Most of Paine's arguments had long been available to the educated elite, but by presenting them in an engaging and irreverent style, he made deism appealing and accessible to the masses. In The Age of Reason, he promotes natural religion and argues for the existence of a creator god. Paine advocates reason in the place of revelation, leading him to reject miracles and to view the Bible as an ordinary piece of literature, rather than a divinely-inspired text. The Age of Reason presents common deistic arguments for example, it highlights what Paine saw as corruption of the Christian Church and criticizes its efforts to acquire political power.
British audiences, fearing increased political radicalism as a result of the French Revolution, received it with more hostility. It was a best-seller in the United States, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. It was published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807. It follows in the tradition of 18th-century British deism, and challenges institutionalized religion and the legitimacy of the Bible. The Age of Reason Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology is a work by English and American political activist Thomas Paine, arguing for the philosophical position of deism.
Several early copies of The Age of Reason
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