The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument
In 1695 The Reasonableness of Christianity was published in London as a public argument that the gospel’s required belief is few and plain. It is a dated theological book, not the Letter concerning Toleration and not the 1689 Essay. In the causal graph this event strengthens Social Cohesion, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.
Read the full account
In 1695 The Reasonableness of Christianity was published in London as a public argument that the gospel’s required belief is few and plain. It is a dated theological book, not the Letter concerning Toleration and not the 1689 Essay. John Locke’s documented role is: He published an anonymous theological book reducing required belief to a public minimum. Later attribution is secure; he did not typeset later HTML. Later editors, printers, and excavators remain named where they appear. John Locke's documented role is: He published an anonymous theological book reducing required belief to a public minimum.
Context
John Edwards and other critics soon attacked it as Socinian. Anonymous print is not unique later party Christianity. Shared printers and later editors remain named. The public setting is the file around 1695-08-01. The instrument stays The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument. The setting of The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument is the public file around 1695-08-01. Driver social-cohesion is attached because the significance names a mechanism from this act, not because a standing list needed coverage.
Why it matters
Complex because first publication was anonymous. Welfare reading improving. The attached mechanism is A dated print argument offered a minimal public creed as a cohesion instrument inside a latitudinarian fight. Lag to any modern indicator is not treated as zero. This path is attached because the mechanism is named from this act, not because a driver list needed coverage. The welfare reading on this path is improving.
If a number is not in the two records named above, it is not supplied here.
Who was responsible
Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.
John Locke
PersonDirect responsibility
responsibility level 0.4 · verified
He published an anonymous theological book reducing required belief to a public minimum. Later attribution is secure; he did not typeset later HTML.
What changed
Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.
- FactThe Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument
- strengthensDriverSocial Cohesion
- strengthensIndicators (2)Having a say in government
impact weight 0.35 · Effect from 1 August 1695 · verified
A dated print argument offered a minimal public creed as a cohesion instrument inside a latitudinarian fight.
Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.16 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.45)
Observed
29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)
Worse than normalTwo readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).
20212023 Above normal = better
Weakens · Relationship strength 0.16 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.45)
Observed
43.9 Score · 43.9 above the normal line (2024)
Worse than normal26 readings, 1996–2024: rose from 43 Score to 43.9 Score.
Normal is zero · any amount = worse
Evidence
The sources behind this fact and its verification state.
- 1.The Reasonableness of Christianity — public EnglishProject Gutenberg · High credibility · verified
- 2.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — John LockeStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish
Gutenberg’s later English and SEP independently date the 1695 Reasonableness as Locke’s public theology book. Official: The Reasonableness of Christianity — public English (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10421 (opens in a new tab); Project Gutenberg). Independent: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Locke, religion (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/ (opens in a new tab); Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). The two URLs are different pages. Where the carrier is a later edition or a received narrative, that limit is stated rather than upgraded to an autograph. Official carrier: The Reasonableness of Christianity — public English (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10421 (opens in a new tab); Project Gutenberg). Independent carrier: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Locke, religion (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/ (opens in a new tab); Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).
Established: a 1695 Reasonableness book later securely attributed to Locke. Not established: that it uniquely settled English church parties, or that SEP 2001 is his act. Established: a sourced public record of The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument under 1695-08-01.
Confidence is stated on the impact path, not hidden in adjectives. Mixed effects of The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument are separate paths.
Later competitions, monuments, translations, UNESCO listings, museums, and adaptations are not converted into extra lifetime acts.
That reading is an impact-path choice, not a property stored on the Fact itself.
Shared responsibility is part of The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument. Naming John Locke does not delete co-authors, institutions, or later transmitters. The lag from 1695-08-01 to any measured indicator is not treated as zero. Alternative explanations — weather, other armies, later statutes, or independent cultural change — remain live where the sources do not close them.
Causal path
How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.
- ActorJohn Locke
- contributed toFactThe Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument
- strengthensDriverSocial Cohesion
- strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government
Cite this page
Factrail. (2026). The Reasonableness of Christianity is published as a public theological argument. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/jlk-reasonableness-1695
https://factrail.ai/facts/jlk-reasonableness-1695
Accessed 16 October 2026.
By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed
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