Other effects of 17th-century philosophy on religion and beliefs about God were seen through the works of Rene Descartes and John Locke. These two scholars made significant strides, and they were both philosophical innovators despite coming from different places. Their contributions shaped and took the philosophy of religion in new directions. Descartes used rationalism in his arguments about God, the world, and the existence of humankind. His main argument was based on the idea that reason is human’s main source of knowledge. Here, God is removed from the center of philosophical thought and is viewed as the guarantor of the dependability and effectiveness of human sensory experiences. Descartes made different arguments about the relation between humans and God. Although he does not dispute the existence of God at any point, Descartes makes reasonable arguments that disagree with those made by his counterparts, like Spinoza. These arguments made about the nature of God and how the world is God’s work created different reactions which gradually contributed to the Enlightenment between the 17th and 18th centuries. John Locke is another key philosopher of this period. He joined the philosophy of religion debate with his empiricism view.
Unlike Descartes, who argued that reason is the human’s main source of knowledge, Locke introduced the opposing idea that experience was the chief source of human knowledge. This empiricism approach induced a more rational approach towards religion. These arguments by Descartes and Locke brought some doubts and changes on the religion of the time. Some followers of these philosophers disapproved of their traditional beliefs and considered the new perceptions that had started being implied. Followers like Matthew Tindal and John Toland were key figures in executing the new beliefs. It’s important to note that empiricism used reason to disregard the authority of miracles and divine revelation. The principles of rationalism and empiricism used by these two philosophers shunned mystery in religion and appealed to natural religion.