The Age of Reason

Hardcover, 172 pages

English language

Published Aug. 1, 2007 by Cosimo Classics.

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5 stars (1 review)

16 editions

Should be required reading in US highschools

5 stars

I know why it's not (lingering influence of Christianity on local governments and teaching for standardized tests instead of to create educated people), but this book should be required reading for every 11th grade student in the United States.

"The Age of Reason" challenges a lot of the misconceptions that people have about the Bible and Christianity that have developed over the centuries and that somehow still persist today. It was really hard for me to read this and realize that it was published 200 years ago, but I still grew up with a distorted idea of what the Bible is.

To sum this book up, I would say that Paine clearly shows what other academics have shown: the Bible is a conglomeration of texts of dubious origin that contradict each other and don't paint a clear, coherent, or even positive light on Judaism, Christianity, or God. Paine argues that …

Subjects

  • American history: c 1500 to c 1800
  • Christian Theology - General
  • Christianity - History - General
  • General
  • History / General
  • History : United States - Colonial Period
  • History : United States - Revolutionary War
  • History - Military / War
  • Religion - Theology