Further on Paine

 

• Class discussion.

 

• The relationship between organized religion and the social order.

 

• Importance of the 1st amendment and the ‘establishment clause’ specifying the separation of state and religion
  • Because of his imprisonment in France, Paine really needed to invalidate the marriage of church and state which resulted in his imprisonment

 

• What is the meaning of God?
  • See also Thomas Jefferson

 

• What would be an appropriate God for rational people

 

• Democratization of God

 

• The New Testament
  • Paine’s criticisms of the inconsistencies between the four gospels
  • Perhaps the new Testament is the 1st postmodern text!? Offers a polyvalent view of Christ’s life in a fragmented, contingent, postmodern way.

 

• The 18th century’s return to Plato is evident from the text.
  • See Charles Taylor re ‘authenticity’ or sincerity
    • Re Paine Part I, Page 2 “…mentally faithful to oneself”
    • The notion of self actualization

 

• Job ch. 18 and Psalm 19 were of particular importance to Paine. 

 

 

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