Thomas Paine was a devout deist. That is; he believed in God; not because of faith; but rather because of the rational empirical evidence that the natural world provides. The Age of Reason was Paine's treatise on religion. At the time of its publication it caused such a furor that Paine had to move to France to escape it. The book was a indictment of organized religion and its practices. Furthermore; he pointed out that the Bible was full of inconsistencies and therefore not something to be relied on. Reason should be our guide before even the Bible or other religious dogma. Included in this edition is the Third Part of the essay; which most editions fail to include.
#966872 in Books Lyons Press 2011-02-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.26 x 6.32 x 9.30l; 1.45 #File Name: 1599216027368 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. One wild enterprising womanBy Eve DeVinneyHad never heard of this fascinating person before. So much for fame.She had quite a life and worked hard to make something of herself.Highly talented. What I would give to see one of her shows! But thecenturies will not permit.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A Woman Ahead of her TimeBy Bernadette MillerThe Fosters have done it again! An unputdownable biography of a Victorian era icon; Adah Isaacs Menken. The prose races ahead like a thriller; yet is filled with finely-researched details. This vivid portrait captures the essence of a true Bohemian who died at the height of her fame; like Marilyn Monroe; and packed several lifetimes into her 33 years on Earth. She had five husbands; including a world-champion boxer who abandoned her with his child; gained fame as the "naked lady;" although she wore a body stocking; inspired a Sherlock Holmes story; "Scandal in Bohemia;" wrote poetry; and hobnobbed with such luminaries as Mark Twain; Walt Whitman; Alexander Dumas; and Longfellow. She was acclaimed as an actress; and vilified for daring to smoke in public; wear men's clothes; and gamble the night away. Michael and Barbara Foster have brought back to life this remarkable woman ahead of her time. I found the biography informative; absorbing; and very entertaining. Highly recommended.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Life of The MenkenBy Ed BarnasAs a student of the history and development of burlesque as an American performance art form; I was already aware of Adah Issacs Menken as a performer who stretched performance boundaries in the mid-ninetheenth century. While scholars credit the arrival of Lydia Thompson and her British Blondes in 1868 with the start of burlesque in the US; "The Menken;" was one of the most prominent home-grown performers who had already pushed the boundaries of what could be done on stage and prepped audiences for the leg shows to come. Adah shocked and titillated audiences with her cross-dressing roles; stage combat skills; and her signature "nude" (i.e.; full body stocking) bareback ride as Mazeppa. Born to a woman of color in New Orleans; a convert to Reform Judaism; a published poet; and a part of the "bohemian" crowd as well as an actress; Adah achieved international acclaim and foreshadowed several of today's superstars with her selective reinvention of her past; public private life; outspokenness; and media savvy. As with Gypsy Rose Lee who also offered different versions of her history which appeared in print; this makes the job of a biographer difficult.Michael and Barbara Foster have tackled the various primary and secondary sources; sifting thru both hagiographers and detractors; to produce a comprehensive and readable biography of the woman Samuel Clements once dubbed "The Great Bare" as well as provide context for the period in which she lived. For those interested in the history of the theatre and popular culture in the mid-19th century; their work provides a good exemplar in Adah's career with its highs and lows. It also provides a perspective on the position of the female performer in that period as well as a taste of the melodramas which populated the stage at that time.
