Many ask, “What was the Age of Reason?” And this was something that I found my self pondering as well. Before researching this topic, I had never heard of the Age of Reason. Interestingly, it was written in Europe, by Thomas Paine around the eighteenth century (1685-1815). This was a time of enlightenment, where philosophy, politics, and science thrived. This was a religious spark for many, and created a fire in their hearts causing a religious rebirth.
This time period is called the Age of Reason due to the philosophics at that time that obtained the superiority of reason over superstition and religion. While not certain, the most apparent cause of the Enlightenment was the Thirty Years’ War. This was a very devastating war, leaving many cities in ruins , which lasted from 1618 to 1648. This inspired German illustrators and authors to write harsh thoughts directed toward concepts of nationalism and warfare.
To sum it all up in a sentence or two, The Age of Reason was a representation in which a person saw himself in society, their interest of knowledge, and pursuit of faith. This was all caused by a long war, which made the Germans re evaluate society and their views. In this time period, several themes that were emphasised, they included Individualisms, Religious Traditions, reason and Skepticism. Thomas Paine, the writer of “Age Of Reason”, understood God’s existence, but denied “supernatural” activities in the world, such as his miracles he performed.
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Although this sparked a revisal in the Christian church, they called themselves Deists. The Deists would say they are called to be disciples, or students to Jesus. However, they believe that he was a God who wasn’t very present in their lives. They have a belief that God has created the universe but distanced himself apart from us and remains to monitor the world through natural, and scientific laws. They also reject the idea of Jesus’s revelation throughout the bible. The irony of the period is that many people wanted to be enlightened, but they are missing all of God’s truth that he provides for us, and would have been easy for them to obtain if they had the right heart.
Even though the religious aspect of the “Age of Reason” wasn’t theologically correct, many educational subjects became well recognised and adapted to the time period creating the title of the 1700’s “The Enlightenment.” This time period was a significant effect on society, but it raised several concerns. The first question was the Kings, and their position, because they were no longer respectable to their power. It also raised concerns about religion, because of all the false doctrine, and thinking. And lastly, the way God fit into the peoples lives. People twisted their view of God, and decided that God had to adapt to the person creating a relationship rather than having an earthly man pursue God. Even though the time of Enlightenment had its struggles, many things flourished creating an inspiring time period.
