The Age of Reason cover art

The Age of Reason

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Age of Reason

By: Thomas Paine
Narrated by: Robin Field
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.51

Buy Now for £14.51

About this listen

Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology, published in three parts from 1794, was a best seller in America, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. Promoting a creator-God while advocating reason in the place of revelation, Paine’s controversial pamphlet caused his native British audience, fearing the results of the French Revolution, to receive it with more hostility than their American counterparts. This passionate and engaging recording of Paine’s classic is as certain to provoke modern listeners to thought as it did his original audience.

©2010 Mission Audio (P)2010 Mission Audio Americas Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts Political Science Politics & Government Religious Studies Spirituality World French Revolution Middle Ages
All stars
Most relevant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have done already, many times.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Age of Reason?

Not only is it interesting for his treatment of the internal contradictions of the Bible, it also follows the life of Paine, including his imprisonment in post-revolution France.
Paine is very much present in the writing. It is a conversational text which keeps you gripped throughout.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

He uses the word 'fabulous' a lot, to highlight the fabled and mythical elements of the Bible. To the modern reader, with a different conception of the word, it can sound quite comical. Provided many laughs throughout.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book leaves you in awe at the greatness of this man's mind.

Any additional comments?

On the point of the advocation of deism, I think if Paine had written this post-Darwin, he probably would have left his deism behind.

All in all a fascinating book advocating the importance of reason, and well worth a read/listen.

A great review of the Bible's fabrications

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
struggling with religion? find the bible to be total twaddle? So does Thomas Paine and he explains exactly why in this seminal work.

a must read for anyone afflicted with religion

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A clear forensic demolition using nothing but the accused's own writings backed up by a superb narration. The ripple effects will have catastrophic consequences to all faiths.

A must for seekers of truth!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I generally preferred Common Sense, but The Age of Reason still holds a lot of fascinating knowledge that can still be considered relevant today.

Play on at least 1.3x speed though, narration is dated and slow but fine once you speed it up a bit.

If Richard Dawkins was a Deist...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.