Thomas Paine's primary object in writing "The Age of Reason" was to call into question the conventional understanding of religion and to undermine the power of the Christian church. As provocative and controversial today as when Paine first wrote it, this incendiary work suggests what is necessary to transform religion into a social force that has its foundation in reason.
About the Author
Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was born in Thetford, England, and he was brought to America by Benjamin Franklin two years before the American Revolution. An activist, philosopher, and revolutionary, Paine went on to write the two most influential works encouraging the revolution, Common Sense and the pamphlet series The American Crisis.
Following America’s independence from England, Paine moved to France in 1790, where he became a key figure in the French Revolution, writing another pro-revolutionary work, Rights of Man. In addition to his political works, Paine also wrote the deist pamphlet The Age of Reason, a challenge of both the Bible and organized religion. Unlike his other works, The Age of Reason was poorly received and led to his ostracism by the community at large. Though Paine is now considered a great figure in American history, only six people attended his funeral.
