The Age Of Reason

In the Deist context, Creation refers to the universe and everything in it. Paine cites Creation as the only true revelation of God’s word. Through the study of Creation, Deists unite science and religion.

A monotheistic faith, Deism teaches that one God created the universe and then left it alone to function according to natural laws discoverable by scientific inquiry. As a celebration of human reason, Deism differs from religions based on the presumed revelation of God’s word as preserved in texts. Paine wrote Age of Reason to promote Deism at a time when he believed Christianity would crumble.

The first four books of the New Testament—the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are the Gospels that tell the story of Jesus Christ. Paine analyzes the Gospels in Part 2, Chapter 2 and then again in the first three chapters of Part 3. He concludes that the Gospels contain too many inconsistencies and falsehoods to be believed as the word of God.

According to Christian teaching, based on the Gospel of the New Testament, the Virgin Mary became pregnant with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. In Catholic theology, the “immaculate conception” refers to the belief that Mary was conceived without the transference of “Original Sin” by her parents, while Mary’s conception of Jesus is called the “incarnation.” Paine regards this core Christian belief as not only false but blasphemous.

A monotheistic faith, Judaism teaches that the Old Testament is the word of God. Paine examines the Old Testament in detail and concludes that it is false, though his primary objective in declaring it so is to undermine not Judaism but Christianity, which also teaches the truth of the Old Testament.

Monotheism is the belief in one God. Paine touts Deism, which, like Judaism and Christianity, is monotheistic.

The New Testament, including the four Gospels, tells the story of Jesus Christ and the later ministry of early church figures such as Paul. Christians regard the New Testament as the word of God. Paine examines the Gospels of the New Testament in Part 1, Chapter 8; Part 2, Chapter 2; and in the first three chapters of Part 3. He concludes that it is both a fraud and an imposition.

The Old Testament tells the story of the Hebrew people, beginning with the creation of man. Believers in both Judaism and Christianity regard the Old Testament as the word of God. Paine examines the Old Testament in Part 1, Chapter 7 and again in exhaustive detail in Part 2, Chapter 1. He concludes that it is inauthentic, immoral, and impossible to believe as the word of God.

The Pentateuch consists of the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Paine examines these books in Part 2, Chapter 1. He concludes, based on internal textual evidence, that Moses could not have written these books, in which case they lack authority. Paine also describes the stories they contain as morally repellent.

Revelation is the conveyance of divine knowledge by supernatural means. The Old and New Testaments contain stories of miracles and prophecies, which constitute forms of revelation. Paine rejects all religions in which faith depends on belief in revelation of God’s word, which Paine argues can be found only in Creation.