a different origin and evidential basis from popular theism, and should therefore be evaluated in the same manner as any other explanatory hypothesis. Therefore, Hume’s position should be understood as a critique of religion that has its ‘“origin in human nature’”, rather than a critique of philosophical theism, that is, a religion that has its ‘foundation in reason’.