Angels and Devils
Feuerbach challenges common religious symbolism. For example, he challenges the idea that angels are associated with morality and goodness, while devils are associated with evil and immorality. Instead, Feuerbach calls for a more objective pursuit of truth when considering morality.
The Pursuit of Truth
The pursuit of truth is a key motif in this text. It is something he comes back to repeatedly, as he believes that religion hinders the pursuit of truth. He depicts religion as something that puts obstacles in the way of truth, by virtue of willful ignorance and repression of any doubts.
Love
Love is a key motif of the text, as it is one of the most valuable traits of humanity, according to Feuerbach. He argues that love represents the unity of humanity and exists purely within humanity, rather than in the form of abstraction from divinity.
The Church
Feuerbach argues that organized religion is responsible for the negative repercussions of religion. He argues that the Christian Church has projected the best qualities of humanity onto the divine, therefore alienating humanity from their own virtues.
God
According to Feuerbach, the God of Christianity symbolizes many desirable and virtuous traits. These are traits often found in humanity, but are accredited to God; for example, love, kindness, and justice.
