Deism Reading List

[tumbleweed41]

In the spirit of some other recent reading lists, here is my list.




"An Essay Concerning Human Understanding", John Locke, 1690

“The Age of Reason”, Thomas Paine,1794

"Of the Religion of Deism Compared with the Christian Religion", Thomas Paine and Brad K. Berner, 2009

“The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth”, Thomas Jefferson, 1803

"The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World", Paul Davies, 1993

“Religion for the 21st Century – The Age of New Deism”, Vernon L. Gowdy III, 2009

“The Religion of the Founding Fathers”, David L. Holmes, 2003

"The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark", Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, 1997

"The Elements of Moral Philosophy", James Rachels and Stuart Rachels, 2011


Any other suggestions?

 

[overcome2002]

New member! I love the reading list. Its going to take a while but I definitely want to try to get through all of these. So far I have read The Jefferson Bible, and am partly threw with The Age of Reason. I would also suggest a coupe of additions:

1. God and Human Beings by Voltaire. I haven't read it yet but it sounds like a must read.

A description from Amazon:
"Voltaire called himself a deist and thus he professed belief in a supreme deity. But he was always sharply critical of institutional Christianity, especially its superstitions, the hypocrisy of its clergy, and its abuse of political power.

Both his deism and his critical attitude toward Christianity are manifest in God and Human Beings, which is, in effect, one of the first works of comparative religion...

This first English translation of a classic critique of religion includes an introduction by writer, scholar, and editor S. T. Joshi, who wrote the article on Voltaire in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief (edited by Tom Flynn)."

2. When Jesus Became God by Richard E. Rubenstein. This I have read. The author investigates the origin of the Trinity myth, proving that its acceptance into official church doctrine was the result of some very sleazy church politics (possibly including an assassination). It refutes the self contradictory nonsense of the Trinity and demonstrates how the doctrine of revealed religions can result from politics rather than divine inspiration.