Deriding the Messiah and the Devil in Paul d’Holbach’s Histoire critique de Jésus Christ (1770)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper is an interesting one and its subject is dealt with clearly and coherently. There are one or two very small details connected mostly with missed accents in the French, otherwise I have no criticisms.

p.9, note 16: 'enthusiasm'. p.14, line 468: maniere requires grave accent over first 'e'.

p.16: line 536: gueres, lose final 's'. Note 26: mere requires grave accent over first 'e'.

p.17: line 577. a grave, not an acute accent over first 'e'.

p.18, line 634: Orleans requires an acute accent over the 'e', not a grave.

p.19, line 679: caracteres requires grave accent over first 'e'.

p.20, note 30: siecle requires grave accent over first 'e'.

p.23, line 761: ames requires circumflex accent over initial 'a'.

 

Author Response

Comments: There are one or two very small details connected mostly with missed accents in the French, otherwise I have no criticisms.

Reply: I am grateful to the reviewer for his/her reading. I should clarify that the missed accents are not mine: the sources themselves (d'Holbach's Systeme de la nature and Histoire critique, plus La Taste's Lettres) give that phrasing. However, I am not against modernizing the spelling, so I added the accents. 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The line below are unclear:
"sell in early modern times, when repressive institutions where part and parcel of all ortho- 
doxies (Lanson 1912; Wade 1938; Vernière 1954; Jacob 1981; Paganini 2020)" line 168

205-206-- "As Robert Darnton points out, there were many nuances in the Ancien Régime’s censorship, nuances which forbid us to understand the period as a battle between the Enlightenment and obscurantist powers 

It would be helpful to readers who do not speak French if author provided the English traslation of the various French quotes. For example in lines 296-300-- "Apostles to make them fishers of men, the Baron adds that he surely taught them “des moyens sûrs pour subsister sans travail de la crédulité du vulgaire” (d’Holbach 297, 1770a, p. 80 ; Hunwick 1995, p. 101) —which explains why, after Jesus’ death, the Apostles removed his body from the grave and spoke about the Messiah’s resurrection; they “sentirent qu’il falloit prêcher la résurrection du Christ ou consentir à mourir de faim” (d’Holbach 1770a, p. 309; Hunwick 1995, p. 232). 

 

 Parlement,  rendered in 628-630 should be italicized as the French spelling is different from the English(parliament).

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The quality of English Language is standard.

Author Response

Comment: The line below are unclear: "sell in early modern times, when repressive institutions where part and parcel of all ortho- doxies (Lanson 1912; Wade 1938; Vernière 1954; Jacob 1981; Paganini 2020)" line 168 205-206-- "As Robert Darnton points out, there were many nuances in the Ancien Régime’s censorship, nuances which forbid us to understand the period as a battle between the Enlightenment and obscurantist powers"

Reply: I have changed the "where" for the "were". Concerning the line on Robert Darnton, I have changed it to: "As Robert Darnton argues, censorship during the Ancien Régime was more nuanced than commonly believed. The period was definitely not a battle between the Enlightenment and obscurantist, traditional powers". 

Comment: Parlement, rendered in 628-630 should be italicized as the French spelling is different from the English(parliament). 

Reply: I have changed "Parlement" (in French) for Parliament (in English). 

Comment: It would be helpful to readers who do not speak French if author provided the English traslation of the various French quotes.

Reply: I understand the reviewer's point, but I do not think that all French quotes should be translated. There are many English modern editions fo d'Holbach's works; in addition, for Histoire critique, I refer to Hunwick's version (available online) by page, so the reader may find the English translation of the passage there. I do think that the reviewer is right concerning those French (and Spanish) sources which are not translated, so I have provided an English translation in the footnotes.  

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a lengthy but fascinating in-depth account of the context surrounding d'Holbach's criticism of Christianity, as well as an in-depth exploration of that critique. D'Holbach is well-known as a radical proponent of mechanistic philosophy, and generally known as an atheist, but I do not believe the details of his arguments and critiques are well-known. This article provides the valuable service of providing a thorough digest of those arguments and critiques, while also paying attention to relevant scholarship. It is well-organized and clearly written, and requires no changes in order to be published, which I recommend.

Author Response

Comment: This is a lengthy but fascinating in-depth account of the context surrounding d'Holbach's criticism of Christianity, as well as an in-depth exploration of that critique. D'Holbach is well-known as a radical proponent of mechanistic philosophy, and generally known as an atheist, but I do not believe the details of his arguments and critiques are well-known. This article provides the valuable service of providing a thorough digest of those arguments and critiques, while also paying attention to relevant scholarship. It is well-organized and clearly written, and requires no changes in order to be published, which I recommend.

Reply: I am grateful to the reviewer for his/her positive comments.