In his treatise, Spinoza develops the foundations of tolerance in religion and liberalism in politics, and he vehemently advocates for the freedom of philosophical thought. He opposes a false understanding of religion held by contemporary theologians and, as one of the first thinkers, interprets the Bible historically-critical rather than dogmatically. Spinoza discusses the freedom identified in the realm of the religious in relation to the best state and demonstrates that the freedom to philosophize is an essential prerequisite for peace within the state. The new edition of the text includes an introduction and explanatory notes by the editor, as well as a list of biblical references and an index of names and subjects.