Lessing is considered by many to be a major representative of the Enlightenment Era. He was well known as a dramatist, critic, and philosopher during this time Evidenced Based Practice Model  frame in Germany, and his works remain popular and influential even in contemporary times. In terms of religious tolerance, Lessing’s philosophies are perhaps best represented by two of his dramatic pieces, Nathan der Weise,  Evidenced Based Practice Model or Nathan the Wise, and Die Juden, or The Jews. According to one scholar, these two plays by Lessing ‘are instructive examples that demonstrate, when read in light of the historical specificity of their context, the force of critical thinking that drove Lessing’ (Goetschel 2003: 63). Lessing’s impact is still felt today. According to Garland, The Jews ‘had shown [Lessing’s] deep antipathy to the unreasonable hatred direc Evidenced Based Practice Model ted against that people’ (1962: 191). In the eighteenth century, the ideas introduced by the Enlightenment had far-reaching effects on Western society. In fact, many of those ideas remain influential to this day. Formerly, much of Europe had been plagued by archaic prejudices towards those whose religious faith was considered to be a minority. This theme is nowhere more evident than in Lessing’s plays, Nathan the Wise and The Jews According to Goetschel, both of these works are evidence of ‘Lessing’s critical concern to rethink both the claims of Christianity and  Evidenced Based Practice Model the groundwork of modern national identity’ (2003: 63). Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was born in the quiet country town of Kamenz. His father, Johann Gottfried Lessing, was an educated man, but he was not wealthy. He Evidenced Based Practice Model  worked as an assistant pastor in Kamenz It was from him that the younger Lessing got his love of books, something that would last throughout his life. Lessing attended the University of Leipzig. Leipzig was a new world for the young man. It was far different from Kamenz. In fact, it was sometimes known as ‘Little Paris’ because of the level of sophistication that existed there (Garland 1962: 7). Lessing’s early literary works included Damon and The Young Scholar Neither of these works gave any indication that Lessing would eventually come to be known as the father of German literature, although The Young Scholar enjoyed a brief spate of popularity on the stage. During his youth, Lessing exhibited a tendency to rebel against the status quo. This became particularly clear during his college days. Correspondence between him and his parents shows evidence of a young man of great curiosity, and one for whom a tried and true path would not suffice. His parents wished the best for him, naturally: a steady career that would bring him stability and a modest amount of comfort. It was also hoped that Lessing, as the eldest, would establish himself in order to contribute to the education of his younger siblings. However, this was not the path that Lessing chose to follow. His adventurous spirit Evidenced Based Practice Model  combined with his youth, and the atmosphere of Leipzig, all combined to determine a path that would veer from hi Evidenced Based Practice Model s parents’ wishes. These experiences led him to become a thinker and writer who was ahead of his time, as well as one of the finest minds of the German Enlightenment. Lessing’s Plays: Nathan the Wise and The Jews. In many ways, Nathan the Wise can be considered a play that was ahead of its time. According to Wilms, this play is ‘canonized not just in German literature, but also in the liberal Enlightenment reception of that literature and its tradition’ (2002: 306). The central theme is the concept of brotherhood among mankind. Through the vehicle of drama, Lessing puts forth the message that people should be able to exist in harmony despite their religious denomination or group affiliation. For example, it should not matter whether one is a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim; people should respect each other and coexist peacefully no matter what religious affiliations they have. Lessing’s primary message in Nathan the Wise is that the main consideration should be the value of individua Evidenced Based Practice Model ls as human beings, and that group membership is secondary to this. This is the concept that the character of Nathan proposes. T Evidenced Based Practice Model he role of money in this play merits some attention. Lessing uses money as a prop and as a theme. It is an integral part of the discourse of the play. According to Graham, ‘from the first moiment of the pla we are never allowed to forget Nathan’s association with money>