Declaring the church corrupt and urging rationality over revelation, Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason directly opposed the existing political and religious order of his time. Initially printed in pamphlet form, his work audaciously employed "vulgar" everyday language, as Paine sought to bring his message, and the appeal of deism, to the masses.
"You will do me the justice to remember," Paine said. More than merely remembered, his transformative teachings set the stage for what would become an enduring feature of the American Revolution: independent thought.
Revised edition: Previously published as The Age of Reason, this edition of The Age of Reason (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.