The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine's THE AGE OF REASON is a controversial critique of organized Christian religion and challenges the legitimacy of the Bible. Paine advocates reason in place of revelation, rejecting miracles and the divinity of Christ, while reducing the Bible to a non-divine book. THE AGE OF REASON promotes the deistic notion of a distant creator-god, and rejects most aspects of Christianity. This bestselling work proved to be controversial in both Britain the United States, leading to Paine's ostracism. Despite Paine's popular role in the American Revolution, only six people attended his funeral in 1809.