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Challenging carved-in-stone tenets of Christianity, deism began
sprouting in colonial America in the early eighteenth century, was
flourishing nicely by the American Revolution, and for all intents
and purposes was dead by 1811. Despite its hasty demise, deism left
a theological legacy. Christian sensibility would never be quite
the same. Bringing together the works of six major American
deists-Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ethan Allen, Thomas
Paine, Elihu Palmer, and Philip Frenau-an dthe Frechman Comte de
Volney, whose writings greatly influenced the American deists,
Kerry Walters has created the fullest analysis yet of deism and
rational religion in colonial and early America. In addition to
presenting a chronological collection of several works by each
author, he provides a description of deism's historical roots, its
major themes, its social and political implications, and the
reasons for its eventual demise as a movement. Essential readings
from the three major deistic periodicals of the period-Temple of
Reason, Prospect, and the Theophilanthropist-also are included in
the volume. This is the first time they have been reprinted since
their original publication. American deism is more than merely an
antiquated philosophical position possessing only historical
interest, Walters contends. Its search for a religion based upon
the ideals of reason, nature, and humanitarianism, rather than the
blind faith, scriptural inerrancy, and miracles preached by
Christian churches at the time, continues to offer insight of real
significance.
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