Synopses & Reviews
"Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst," declared Thomas Paine, adding, "every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attempts to stride beyond the grave, and seeks to pursue us into eternity." Paine's years of study and reflection on the role of religion in society culminated with his final work,
The Age of Reason. This coollyand#160;reasoned polemic influenced religious thinking throughout the world at the dawn of the nineteenth century, and its resonance remains undiminished by time.
The selfsame humanist and egalitarian views that made Paine a popular figure of the American Revolution brought him into frequent conflict with political authorities. Parts ofand#160;The Age of Reason were written in a French jail, where Paine was confined for his oppositionand#160;to the execution of Louis XVI. An atack on revealed religion from the deist point of view and#8212; embodied by Paine's credo, "I believe in one God, and no more" and#8212; this work undertakes a hitherto unheard-of approachand#160;to Bible study. Its critical and objective examination of Old and New Testatments cites nemerous contradictions as evidenceand#160;against literal interpretations of the text. Well articulated and eminently readable, The Age of Reason is a classic of free thought.
Synopsis
Paine's years of study and reflection on the role of religion in society culminated with this, his final work. An attack on revealed religion from the deist point of view — embodied by Paine's credo, "I believe in one God, and no more" — its critical and objective examination of Old and New Testaments cites numerous contradictions.
Synopsis
Written in the years from 1792 to 1795 while Thomas Paine was in prison, The Age of Reason shocked 18th-century readers with its attack on the conventions of Christianity. Based on years of study and reflection by the author, the work is written from the deist point of view and questions Christian beliefs and the role of religion in society. Its resonance remains undiminished after two centuries, and it continues to influence thinkers around the world
Synopsis
Based on years of study and reflection by the author, this 18th-century work, which was written from the deist point of view, questions Christian beliefs and the role of religion in society.