What did Lessing mean when he spoke of a ugly great ditch between faith and history?
Lessing’s comment grew out of his conviction that rationalism could be the only universally acceptable mode of understanding the world, coupled with his familiarity with Reimarius’ biblical studies and conclusions (pp 175, 387). From Reimarius’ work, Lessing was convinced that the bible could not be trusted as a source of description of any truth, let alone the truth of God. In this sense, Lessing’s ‘scandal of particularity’ acknowledged that humans, and human error, make up history and this contingent fact needs to be accounted for in any understanding of the meaning of an event. The bible was another example, even if a very good example, of a human product. From his rationalistic commitments he was convinced, following Hume (p 381), that human reason alone could lead humanity into a new golden age, safe from religious war and bigotry. In two strokes, Lessing denied the historical veracity of the New Testament and its claim as the revelation of God. Instead, what Christians believed
