The Age of Reason (version 2)
Thomas Paine
Read by JoeD
The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology is a pamphlet, written by a British and American revolutionary Thomas Paine. The Age of Reason challenges institutionalized religion and challenges the legitimacy of the Bible, the central sacred text of Christianity. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in the United States, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival.
Part 1 was written sometime in 1793, and attacks the concepts of divine revelation and inspiration. He urged his readers to employ reason over revelation. Part 2 was written either during or shortly after his confinement in a French prison in 1794. In Part 2, Paine attacks the reliability of the Bible and points out numerous absurdities and contradictions. Part 3 was written in the United States sometime around 1800 but he delayed publication until 1807 for fears of violent backlash. Part 3 is an examination and rejection of the claims of prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Although these arguments were commonly known amongst the educated elite, Paine wrote in simple and irreverent prose that was easily accessible to a mass audience. Paine argued against religion as it is revealed in the Bible, but he argued just as strongly for a Deistic religion and a Creator of Reason.
This LibriVox recording of The Age of Reason is taken from Richard Carlile’s anthology of Paine’s writings, published in 1818. Carlile charged one shilling and sixpence for the work, and the first run of 1,000 copies sold out in a month. He immediately published a second edition of 3,000 copies. In 1819, Carlile was found guilty of blasphemy and seditious libel and sentenced to three years in Dorchester Gaol with a fine of £1,500. The prosecutions surrounding the printing of The Age of Reason in Britain continued for thirty years after its initial release and encompassed numerous publishers as well as over a hundred booksellers. (Summary by JoeD and Wikipedia) (11 hr 36 min)
Chapters
Reviews
clear and concise reading100% on the quality of this recording.
sad end for a great man
It's sad to think of the end for Thomas Paine. I fell this book is one of the most important books ever written and a book every person in the world should read. Thomas Paine was a main motivation behind the American revolution through writing his book common sense. he was a Brit who motivated America to rise up and claim their independence. but after writing The Age of Reason he was shunned by the religious societies and government resulting in less than a dozen people attending his funeral and his name almost forgotten (or barely spoken) in history sad end for such a great mind
A True Hero
Wiley Coyote
Where was this man all my life? I am so enthralled to discover him. Clear concise writing, articulated what I have been thinking most of my later years. His writing is still very timely for our own times. A truly brave man who risked death for the sake of truth. He has my eternal admiration.
Excellent!
deansidney
The Age of Reason is a brilliant work that stands on it's own. I had read through it many years ago. But it has been greatly enhanced for me by this excellent reading.
very well read
A LibriVox Listener
one of the most important reads for anyone to delve into.. very insightful, extremely compelling and 100% honest and true. if you read about the life of Thomas pain, he was very instrumental in and supporting I the fight for American independence from the British empire and and advocate for free through free from judgment or persecution and how his life ended is very sad to think about... one of the most important people in the early establishment of America forgotten in history..
Great book
Reversatire
The only complaint I have is for the reader, as he reads a bit slow for my liking. Otherwise, Thomas Paine makes some of the best arguments against scripture, even considering when the book was written. I highly recommend to anyone seeking to know the truth about the Bible and its writers.
Compelling
NSA
Thomas Paine is a master of argument. Considering the lack of knowledge, in textual criticism and other relevant studies on the authenticity of certain Bible writings, the author provided analysis of text and practice that are still compelling today. The reader was pretty good, but his pacing could have been faster.
A LibriVox Listener
fantastic read. Always a fan of Thomas paine. Tho the reader is a little void of emotion and sounds almost robotic at times, his voice is a constant steady volume and well enunciated.
A LibriVox Listener
Excellent subject & read. They should teach this book in school. I'm sorry happy I found this in here. It's eye opening.