Editing Edmund Burke (section)

==Religious thought==
{{main|Religious thought of Edmund Burke}}
Burke's religious writing comprises published works and commentary on the subject of religion. Burke's religious thought was grounded in the belief that [[religion]] is the foundation of [[civil society]].<ref>Edmund Burke, ''Reflections on the Revolution in France'' (London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1964), 87.</ref> He sharply criticised [[deism]] and [[atheism]] and emphasised [[Christianity]] as a vehicle of social progress.<ref>Ian Harris, "Burke and Religion", in David Dwan and Christopher J Insole eds., ''The Cambridge Companion to Edmund Burke'' (Cambridge University Press, 2012), 103.</ref> Born in Ireland to a [[Catholic]] mother and a [[Protestant]] father, Burke vigorously defended the [[Church of England]], but he also demonstrated sensitivity to Catholic concerns.<ref name="Ibid"/> He linked the conservation of a state-established religion with the preservation of citizens' constitutional liberties and highlighted Christianity's benefit not only to the believer's soul, but also to political arrangements.<ref name="Ibid">Harris, 98.</ref>