This collection of essays investigates the enduring influence and critical reception of Carl Becker's seminal work, The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers. The volume, edited by Raymond O. Rockwood, gathers contributions from various historians to re-examine Becker's thesis regarding the religious nature of Enlightenment thought. By analyzing the historiographical impact of Becker's arguments, the contributors assess how his interpretation of the 18th century shaped subsequent academic discourse on the origins of modern secularism.

This volume serves as a specialized resource for historians and students of intellectual history seeking to understand the complexities of the Becker debate. The collection provides a dense, academic examination of the historiographical shifts that occurred in the mid-20th century regarding Enlightenment studies.