Age of Reason

The Age of Reason, written by Thomas Paine and published in three parts between 1794 and 1807, is a deistic critique of institutionalized religion and the Bible's inerrancy. Paine argues for reason over revelation, condemning the corruption of the Christian Church and its political ambitions while promoting natural religion and the concept of a creator-God. The book was a bestseller in America, sparking a deistic revival, but faced hostility in Britain due to fears of political radicalism following the French Revolution. Its influence on religious thought and political discourse makes it a significant work of the Enlightenment era.