Atheists, Agnostics and Deists in America: A Brief History

Summary: This is the First history of religious disbelief in the United States covering the period from the American Revolution to the year 2000 from Thomas Jefferson to the American Humanist Association. It examines the influence on our Founding Fathers of the philosophers Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius & Voltaire & discusses the religious beliefs of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Ingersoll & Clarence Darrow, as ...well as the lives of lesser-known figures such as Fanny Wright, an atheist whom Jefferson invited to the White House & Walt Whitman praised. It also traces the history of Unitairans, Universalists, Ethical Culture, Buddhists & Humanists in the United States. Finally, the book examines why atheism has never become more than a fringe belief in this country, as contrasted with much greater popularity in Europe & whether it will have more influence in future years. The book includes a glossary, an index & eight-page bibliography. The author, Peter Rinaldo, has written twelve widely-praised books in the fields of history & sociology. Order over the internet, from your local bookstore, or directly from the publisher, DorPete Press, P. O. Box 238, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 [read more]