Shaking the Foundations of Organized Religion

A recent video featuring the scholar N.T. Wright caused me to reconsider the religious and philosophical implications of the Great Lisbon Earthquake. In 1755, a catastrophic earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal. Interestingly enough, it occurred on November 1st, the religious holiday of All Saints Day. While most of the city met in the large catholic cathedrals to celebrate this day, the first quake began. An eyewitness relates the fact that a distant, hollow sound of thunder, which was very frightening, was heard first. His own house swung side to side "with a motion like that of a wagon driven violently over wrought stones." The second quake proved to be much more violent and powerful. As the frightened church-goers fled through the cathedral doors, they were met with a similarly catastrophic tsunami, resulting from the seismic unrest. In the first few minutes of the earthquake, 30,000 people lost their lives. If that wasn't enough, the earthquake and the tsunami were followed by the Great Lisbon Fire. In a few hours, Lisbon was transformed into a raging inferno. Hospitals were burnt to the ground with their patients inside. Many were left with no choice but to escape to the mountains. In all, it is estimated that 90,000 lost their lives.

Throughout history there are events like this that vividly portray the emerging ideas of the time. In the same way that a cultural metaphor effectively describes a culture by focusing on one aspect of that culture, the Lisbon earthquake provides us with a philosophical metaphor for the rise of the Enlightenment. For some time, organized religion had been on the witness stand. Higher criticism had already began it's cross-examination, naturalism and proto-Darwinism were not far behind. Then the earthquake struck. Lisbon was certainly a devout Catholic city. Much of its population participated in the events of All Saints Day. Yet, even amid the prayers of these saints, God could not save them. This idea certainly could be found in the German and French philosophers of the day, but this event in Portugal displayed a tangible illustration of the onset of modern thought. The famous humanist quote comes to mind, "No deity will save us, we must save ourselves."